IMS Global

IMS Global Learning Consortium (usually referred to as IMS GLC, IMS Global or simply IMS) is a global, nonprofit, member organization that strives to enable the growth and impact of learning technology in the education and corporate learning sectors worldwide. IMS GLC members provide leadership in shaping and growing the learning industry through community development of interoperability and adoption practice standards and recognition of the return on investment from learning and educational technology. Their main activity is to develop interoperability standards and adoption practice standards for distributed learning, some of which like Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI), Question & Test Interoperability/Accessible Portable Item Protocol (QTI/APIP), Common Cartridge, Learning Information Services and Content Packaging are very widely used.

Scope of standards

The scope for IMS specifications and standards cover most of the data elements used in "distributed and collaborative learning." IMS specifications promote the adoption of learning and educational technology and allow selection of best of breed products that can be easily integrated with other such products. These include a wide variety of technologies that support or enhance the learning experience, such as web-based course management system, learning management systems, virtual learning environments, instructional management systems, student administrative systems, ePortfolios, assessment systems, adaptive tutoring systems, collaborative learning tools, web 2.0 social learning tools, learning object repositories, and so forth. These include technologies and products that support learning situations that involve support for collaborative learning involving learners and instructors. The learners may be in a traditional educational environment (i.e., a school classroom in a university), in a corporate or government training setting, or at home.