Transcript Metadata for a collection of Networked Learning Resources

Dr. Norm Friesen
[email protected]
Athabasca, AB 11/12/09
Metadata Possibilities: from the
IEEE LOM through Dublin Core to
…the “Cloud”?
Photo: EssjayNZ
Overview
• What is a standard & how can it be evaluated?
• Standards to consider for metadata for online
learning resources:
– Learning Object Metadata (IEEE LOM)
– Dublin Core
– ISO/IEC JTC1 SC36 “Metadata for Learning
Resources”
• A case for a “new” approach
What is a standard?
• "documented agreements containing technical
specifications or other precise criteria to be used
consistently as rules, guidelines, or definitions of
characteristics, to ensure that materials,
products, processes and services are fit for their
purpose"
• Fit for Purpose: discoverable, reusable,
interoperable, adaptable, accessible
• De facto / de jure standards: complex relationship
• E.g. Dublin Core, folksonomies, etc.
Standards are “Living” Documents:
They have a 5-7 Year Lifecycle
Three Standards for Educational &
Generic Resource Metadata
IEEE Learning Object Metadata
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; Standard
released in 2002; renewed in 2009; CanCore as documentation
ISO Dublin Core (OCLC –Online Computer Library Centre)
• American (ANSI/NISO) Standard in 2001 (Z39.85-2001)
• ISO Standard 15836:2009
• IETF RFC 5013 of August 2007
ISO/IEC JTC 1 Learning Resource Metadata (will be
standardizing IMS Content Packaging and SCORM)
• 2009/09 (framework); 2010/03 (Dublin Core elements)
IEEE Learning Object Metadata
• 1484.12.3: Standard For Learning TechnologyExtensible Markup Language (XML) Schema
Definition Language Binding For Learning
Object Metadata (2005)
• “On 13 May 2009, the IEEE-SA Standards
Board approved the reaffirmation of LOM.
That means that LOM has entered its second 5
year period of being an active standard.”
LOM Basics: 76 Elements
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
General (10)
Lifecycle (9)
Meta-metadata (10)
Educational (11)
Technical (12)
Rights (3)
Relation (7)
Annotation (4)
Classification (9)
2 types of elements:
• Ones containing others
• Ones containing data
6 types of data:
• CharacterString
• LangString (value,
language indicator)
• DateTime, Duration
• Vocabulary
• vCard
How elements & data work together
<general>
<identifier>
<catalog>CAREO</catalog>
<entry>632844</entry>
</identifier>
<identifier>
<catalog>URI</catalog>
<entry>http://www.pcc.edu/dl/idea.html</entry>
</identifier>
<title>
<string language="eng">Idea: The Inter…</string>
<string language="fra">Idea: la base…</string>
</title>
Complex structures: classification,
<contribute> lifecycle, technical
<role>
<source>LOMv1.0</source>
<value>editor</value>
</role>
<entity>
BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
N:Smith;John;W.;Dr.;
FN:Dr. John W. Smith
ORG:Open Learning Agency
END:VCARD
</entity>
<date>
<dateTime>2003</dateTime>
</date>
</contribute>
How are these Elements used?
International Survey from 2006
5 Sets of records varying in size
from 75 to over 3000; 50
randomly selected from each
(n=250):
• ARIADNE Project (EU)
• the LTSN (UK)
• Metalab (France)
• CELTS (China)
• CAREO (Canada)
4.2:Size
5.1:Interactivity:Type
6.2:Copyright:and:Other:
3.3:Metadata:Schema
6:Rights
3.4:Language
1.5:Keyword
2.3.3:Date
3.2:Contribute
3.2.1:Role
3.2.2:Entity
3:Meta-metadata
2.3.2:Entity
4:Technical
2.3:Contribute
4.3:Location
9:Classification
9.2.2.2:Entry
1.4:Description
1.1:Identifier
1.1.1:Catalog
1.1.2:Entry
9.2:Taxon:Path
9.2.2.:Taxon
9.2.1:Source
5.2:Learning:Resource:T
2.3.1:Role
5:Educational
2:Life:Cycle
1.3:Language
4.1:Format
1.2:Title
9.1:Purpose
Frequency of Element Use
Frequency of Element Use
The most frequently used elements (not container elements;
%-tage):
• Title, Description, Keyword
• Format (e.g. .html, .jpg, .doc)
• Language (human)
• Author
• Learning Resource Type (simulation, exercise, etc.)
• Subject Classification (Purpose=Discipline)
0
X-x
KEY.Type.x
KEY
50
validator
terminator
initiator
unknown
Validator
Publisher
100
LOGO
150
Author
200
ROLE
250
TITLE
• Contributor Types 
• Info about contributors
MAILER
EMAIL.Type
TEL.x
TEL
BDAY
EMAIL
ORG

FN
How are used elements populated?
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Conclusions: Elements and Values
Selected Frequently
• The LOM is used to describe intellectual
content of resources:
– General: Identifier, Title, Description, Keyword
– LifeCycle.Contribute (role = Author and publisher)
– Classification (Purpose=Discipline)
• The LOM is used to describe file and media
characteristics:
– Technical.Format, Technical.Size, Location
– Educational.Learning Resource Type (text,
hypertext, notes, etc.)
Conclusions: Elements and Values
Seldom Selected
• LOM use does NOT emphasize description of an
educational context or level:
– Educational.Semantic Density 0%
– Educational.Context <20%
– EndUserRole 40%
• LOM is NOT used to describe resources in terms of
software objects:
– Structure, Version (i.e. Alpha, Beta), Status <18%
– Aggregation level <27%
– Contribute.Role="terminator" “technical
implementer/validator“ 0%
“De facto status” of IEEE LOM
“De facto status:” LOM vs DC
Criticisms
“The “industrialist” Learning Objects approach has run
out of steam” (OLCOS Roadmap, 2007)
Keep it simple (stupid!) E.g., see Wilson 2005:
• notepad test - can you create a valid data instance in Notepad in
less than 4k?
• reading test: can you read and understand the basics of the
specification in
less than one hourr?
• scripting test - can you script a simple client or service provider
in one day?
Embed in html; realize value with small investment;
compatible with “Web 2.0” technologies & practices
(interactive information sharing; collaboration; distributed)
Dublin Core
• ISO Standard 15836-2003 of February
2003
– 2nd edition available as of 2009-02-18
• ANSI/NISO Standard Z39.85-2007 of May
2007
• IETF RFC 5013 of August 2007
• OCLC
• As a de facto standard?
15 Elements in the DCES
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Contributor
Coverage
Creator
Date
Description
Format
Identifier
Language
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Publisher
Relation
Rights
Source
Subject
Title
Type
Expressing Dublin Core Description
Sets using XML (for title)
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<dcds:descriptionSet
xmlns:dcds="http://purl.org/dc/xmlns/2008/09/01/
dc-ds-xml/">
<!-- Description Element -->
<dcds:description>
<dcds:statement
dcds:propertyURI=“...dc/terms/title">
<dcds:literalValueString>DCMI Home Page
</dcds:literalValueString>
</dcds:statement>
</dcds:description>
</dcds:descriptionSet>
RDF: "The resource (example.org) has the subject
'Ornitology' from the vocab: …/taxonomy/MyVocab"
<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdfsyntax-ns#"
xmlns:dcterms="http://purl.org/dc/terms/"
xmlns:ex="http://example.org/taxonomy/"
xmlns:dcam="http://purl.org/dc/dcam/">
<rdf:Description rdf:about="http://example.org/123">
<dcterms:subject>
<rdf:Description>
<dcam:memberOf
rdf:resource="http://example.org/taxonomy/MyVocab"/>
<rdf:value>Ornitology</rdf:value>
</rdf:Description>
</dcterms:subject>
</rdf:Description>
</rdf:RDF>
What does RDF in particular enable?
• "a recommended best practice for exposing,
sharing, and connecting pieces of data,
information, and knowledge on the Semantic
Web using URIs [Web addresses] and RDF."
• “The properties and classes of DCMI Metadata
Terms have been defined for compatibility
with Linked Data principles”
• “Over the past two years, vast amounts of
commercial and public-sector data have been
added to a growing to a linked data cloud.”
Where do metadata live?
In centralized or distributed
Learning Object Repositories
Free in the Web
Who contributes metadata
for a learning resource?
E.g. Searching in Wikipedia vs.
DBpedia
Wikipedia Article: Max
Schreck
http://wiki.dbpedia.org/O
nlineAccess#h28-3
DC: Levels of Interoperability
• Level 1: Shared Term Definitions -based on
shared natural-language definitions
• Level 2: Formal Semantic Interop: based on
the shared formal model via RDF & linked data
• Level 3: Description Set Syntactic Interop:
share abstract syntax for validatable
metadata records
• Level 4: Description Set Profile Interop: shared
vocabularies & view of world
Metadata for Learning Resources
• ISO/IEC 19788-1 ITLET – Metadata for Learning
Resources –Part 1: Framework 2010-09
• ISO/IEC 19788-2 ITLET – Metadata for Learning
Resources – Part 2: Core Elements 2011-03
• “The DC-Education Community is working with the ISO
Metadata for Learning Resources group to ensure
compatibility of the DC-Education Application Profile Module
and the ISO MLR-5: Educational Elements standard. We will be
attending ISO MLR webconferences on 16 November 2009
and 18 December 2009, in preparation for the group's big
meeting in Osaka in 2010.”
MLR – Characteristics
• Multilingual capability: for element contents, for
documentation and support
• Accessibility: one part of the standard will be
devoted to accessibility; accessibility experts
have been providing input throughout
• Compatibility: with the IEEE LOM (as an
application profile), with Dublin Core (very
directly), with Dublin Core RDF
• Support: implementation guideline(s) planned
MLR Part 1
MLR Part 2: Dublin Core Elements
• “This Part is provides full Dublin Core
interoperability for this Standard. This is
achieved through the description of each
Dublin Core element using the MLR data
element specification template provided in
the MLR Part 1 Framework. In addition, Dublin
Core definitions were reviewed in order to
level out interpretation [and] ambiguity[,] and
best practice guidance is provided in notes.”
How RDF works
Oval = Resource (
Rectangle = Literal (S
References
• ISO SC36 Livelink:
http://isotc.iso.org/livelink/livelink?func=ll&o
bjId=806742
• Dublin Core http://dublincore.org/
• My blog:
http://learningspaces.org/n/node/34