eLearning software developer HarvestRoad (ASX:HRD), Boeing Australia, and the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) have announced a collaboration to build an Australian capability for state-of-the-art repositories for technical documentation and training materials.

The collaboration will culminate in a joint demonstration what is claimed to be a world first capability at a three-day international forum, which is being held to consider strategic directions for Advanced Distributed Learning initiatives (ADL). The conference "Advancing ADL through Global Collaboration" will commence on Tuesday 4th October in Melbourne and is being hosted by DEST and ADL.

The joint project demonstrates the use of repositories to share content components between Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) training modules and S1000D-compliant technical documentation.

Mandated by the US Department of Defence, SCORM has emerged as the industry standard for structured learning and training materials within the defence community, while the S1000D is the standard for technical documentation relating to commercial and military equipment. Technical publication and training content that is compliant with these two standards can be processed through the workflows of the newly developed repository. This allows users to assemble publications and training courses by dragging and dropping components from the same authoritative source content. Any updates to this data will be managed effectively through notification, control and publishing services all within the system.

"The HarvestRoad Hive application will provide repository services to content authors, trainers and technical writers, enabling them to re-use components of the source technical documentation for other technical publications or training materials. The synchronisation of technical and training content is mission-critical in a networked warfare environment and represents the next significant logistic and operational step in managing fighting systems in Defence " HarvestRoad managing director, Grame Barty said.

"DEST is supporting this demonstration project because it has the potential to enhance innovation and productivity across a number of key industries and because it will strengthen links between the education sectors and industry with a view to increasing international competitiveness," said Dr Evan Arthur, manager of the Innovation and Research Systems Group in DEST.

"Boeing Australia recognises the importance of these new data standards and technologies for creating greater value in managing our customers' assets. The collaborative demonstration is an initiative that has involved leveraging the domain expertise of The Boeing Company, and will ultimately enhance an already significant technical data and training capability, whilst sharing the research model with key stakeholders. We look forward to developing the potential of industry and education with the value this initiative brings" Boeing Australia managing director, David Gray, commented.

The upcoming ADL conference in Melbourne hopes to achieve a sense of international direction and agreed action with regard to the future of ADL technologies and address opportunities for integrating emerging ADL technologies such as gaming, simulation and intelligent tutoring into learning, training and performance support environments.