A General Framework for Inclusive Lifelong Learning in Higher Education Institutions with Adaptive Web-Based Services that Support Standards - E-Infrastructures and Technologies for Lifelong Learning - page 43

The general framework described here is in
line with the aforementioned SOA initiatives
for e-learning (i.e. e-Framework, OKI, FLUID).
In particular, it considers existing educational
institutions that offer services for their users
such as those identified in the previous section
(Open University and UNED). Each institution
has some specific needs, which means that not
only the services offered but also the way these
are offered, differs in each of them. Moreover,
HE institutions have been trying to offer these
services through the Internet to facilitate the ac-
cess to all their members. However, there are no
guidelines describing how to translate those end-
user services into ICT services, a.k.a. electronic
services (or eServices) that are delivered to the
user via web-based environments in an inclusive
and personalized way nor appropriate technologi-
cal support required for it.
Figure 1 depicts the general framework as
perceived through our research activities and
experience in the management of HE services.

The framework is proposed to be applied by
HE institutions to provide support for interoper-
ability of services, combining existing services
- already provided by the institution - and new
functionalities that can enrich current services
with personalization and inclusive support. On
the left hand side of the figure, two institutions
are represented, which have different needs and
have already some software running that partially
solves their individual needs by offering appropri-
ate ICT services. The general framework (in the
middle of the figure) can be seen as a compact
structure that aggregates the full list of services
(Sa to Se) to be required by institutions. This is
called the Open and Accessible Services Architec-
ture (O-ASA), which is built as a standards-based
adaptive and accessible open source web service
oriented architecture (SOA). As the framework
is based on web services 1 , it shares the benefits
of SOA, such as interoperability, re-usability,
composability, distributivity and discoverability
(Josuttis, 2007; Natis, 2003).

Figure 1. Graphical representation of the application of the general framework in HE to support ICT
services