28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system The e-MapScholar Content Management System (CMS) David Medyckyj-Scott Project Director

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system Requirements a set of quality controlled resources covering core areas interactive modularised learning materials customisation/localisation of those materials by lecturers –but hiding complexity –provision of discipline and place specific examples available over the web access to metadata –e.g. details of the origin of learning resources, to gauge fitness for purpose

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system The e-MapScholar Content Management System (CMS) CMS developed specifically to meet project requirements its an example of a Learning Content Management System (LCMS) –a LCMS is an environment where developers can create, store, assemble, reuse, manage and deliver learning content from a central object repository but currently offers a subset of typical LCMS functions –e.g. it lacks an authoring engine to create new learning units

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system Overview web-based –user-friendly mechanisms for accessing and modifying materials based on a learning object model –learning developers can create, store, reuse, manage and deliver personalised content separation of content from presentation –uses combination of XML, XSLT, CSS, Java –use XML DTDs to describe the required form of e- Mapscholar learning resources and units –offers potential to publish to a wide range of formats, platforms, or devices e.g. PDAs all from the same source material

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system Components of a learning resource A learning resource contains Learning units contain: Metadata Learning objectives Learning objects Metadata Learning objectives Learning units and can be made up of different combinations of units. Learning objects include Plain text Interactive tools Web mapping and are customisable in content and spatial extent where appropriate. Assessment tools

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system Resources - Creation and Editing Use as isCopy & edit metadata Copy & change units Copy & customise units Tutor publishes a resourceAnother Tutor can...

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system Resources - States only an author can see a resource when in draft a resource that is restricted is password protected a resource that has a state of review can only be seen by author & tutors through CMS a resource that has a state of restricted publish can only be seen by students to whom tutor has provided password ! a published resource CANNOT be edited or DELETED to edit, tutor creates a new version Draft (closed)Review (restricted)Review (open)Publish (restricted)Publish (open) Life-cycle

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system Resources - Rights management two issues of concern –Does an author want their name to continue to be attached to a unit or resource? –Does a resource/unit have to display the name or names of tutors who have customised the original legal advice was –to maintain an author history in the metadata –include a disclaimer: The material in this unit/resource is based on material originally authored by [author(s) name(s)]. The author(s) do not bear any responsibility for the secondary use or any interpretations of that material. –provide a facility whereby if an author wishes to have their name removed from the metadata, we can do this the original author and current author are recorded as part of the metadata –but a list of previous authors can be generated

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system Units contain text, media, self assessments and interactivity via tools made up of three components –shared information *seen by students *e.g. title, author, institution, learning objectives –instructional metadata –content *organised into pages *each page comprises text, plus a tool or images, etc, self assessment *text style, table layout, tool parameters *certain pages special e.g. opening page

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system Metadata the metadata is based upon the IMS Model –maps reasonably well to UK Common Metadata Framework (UKCMF) found in both shared and instructional metadata instructional metadata includes –indexing, life cycle, contributors, technical, legal –e.g. subject terms, geographic coverage, area type, version, access and copyright tutors can modify the metadata –for example, the learning objectives of the new resource, intended audience

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system More on XML

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system Customisation of content by project end, tutors will be able to –change the meta-data –change text of learning units –customise geographic area of maps* –customise self-assessment –customise reference material tutors cannot yet –alter parameters of the tools –change type of tool that appears in a page –delete pages –create new pages –change order of pages

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system Example 1

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system Example 2

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system Searching still to be fully implemented keyword searches based on: author, title, keywords, description, geographic coverage, subject area should support filtering of results when resource descriptions are displayed, should show title, author, publisher (institution), description, resource type (unit or resource), keywords

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system Additional features/ Potential improvements export resource stub for inclusion in VLE or repository alter parameters of the tools authoring provide additional tools wizards to enable easy customisation of tools in the CMS links to other databases tutor annotation but extended evaluation of CMS required

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system Summary CMS still under development –functional, performance and user testing required challenges we have attempted to solve –common description language (DTD) of resource and unit internals –life cycle of learning object –lineage of learning units –customisation/localisation process –embedding information objects served live from databases –tool portability –commissioning process –IPR and copyright of learning material

28 March 2003e-MapScholar: content management system Any questions?