T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org1 Canadian Core Learning Resource Metadata Application Profile Norm Friesen

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org2 Overview What is Metadata Rationale for CanCore’s development CanCore’s place in standards evolution Understanding of Learning Objects Repositories, Alliances and Support Future of CanCore

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org3 What is Metadata? Data about data A way of structuring and sharing descriptions

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org4 A new vision for Educational Applications "stand-alone applications are incompatible with typical production, distribution, and usage patterns for educational software." J. Roschelle, et.al.

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org5 Educational Object: Example Content Pedagogical purpose; to augment learning about: Paris 1839 Urban environments Architecture Daguerre Photography Daguerreotypes Granularity: an object can be a course, unit, lesson, image, Web page, exercise, image, multimedia clip; but it must have a specified pedagogical purpose

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org6 Approaches to Learning Objects Context provided by technical specifications: SCO’s (SCORM) RLO’s (Cisco) Context provided by pedagogical practice: CAREO MERLOT

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org7 CanCore and Repositories CAREO and Alexandria Repositories Alberta Learning Portal POOL/Splash MERLOT

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org8 Rationale Repository projects in Canada and elsewhere Realize economy of scale by coordinating the implementation and interpretation of metadata for learning objects (and other e- learning specifications) Canada: population of California in the country with the 2 nd largest land mass: used to working together

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org9 Rationale: Simplicity IMS: leading educational metadata specification IMS Metadata Model too complicated for effective implementation: “Many vendors [have] expressed little or no interest in developing products that [are] required to support a set of meta-data with over 80 elements” Best Practices and Implementation Guide, IMS, 2000

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org10 Rationale: Simplicity, con’t Solution: core set of IMS elements most important for exchangeable resource descriptions Mid-way between structuralist (IMS) and minimalist (Dublin Core) approaches to metadata

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org11 Rationale: Specificity Effective implementation requires a consistent interpretation of each element’s purpose and use Best accomplished through Close consultation with development community guidelines document

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org12 Rationale: Examples IMS Element 5.4 Semantic Density: “subjective measure of the learning object's usefulness as compared to its size or duration” omitted in CanCore IMS Element 1.2 Title “Learning Object's name.” Word order, subtitles, multilingual titles, series/episode titles IMS Classification Element Group “Description of a characteristic of the resource by entries in classifications.” CanCore seeking coordinated definition of classification uses, purposes, and vocabularies: e.g. for object granularity, accessibility

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org13 Rationale: Semantics E-learning specifications community is largely concerned with syntax and technical interoperation Effective metadata requires semantic specification and consensus Incorporate best practice from library and heritage communities No other body is doing this across e- learning projects

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org14 CanCore: Element Groups & Numbers 1. General (7) 2. LifeCycle (4) 3. Metametadata (6) 4. Technical (7) 5. Educational (5) 6. Rights (3) 6.Relation (2) 7.Annotation (omitted) 8.Classification (7 x 2): –Discipline (i.e. subject) –PedagogicType (i.e. granularity)

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org15 Rationale: Overview IMS Metadata Information Model: appx. 80 elements, little interpre- tation Complexity decreases Specificity and Interoperability increases Implementation CanCore - CAREO

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org16 CanCore as an “Application Profile” Data elements drawn from one or more specifications optimized for particular implementations Emphasis on tighter constraints on definitions and acceptable values, and on re-use of specification work Rachel Heery, UK Makx Dekkers, EU, Dublin Core Jane Hunter, Australia

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org17 Approaches to Learning Objects Context provided by technical specifications: SCO’s (SCORM) RLO’s (Cisco) Context provided by pedagogical practice: CAREO MERLOT

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org18 Educational Object: Example Content Pedagogical purpose; to augment learning about: Paris 1839 Urban environments Architecture Daguerre Photography Daguerreotypes Granularity: an object can be a course, unit, lesson, image, Web page, exercise, image, multimedia clip; but it must have a specified pedagogical purpose

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org19 Learning Objects: Granularity Smaller: Easier: reusability and adapability More difficult: discovery and metadata creation Larger: Easier: discovery and metadata creation More difficult: reusability and adaptibility

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org20 CanCore and ADL-SCORM Different definitions of “educational objects” Many specifications referenced and combined vs. just metadata Public education vs. training emphases

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org21 CanCore and Repositories CAREO and Alexandria Repositories Alberta Learning Portal POOL/Splash MERLOT

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org22 Support Industry Canada (via the Netera Alliance) CAREO (Campus Alberta Repository of Learning Objects) Alberta Learning TeleCampus.edu Electronic Text Centre at UNB

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org23 CanCore’s Future Completion and Promotion of CanCore guidelines document Hope to provide similar (implementation) assistance to implementers in other specifications work (e.g. metadata harvesting) Looking internationally for collaboration opportunities Looking to establish a permanent office, possibly in Canada’s National Research Council

T.H.E. Forum, 2002www.cancore.org24 Find out more about CanCore at: