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Language reference: All-inclusive edition
The language reference portion of the DITA specification contains a topic for each DITA element. The topic defines the element, its inheritance hierarchy, and provides examples of usage. This portion of the DITA specification also includes information about DITA attributes.
Learning and training elements
Elements in the learning and training section include specialized topics, maps, content, and metadata elements specially designed to support instructional content.
Learning and training: common content elements
The learning and training content elements provide specialized content for learning topics.
<lcInstruction>
The <lcInstruction> describes the specifics of a learning activity.

Specification URIs
Notices
Introduction to DITA 1.3
The Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) specification defines a set of document types for authoring and organizing topic-oriented information, as well as a set of mechanisms for combining, extending, and constraining document types.
Architectural specification: All-inclusive edition
The architectural specification portion of the DITA specification outlines the framework of DITA. It contains an overview of DITA markup; addressing; processing; configuration, specialization, generalization, and constraints; as well as information about coding DITA grammar files.
Language reference: All-inclusive edition
The language reference portion of the DITA specification contains a topic for each DITA element. The topic defines the element, its inheritance hierarchy, and provides examples of usage. This portion of the DITA specification also includes information about DITA attributes.
- Element quick reference
  This section contains a listing of DITA elements.
- Topic elements
  The base topic elements include elements that make up the core building blocks of the DITA topic, such as topic, body, and related-links, as well as elements like <p> and <ph> that are used in many topic specializations. Some of these elements are also available inside the <topicmeta> map element.
- Map elements
  Map elements include the core components of DITA maps, such as <topicref> and <reltable>, as well as general purpose map specializations in the map group domain.
- Metadata elements
  Metadata elements include information that is located within the <topicmeta> element (in maps) or <prolog> element (in topics), as well as indexing elements that can be placed in additional locations within topic content.
- Domain elements
  General purpose domains are not specific to any type of information, such as the hazard statement domain that provides elements for describing hazardous situations.
- Classification elements
  Classification elements support managing metadata. Those in the subject scheme map are used to define controlled values and to bind the controlled values to DITA attributes as enumerations. Those declared in the classification domain are used in other maps to classify content according to the scheme.
- Specialization elements
  Several DITA elements exist either for architectural reasons or for support of specialized markup yet to be designed. Although there is little need to use these elements unless you are directed to, some of them, such as <state>, can be used if your content makes use of these semantic distinctions. For example, a discussion of signals on a gate of an integrated logic circuit might use the <state> element to represent either on or off conditions of that gate.
- Legacy conversion elements
  Conversion elements exist primarily to aid in the conversion of content to DITA.
- DITAVAL elements
  A conditional processing profile (DITAVAL file) is used to identify which values are to be used for conditional processing during a particular output, build, or some other purpose. The profile should have an extension of .ditaval.
- Technical content elements
  Elements in the technical content section include the original Concept, Task, and Reference specializations, as well as specializations added in later releases. It also includes domains designed primarily for technical content.
- Learning and training elements
  Elements in the learning and training section include specialized topics, maps, content, and metadata elements specially designed to support instructional content.
  - Learning and training: topic elements
    Use the learning and training topic types to provide the instructional content, according to the needs identified by the learning goals and objectives.
  - Learning and training: map types
    Use the learning and training map types to aggregate learning content into individual learning objects, groups of learning objects, or higher-level aggregations of learning groups and objects, according to the needs identified by the learning goals and objectives.
  - Learning and training: map domain elements
    Use the learning and training map domain to organize groups of topics as learning objects. Defined as a map domain, these elements are available for use within any DITA map, not just a learning-specific DITA map. For example, you could include learning objects in a DITA generic map or in a DITA bookmap.
  - Learning and training: interactions domain elements
    Use the learning interactions to construct a basic set of question and response interaction. The domain also provides an <lcInstructornote2> element, which you can use to provide instructor-specific information in the learning topics.
  - Learning and training: interactions domain elements (DEPRECATED)
    Use the learning interactions to construct a basic set of question and response interaction. The domain also provides an <lcInstructornote> element, which you can use to provide instructor-specific information in the learning topics.
  - Learning and training: metadata elements
    Use the learning and training metadata to describe specific characteristics of the learning content. The learning and training metadata elements provide a robust metadata model for learning objects, built upon industry standards and best practices. Defined as a domain, these elements are available for use in both the topic <prolog> and the map <topicmeta>.
  - Learning and training: common content elements
    The learning and training content elements provide specialized content for learning topics.
    - <lcAge>
      The <lcAge> provides the age range of the intended learner audience, for use by curriculum developers and course planners.
    - <lcAssessment>
      The <lcAssessment> describes assessment plans.
    - <lcAttitude>
      The <lcAttitude> describes mental state that influences the choices of personal actions.
    - <lcAudience>
      The <lcAudience> describes characteristics of the learners who take the instruction.
    - <lcBackground>
      The <lcBackground> provides the learners' professional background and the relevancy to the learning plan.
    - <lcChallenge>
      The <lcChallenge> refers to what it is that you want the student to practice. For example, if you're studying network diagrams, and challenge might be "see if you can put this network into its proper sequence" or "see if you understand this network flow".
    - <lcCIN>
      The <lcCIN> provides a course identification number or other alternate identifier for the project title.
    - <lcClassroom>
      The <lcClassroom> describes the classroom environment.
    - <lcClient>
      The <lcClient> provides the person or organization sponsoring or requiring the learning event development.
    - <lcConstraints>
      The <lcConstraints> describes the organizational or technical aspects that can limit the organization's ability to effectively use the instruction to meet its goals.
    - <lcDelivDate>
      The <lcDelivDate> provides the project delivery date.
    - <lcDelivery>
      The <lcDelivery> describes the delivery method for this learning content.
    - <lcDownloadTime>
      The <lcDownloadTime> describes the maximum time allowed for download time in the client's delivery environment.
    - <lcDuration>
      The <lcDuration> provides an estimated duration for the learning activity.
    - <lcEdLevel>
      The <lcEdLevel> provides the range of learners' education level and the relevancy to the learning plan.
    - <lcFileSizeLimitations>
      The <lcFileSizeLimitations> describes any file size limitation in the download environment.
    - <lcGapAnalysis>
      The <lcGapAnalysis> compares existing learning objectives to current job task analysis.
    - <lcGapItem>
      The <lcGapItem> describes gaps between existing training objectives and related job-task-analysis content.
    - <lcGapItemDelta>
      The <lcGapItemDelta> describes the gap between the learning objective and the task analysis.
    - <lcGeneralDescription>
      The <lcGeneralDescription> provides a space to develop a general description about the organization's training needs.
    - <lcGoals>
      The <lcGoals> provides the outcomes desired by the organization to be addressed by the training effort. These goals can require concurrent efforts outside of training such as technology acquisition, reorganization, and so forth.
    - <lcGraphics>
      The <lcGraphics> describes standards and system requirements for displaying graphics and other related content types.
    - <lcHandouts>
      The <lcHandouts> provides aspects of the course that are provided by the instructor in support of the course learning objectives.
    - <lcInstruction>
      The <lcInstruction> describes the specifics of a learning activity.
    - <lcInteraction>
      The <lcInteraction> is a wrapper element for all the interactions of the assessment. The interactions themselves are based on the <lcInteractionBase> type. A starter set of interaction types is defined in the learning domain.
    - <lcIntervention>
      The <lcIntervention> describes the approach and strategies to building the learning materials, based on the needs analysis.
    - <lcInterventionItem>
      The <lcInterventionItem> describes how learning content is built, based on a systems approach to analyzing, designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating any instructional experience.
    - <lcIntro>
      The <lcIntro> provides a detailed introduction and description of the content to be delivered, in cases where the <shortdesc> is not adequate to fully describe the content. It can also include instructor notes.
    - <lcJtaItem>
      The <lcJtaItem> provides description of job task analysis (JTA) as related to a particular learning objective.
    - <lcKnowledge>
      The <lcKnowledge> element describes the learner's current knowledge and the relevancy to the broader plan audience or a specific task in the plan.
    - <lcLearnStrat>
      The <lcLearnStrat> describes the manner in which the learning content will be instructed. This should be a high level design that applies instructional-design theories and models.
    - <lcLMS>
      The <lcLMS> provides the LMS name and version number used in the learning event.
    - <lcModDate>
      The <lcModDate> provides the project modification date.
    - <lcMotivation>
      The <lcMotivation> provides the reasons why the learners want and/or need to take the instruction.
    - <lcNeeds>
      The <lcNeeds> provides the needs behind the outcomes described by the <lcGoals>.
    - <lcNeedsAnalysis>
      The <lcNeedsAnalysis> describes the training requirement and identifies the need to develop or revise content. These include periodic training gap analyses, changes to operational or maintenance requirements, and changes to equipment or systems.
    - <lcNextSteps>
      The <lcNextSteps> suggests next steps to reinforce the knowledge learned.
    - <lcNoLMS>
      Use <lcNoLMS> when you plan to deliver the content as a standalone package, without a learning management system (LMS).
    - <lcObjective>
      The <lcObjective> describes a single learning objective.
    - <lcObjectives>
      The <lcObjectives> lists or describes the learning goals.
    - <lcObjectivesGroup>
      The <lcObjectivesGroup> contains a list of one or more learning objectives.
    - <lcObjectivesStem>
      The <lcObjectivesStem> provides a leading sentence to introduce a list of learning objectives.
    - <lcOJT>
      The <lcOJT> is "the on-the-job training" and describes aspects of the course taking place in the work environment.
    - <lcOrganizational>
      The <lcOrganizational> describes an organization's learning requirements.
    - <lcOrgConstraints>
      The <lcOrgConstraints> provides organizational aspects that can limit the organization's ability to effectively use the instruction to meet its goals.
    - <lcPlanAudience>
      The <lcPlanAudience> describes characteristics of the learners who take the instruction.
    - <lcPlanDescrip>
      The <lcPlanDescrip> provides a plan description.
    - <lcPlanObjective>
      The <lcPlanObjective> describes the objective to be addressed by a gap analysis or intervention.
    - <lcPlanPrereqs>
      The <lcPlanPrereqs> element provides the knowledge, skills, abilities, courses and other activities learners must have satisfied to take the instruction.
    - <lcPlanResources>
      The <lcPlanResources> describes resource needs.
    - <lcPlanSubject>
      The <lcPlanSubject> provides a complete description of the subject of the planned learning.
    - <lcPlanTitle>
      The <lcPlanTitle> provides a title for a specific module, lesson, or section of the course that this plan describes.
    - <lcPlayers>
      The <lcPlayers> describes tools and plugins used for time-sequenced display at runtime.
    - <lcPrereqs>
      The <lcPrereqs> describes the knowledge, experience, or other prerequisites needed to complete the content.
    - <lcProcesses>
      The <lcProcesses> describes processes learners routinely follow.
    - <lcProject>
      The <lcProject> provides learning content project plan description information.
    - <lcResolution>
      The <lcResolution> describes the required computer screen resolution for the online instruction.
    - <lcResources>
      The <lcResources> provides a list of related resources and information about them, such as related articles or samples on the web.
    - <lcReview>
      The <lcReview> provides a review of the main points.
    - <lcSecurity>
      The <lcSecurity> describes the security requirements in the delivered instruction.
    - <lcSkills>
      The <lcSkills> describes the learners' current skill set and the relevancy to the broader plan audience or a specific task in the plan.
    - <lcSpecChars>
      The <lcSpecChars> provides learner characteristics specific to the population that will influence the design, including learning disabilities, physical handicaps, and so forth.
    - <lcSummary>
      The <lcSummary> provides a textual summary that describes the main learning goals and lessons learned.
    - <lcTask>
      The <lcTask> captures a work item to be performed, as part of the learning plan.
    - <lcTaskItem>
      The <lcTaskItem> describes a discreet task to be taught.
    - <lcTechnical>
      The <lcTechnical> describes the technical requirements to the learning content and how those requirements are supported by the instructional design.
    - <lcTime>
      The <lcTime> specifies the time expected to complete an activity. You can specify the time both as text to display to the user and as an attribute value that follows a specific time format.
    - <lcValues>
      The <lcValues> describes affective components of desired instructional outcomes.
    - <lcViewers>
      The <lcViewers> describes viewers used for time-sequenced display at runtime.
    - <lcW3C>
      The <lcW3C> provides requirements for use of world wide web consortium standards.
    - <lcWorkEnv>
      The <lcWorkEnv> describes the working conditions and contexts in which the training will be applied.
    - <lcWorkEnvDescription>
      The <lcWorkEnvDescription> provides the general working environment in which the training will be applied.
- Attributes
  This section collects commonly used attributes, with common definitions. If an element uses a different definition, or narrows the scope of, an otherwise common attribute, it will be called out in the topic that defines the element.
Conformance
Conformance to the DITA specification allows documents and document types that are used with different processors or different versions of a processor to produce the same or similar results with little or no reimplementation or modification.
Acknowledgments
(Non-normative) Many members of the OASIS DITA Technical Committee participated in the creation of this specification and are gratefully acknowledged.
Non-normative information
This section contains non-normative information, including topics about new features in DITA 1.3 and migrating from DITA 1.2 to DITA 1.3.
Content models for learning and training package
For each element in the learning and training package, this section presents the content model and a list of parent elements that can contain that element.

`<lcInstruction>`

The <lcInstruction> describes the specifics of a learning activity.

You have two options for including instructive content in a <learningContent> topic.

When you want to include content directly in the body of the <learningContent> topic, use <lcInstruction>.
When you want to use content that already exists in other DITA topics, or when you want to take advantage of additional topic types, such as concept, task, or reference, you can include that content as additional nested topic content in the <learningContent> topic, immediately after the <learningContentbody>.

Content models

See appendix for information about this element in OASIS document type shells.

Inheritance

- topic/section learningBase/lcInstruction

Example

<learningContent id="overview">
  <title>Learning Content topic</title>
  <learningContentbody>
    <lcInstruction><title>Instruction</title>
      <p>Describe the instruction.</p>
    </lcInstruction>  
  </learningContentbody>
</learningContent>

Attributes

The following attributes are available on this element: Universal attribute group, outputclass, and spectitle.