Towards the standard-oriented E-learning : an RDF-based E-learning content management P2P infrastructure and some enabling technologies

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Establishing effective learning management systems through simplicity

Designing a Learning Management System (LMS) is a combination of pedagogical design, usability and information architecture. E-Learning systems should have intuitive interfaces and clear information design, allowing learners to concentrate on learning and course developers on learning strategies, thus making e-learning more efficient. Hence, effective LMSs should include sophisticated and advanced functions, yet their interface should hide their complexity. In this paper we present the key features of an experimental LMS which follows recent usability techniques in order to accomplish simplicity. The usage of computer file management as a metaphor for management and navigation between Learning Objects (LOs) along with a clear and unambiguous user interface allow users to focus on their learning activities without excessive hassle

A distributed content repositories model and a decisions support system for learning objects in Latin-America

This paper describes a content object and metadata repositories model, which provides an alternative to search and to access repositories developed in Colombia and Latin America. Along with the repositories model, an initial design of a decision support system for repositories is presented. In order to preserve the autonomy of each repository, a common web services interface is considered

Designing simplicity: usability perspectives on Learning Management Systems

This paper presents an experimental Learning Management System (LMS). The usability aspect of its functions serves as the main focus of this system because the potential for usability problems seems to be especially severe in LMSs, due to their ability to implement complex features and intricate interactions. In order to establish a more efficient e-learning environment, an LMS should have intuitive interfaces and clear information design, allowing learners to concentrate on learning and instructors on learning strategies. The proposed LMS includes all the important functions of delivering learning material, tracking learning activities and managing community tasks, yet by following recent usability techniques it manages to hide all this complexity. Moreover, providing a comprehensive idea of content organization and management along with a simple navigation tool, it allows learners to focus on their learning activities without excessive hassle and instructors, especially those unfamiliar with Information Technologies, to profitably exploit their learning resources

eLML, the e-Lesson Markup Language: Developing sustainable e-Learning content using an open source XML framework

eLML, the open source “eLesson Markup Language”, is an XML framework allowing authors of e-Learning lessons to create structured and sustainable content. eLML is based on the pedagogical concept ECLASS (adapted from Gerson, 2000), standing for entry, clarify, look, act, self-assessment and summary. Each lesson is divided into units that contain a number of smaller learning objects. To allow different teaching and learning scenarios most of the structure elements are optional or can be repeated several times and different orders. Lessons written with eLML can be transformed into HTML or PDF or be imported into a learning management system (LMS) using the SCORM or IMS Content Packaging format. The paper presents experiences from the development of eLML itself, the design of e-Learning content based on the eLML-structure, and the use of eLML-based content in conjunction with a LMS

A Web-based mapping technique foreEstablishing metadata interoperability

Die Integration von Metadaten aus unterschiedlichen, heterogenen Datenquellen erfordert Metadaten-Interoperabilität, eine Eigenschaft die nicht standardmäßig gegeben ist. Metadaten Mapping Verfahren ermöglichen es Domänenexperten Metadaten-Interoperabilität in einem bestimmten Integrationskontext herzustellen. Mapping Lösungen sollen dabei die notwendige Unterstützung bieten. Während diese für den etablierten Bereich interoperabler Datenbanken bereits existieren, ist dies für Web-Umgebungen nicht der Fall. Betrachtet man das Ausmaß ständig wachsender strukturierter Metadaten und Metadatenschemata im Web, so zeichnet sich ein Bedarf nach Web-basierten Mapping Lösungen ab. Den Kern einer solchen Lösung bildet ein Mappingmodell, das die zur Spezifikation von Mappings notwendigen Sprachkonstrukte definiert. Existierende Semantic Web Sprachen wie beispielsweise RDFS oder OWL bieten zwar grundlegende Mappingelemente (z.B.: owl:equivalentProperty, owl:sameAs), adressieren jedoch nicht das gesamte Sprektrum möglicher semantischer und struktureller Heterogenitäten, die zwischen unterschiedlichen, inkompatiblen Metadatenobjekten auftreten können. Außerdem fehlen technische Lösungsansätze zur Überführung zuvor definierter Mappings in ausführbare Abfragen. Als zentraler wissenschaftlicher Beitrag dieser Dissertation, wird ein abstraktes Mappingmodell präsentiert, welches das Mappingproblem auf generischer Ebene reflektiert und Lösungsansätze zum Abgleich inkompatibler Schemata bietet. Instanztransformationsfunktionen und URIs nehmen in diesem Modell eine zentrale Rolle ein. Erstere überbrücken ein breites Spektrum möglicher semantischer und struktureller Heterogenitäten, während letztere das Mappingmodell in die Architektur des World Wide Webs einbinden. Auf einer konkreten, sprachspezifischen Ebene wird die Anbindung des abstrakten Modells an die RDF Vocabulary Description Language (RDFS) präsentiert, wodurch ein Mapping zwischen unterschiedlichen, in RDFS ausgedrückten Metadatenschemata ermöglicht wird. Das Mappingmodell ist in einen zyklischen Mappingprozess eingebunden, der die Anforderungen an Mappinglösungen in vier aufeinanderfolgende Phasen kategorisiert: mapping discovery, mapping representation, mapping execution und mapping maintenance. Im Rahmen dieser Dissertation beschäftigen wir uns hauptsächlich mit der Representation-Phase sowie mit der Transformation von Mappingspezifikationen in ausführbare SPARQL-Abfragen. Zur Unterstützung der Discovery-Phase bietet das Mappingmodell eine Schnittstelle zur Einbindung von Schema- oder Ontologymatching-Algorithmen. Für die Maintenance-Phase präsentieren wir ein einfaches, aber seinen Zweck erfüllendes Mapping-Registry Konzept. Auf Basis des Mappingmodells stellen wir eine Web-basierte Mediator-Wrapper Architektur vor, die Domänenexperten die Möglichkeit bietet, SPARQL-Mediationsschnittstellen zu definieren. Die zu integrierenden Datenquellen müssen dafür durch Wrapper-Komponenen gekapselt werden, welche die enthaltenen Metadaten im Web exponieren und SPARQL-Zugriff ermöglichen. Als beipielhafte Wrapper Komponente präsentieren wir den OAI2LOD Server, mit dessen Hilfe Datenquellen eingebunden werden können, die ihre Metadaten über das Open Archives Initative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) exponieren. Im Rahmen einer Fallstudie zeigen wir, wie Mappings in Web-Umgebungen erstellt werden können und wie unsere Mediator-Wrapper Architektur nach wenigen, einfachen Konfigurationsschritten Metadaten aus unterschiedlichen, heterogenen Datenquellen integrieren kann, ohne dass dadurch die Notwendigkeit entsteht, eine Mapping Lösung in einer lokalen Systemumgebung zu installieren.The integration of metadata from distinct, heterogeneous data sources requires metadata interoperability, which is a qualitative property of metadata information objects that is not given by default. The technique of metadata mapping allows domain experts to establish metadata interoperability in a certain integration scenario. Mapping solutions, as a technical manifestation of this technique, are already available for the intensively studied domain of database system interoperability, but they rarely exist for the Web. If we consider the amount of steadily increasing structured metadata and corresponding metadata schemes on the Web, we can observe a clear need for a mapping solution that can operate in a Web-based environment. To achieve that, we first need to build its technical core, which is a mapping model that provides the language primitives to define mapping relationships. Existing Semantic Web languages such as RDFS and OWL define some basic mapping elements (e.g., owl:equivalentProperty, owl:sameAs), but do not address the full spectrum of semantic and structural heterogeneities that can occur among distinct, incompatible metadata information objects. Furthermore, it is still unclear how to process defined mapping relationships during run-time in order to deliver metadata to the client in a uniform way. As the main contribution of this thesis, we present an abstract mapping model, which reflects the mapping problem on a generic level and provides the means for reconciling incompatible metadata. Instance transformation functions and URIs take a central role in that model. The former cover a broad spectrum of possible structural and semantic heterogeneities, while the latter bind the complete mapping model to the architecture of the Word Wide Web. On the concrete, language-specific level we present a binding of the abstract mapping model for the RDF Vocabulary Description Language (RDFS), which allows us to create mapping specifications among incompatible metadata schemes expressed in RDFS. The mapping model is embedded in a cyclic process that categorises the requirements a mapping solution should fulfil into four subsequent phases: mapping discovery, mapping representation, mapping execution, and mapping maintenance. In this thesis, we mainly focus on mapping representation and on the transformation of mapping specifications into executable SPARQL queries. For mapping discovery support, the model provides an interface for plugging-in schema and ontology matching algorithms. For mapping maintenance we introduce the concept of a simple, but effective mapping registry. Based on the mapping model, we propose aWeb-based mediator wrapper-architecture that allows domain experts to set up mediation endpoints that provide a uniform SPARQL query interface to a set of distributed metadata sources. The involved data sources are encapsulated by wrapper components that expose the contained metadata and the schema definitions on the Web and provide a SPARQL query interface to these metadata. In this thesis, we present the OAI2LOD Server, a wrapper component for integrating metadata that are accessible via the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH). In a case study, we demonstrate how mappings can be created in aWeb environment and how our mediator wrapper architecture can easily be configured in order to integrate metadata from various heterogeneous data sources without the need to install any mapping solution or metadata integration solution in a local system environment

A note on organizational learning and knowledge sharing in the context of communities of practice

Please, cite this publication as: Antonova, A. & Gourova, E. (2006). A note on organizational learning and knowledge sharing in the context of communities of practice. Proceedings of International Workshop in Learning Networks for Lifelong Competence Development, TENCompetence Conference. September 12th, Sofia, Bulgaria: TENCompetence. Retrieved June 30th, 2006, from http://dspace.learningnetworks.orgThe knowledge management (KM) literature emphasizes the impact of human factors for successful implementation of KM within the organization. Isolated initiatives for promoting learning organization and team collaboration, without taking consideration of the knowledge sharing limitations and constraints can defeat further development of KM culture. As an effective instrument for knowledge sharing, communities of practice (CoP) are appearing to overcome these constraints and to foster human collaboration.This work has been sponsored by the EU project TENCompetenc

From collaborative virtual research environment SOA to teaching and learning environment SOA

This paper explores the extension of the CORE VRE SOA to a collaborative virtual teaching and learning environment (CVTLE) SOA. Key points are brought up to date from a number of projects researching and developing a CVTLE and its component services. Issues remain: there are few implementations of the key services needed to demonstrate the CVTLE concept; there are questions about the feasibility of such an enterprise; there are overlapping standards; questions about the source and use of user profile data remain difficult to answer; as does the issue of where and how to coordinate, control, and monitor such a teaching and learning syste

C.: Integrating XQuery-enabled SCORM XML Metadata Repositories into a RDF-based E-Learning

Edutella is an RDF-based E-Learning P2P network that is aimed to accommodate heterogeneous learning resource metadata repositories in a P2P manner and further facilitate the exchange of metadata between these repositories based on RDF. Whereas Edutella provides RDF metadata repositories with a quite natural integration approach, XML metadata repositories have to overcome considerable incompatibility between XML’s tree-like hierarchical data model and RDF’s binary relational data model in order to be integrated into Edutella. In this paper we investigate a generic approach for integrating XML metadata repositories into Edutella in terms of an XQuery-enabled native XML database containing SCORM XML metadata. We first propose a triple-like XML-based common data view to cross incompatibility between arbitrary XML data model and RDF data model, then discuss the wrapper program implementation for XML metadata repositories based on the wrapper-like Edutella content provider integration architecture. At last, we propose a generic approach for querying complex XML data schemas in Edutella through QBE (Query by Example), and present the design of a QBE-based SCORM query GUI that can be used to query SCORM XML metadata in Edutella in the RDF syntax

Distributed Search in Semantic Web Service Discovery

This thesis presents a framework for semantic Web Service discovery using descriptive (non-functional) service characteristics in a large-scale, multi-domain setting. The framework uses Web Ontology Language for Services (OWL-S) to design a template for describing non-functional service parameters in a way that facilitates service discovery, and presents a layered scheme for organizing ontologies used in service description. This service description scheme serves as a core for desigining the four main functions of a service directory: a template-based user interface, semantic query expansion algorithms, a two-level indexing scheme that combines Bloom filters with a Distributed Hash Table, and a distributed approach for storing service description. The service directory is, in turn, implemented as an extension of the Open Service Discovery Architecture. The search algorithms presented in this thesis are designed to maximize precision and completeness of service discovery, while the distributed design of the directory allows individual administrative domains to retain a high degree of independence and maintain access control to information about their services