Model-driven description and validation of composite learning content

Authoring of learning content for courseware systems is a complex activity requiring the combination of a range of design and validation techniques. We introduce the CAVIAr courseware models allowing for learning content description and validation. Model-based representation and analysis of different concerns such as the subject domain, learning context, resources and instructional design used are key contributors to this integrated solution. Personalised learning is particularly difficult to design as dynamic configurations cannot easily be predicted and tested. A tool-supported technique based on CAVIAr can alleviate this complexity through the validation of a set of pedagogical and non-pedagogical requirements. Courseware validation checks intra- and inter-content relationships and the compliance with requirements and educational theories

Ontology technology for the development and deployment of learning technology systems - a survey

The World-Wide Web is undergoing dramatic changes at the moment. The Semantic Web is an initiative to bring meaning to the Web. The Semantic Web is based on ontology technology – a knowledge representation framework – at its core. We illustrate the importance of this evolutionary development. We survey five scenarios demonstrating different forms of applications of ontology technologies in the development and deployment of learning technology systems. Ontology technologies are highly useful to organise, personalise, and publish learning content and to discover, generate, and compose learning objects

Software Construction of an Authoring Tool for Adaptive E-learning Platform

In last decade, more and more platforms for elearning content delivery provide adaptability towards learners goals, styles and performance. Usually, such platforms rely on own authoring tool or use external one in order to create learning materials. Usually, these tools follow modern e-learning standards but are rather complicated to be used and miss interoperability features. In this paper, we present software construction of an authoring tool, which is a part of a platform for building edutainment (education plus entertainment) services – ADOPTA (ADaptive technOlogy-enhanced Platform for eduTAinment). This authoring tool is designed by using Java EE 5 platform and provides inheritance mechanisms for learning object metadata descriptions, metadata for semantic ontology graphs, and good integration with instructor tool for creation of adaptive courseware

Developing domain ontologies for courseware content

Ontologies have the potential to play an important role in educational technology. They can be used to represent knowledge about educational content, supporting instructors in creating content or learners in accessing content in a knowledge-guided way. While ontologies exist for many subject domains, their quality and suitability for the educational context might be unclear. For numerous subjects, ontologies do not exist. We present a method for domain experts rather than ontology engineers to develop ontologies for use in the delivery of courseware content. We will focus in particular on relationship types that allow us to model rich domains adequately. Our investigation will be supported by a case study

Applications of semantic web technology to support learning content development

The Semantic Web is based on ontology technology – a knowledge representation framework – at its core to make meaning explicit and more accessible to automatic processing. We discuss the potential of this technology for the development of content for learning technology systems. We survey seven application types demonstrating different forms of applications of ontologies and the Semantic Web in the development of learning technology systems. Ontology technologies can assist developers, instructors, and learners to organise, personalise, and publish learning content and to discover, generate, and compose learning content. A conceptual content development and deployment architecture allows us to distinguish and locate the different applications and to dis-cuss and assess the potential of the underlying technologies

Adaptive courseware design based on learner character

During last decade, a great advance has been done in both theoretical research and software construction of Adaptive Hypermedia Systems (AHS). The article discusses the practical approach taken for authoring and instructional design of adaptive courseware based on learner character, namely learner goals and preferences, learner style, and learner performance and satisfaction level. This approach is adopted at pilot test of ADOPTA - adaptive technology-enhanced platform for edutainment. The authoring process relies strongly on an enhanced learning object metadata support, where learning styles are used for adaptive navigation within the narrative storyboard graph. On other side, both learner knowledge and satisfaction level determine adaptive content selection