METADATA IN E-LEARNING SYSTEMS: FOCUS ON ITS VALUE FOR THE USER

It is widely agreed upon that ‘good ’ metadata are a key factor for efficient use of e-learning systems. Generally, two fundamentally different types of metadata exist: Metadata generated by the system when content is created or added, and metadata generated by humans for humans. The latter takes one of two forms: (I) A number of fields in a form that have to be filled in by the creator of a piece of learning content; and (II) A list of pre-defined, standardised descriptors from which the applying ones have to be selected (ontology). Either approach aims at overcoming potentially differing valuations of metadata descriptors due to individual interpretations. Both approaches heavily depend on the e-learning application’s underlying knowledge domain, and are often driven by the requirements imposed by the services defined for the data repository in use. E-learning systems per definition incorporate at least two roles: the teacher’s and the student’s. The teacher produces and codifies, students and other teachers search and retrieve learning content. Each of these tasks relies eventually on a set of metadata descriptors. As a consequence, a considerable number of efforts have been undertaken in order to improve metadata applications for elearning systems. Unfortunately however, most of these efforts have been directed towards more automated systems, that devalue the teacher and student by assigning them merely the roles of information source and sink. We think that it has been overseen, that it is eventually the teachers and their students that need to work with and hence access resources within an e-learning system. The crucial question is: What are the relevant metadata descriptors in order to suitably support the users ’- the teacher’s an

In pursuit of desktop evolution: User problems and practices with modern desktop systems

This study deals with the problems users encounter in their daily work with computers and the typical practices that they employ. Sixteen daily computer users were interviewed about their habits and problems that they encountered during document classification and retrieval. For both these areas, we provide an overview of identified user practices and a citation-based analysis of the problems users encountered, including those related to the use of the screen real estate (the actual desktop). Two types of problems were identified: (1) Problems that concern the actual use of the system installed on the computer. (2) Problems that arise when people realise that they are using a system that does not allow for the desired work or organizational functions sought. We were able to show that skill continues to be an important factor with respect to the ease of using today’s systems. We suggest the following necessary improvements for the evolution of personal information systems: A storage facility that represents the user’s view of information; replacing pure technical file metadata with more user-friendly attributes; and introduction of annotations as a new information type

Project infospace: From information managing to information representation

Abstract: The Desktop metaphor has repeatedly been declared antiquated in various ways. It nevertheless continues existing. Despite the widely pronounced critique, it is still not clear what functional requirements have to be met by a new none-desktop interface. In this context, we define and explain the functional requirements (paradigms) we think fundamental for upcoming generations of non-desktop user interfaces. In close collaboration with users, we have also developed a graphical user interface (GUI) that illustrates these new paradigms and which is at the same time a concrete proposition for a new metaphor

A Collaborative Tool to Learn Basic Cartographical Concepts

Abstract. In this paper we present SketchMap, a system that integrates face-to-face and distributed collaboration of primary school children. We use small-scale tablet PCs for the distributed field work and an additional normal PC with data projector for the face-to-face situation. Children use SketchMap for creating their ‘personal environment ’ map of an are