On Quality Assessment of Learning Technology Specifications

Janssen, J., Berlanga, A. J., & Koper, R. (2012). On Quality Assessment of Learning Technology Specifications. In J. C. Ramalho, A. Simões, & R. Queirós (Eds.). Innovations in XML Applications and Metadata Management: Advancing Technologies (pp. 78-95). Hershey, PA, USA: IGI Global. Below file contains a preprint. The final chapter is available from: http://www.igi-global.com/chapter/quality-assessment-learning-technology-specifications/73174Specifications can be considered ‘hidden’ technology: they are deployed in tools and applications without being directly visible. This poses a challenge regarding quality assessment of this type of technology. This chapter describes a framework for quality assessment of learning technology specifications and how it was used to evaluate and improve a case in point: the Learning Path Specification. However, although the importance of raising the quality of a specification is beyond question, this in itself is no guarantee for its (wider) adoption. The final section of this chapter discusses how quality assessment of the Learning Path Specification at best informs us on its chances of gaining adoption, but by no means suffices to establish it. For this discussion we draw on Rogers’ work regarding five perceived characteristics of innovations influencing their diffusion: relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, triability, and observability