A Primer on Metadata Standards From Dublin Core to IEEE LOM Julia Innes Rory McGreal Toni Roberts TeleEducation NB

TeleCampus I never met a meta metadata I ever really liked. (Dorman, 1999) Like any early inception of any standard, just understanding the landscape is difficult. (Luh, 1999)

TeleCampus What is METADATA? data about data Example:January 31, janvier Metadata standards are agreed-on criteria for describing data to support interoperability

TeleCampus What is METADATA? Author: Author: Banathy,B.H. Year: 1973 Title: Developing a Systems View of Education: The Systems-Model Approach Publisher: Lear Siegleer, Inc./Fearon Publishers Description: A system needs to be adaptive If it fails to deliver expected outcomes: 1. it adjusts 2. expectations adjust 3. it terminates Call Number: H#X

TeleCampus Why METADATA? Facilitate information sharing Facilitate information sharing Enable search engines on the Internet Enable search engines on the Internet Support intelligent agents & Push Support intelligent agents & Push Minimises data loss Minimises data loss Metadata describes learning objects Metadata describes learning objects No one can sift 100 million docs Every day

TeleCampus Learning objects Discoverable Modular Interoperable any entities, digital or non-digital, which can be used or referenced in technology-supported learning

TeleCampus Learning objects 1.Segment 2.Lesson 3.Topic 4.Course 5.Programme

TeleCampus Why learning objects? COST: 1000s of colleges have common course topics large numbers of courses are going online World does not need 1000s of similar learning topics World needs only about a dozen Expensive to develop so sharing is essential (From Downes, 2000) Design courses as a collection of learning objects NOT HTML

TeleCampus Who inputs METADATA? Two Camps: Two Camps: Internal referenced - Users input their own metadata Internal referenced - Users input their own metadata External referenced – Professionals input metadata External referenced – Professionals input metadata number of electronic objects is growing rapidly number of electronic objects is growing rapidly metadata required is too much for third-party indexers metadata required is too much for third-party indexers

TeleCampus METADATA characteristics 1.a data dictionary of commonly defined elements; 2.a method for manipulating and communicating elements electronically; 3.rules for identifying and extracting content; 4.an official standards body; 5.tools for creating, transmitting, and storing. Ahronheim (1998)

TeleCampus METADATA conditions Mandatory fields (small subset)Mandatory fields (small subset) Optional fieldsOptional fields ExtensibleExtensible International interoperabilityInternational interoperability Adapted from Griffin and Wason (1997)

TeleCampus METADATA challenges Too much concern with FIELDS NOT enough with TERMS Fields need a common terminology Fields need a common terminology Described by a content expert BUT Described by a content expert BUT TERMS must fit into a universe of knowledge TERMS must fit into a universe of knowledgeAND Not be only useful to content experts Not be only useful to content experts Cross-searching requires compatible vocabularies Cross-searching requires compatible vocabularies

TeleCampus What is RDF? (Resource Description Framework) RDF is an infrastructure that enables the encoding, exchange, and reuse of structured metadata (Bearman et al., 1999) RDF is syntax independent, and can be expressed in both XML and HTML. -- World Wide Web Consortium

TeleCampus What is RDF? a generalised format for online resources a generalised format for online resources expresses all vocabularies with one model and syntaxexpresses all vocabularies with one model and syntax schema can work in XML schema can work in XML Warning: RDF does not solve interoperability problems with legacy metadata AND a variety of RDF description schemas are possible

TeleCampus Start designing as a knowlege base not HTML see autonomy.com Online Community Why? Improved learning; Sense of commitment; Learning beyond the content; Reduced workload; Administration; Content; Interaction

TeleCampus What is XML? (eXtended Markup Language) Extends HTML without complexities of SGML Extends HTML without complexities of SGML XML is the underlying syntax for the transport of information for exchanging structured data XML is the underlying syntax for the transport of information for exchanging structured data Standard General Markup Language HTML XML SGML

TeleCampus What is XML? any level of complexity any level of complexity functions without the server functions without the server vendor independent vendor independent user extensible user extensible validation & human readability validation & human readability Warning: possible Pandora's box of incompatible metatags

TeleCampus Why XML? standardized uses schemas machine-readable two entities can use the same data

TeleCampus Metadata and RDF/XML Metadata = semantics & resources RDF = structure XML = syntax

TeleCampus METADATA standards Dublin Core Dublin Core Warwick Framework Warwick Framework IMS IMS ARIADNE ARIADNE IEEE LOM IEEE LOM AICC AICC ADL SCORM ADL SCORM Merlot? Merlot?

TeleCampus Dublin Core... the HTML of Web metadata (Bearman et al., 1999)... lingua franca for metadata,... at a basic level (Milstead & Feldman, 1999)... the most broadly based consensus on resource description on the Web" (Weibel, 1999)

TeleCampus Dublin Core coexists with other metadata sets coexists with other metadata sets all elements are optional all elements are optional all elements are syntax-independent all elements are syntax-independent tagged in HTML, raw XML, or RDF/XML tagged in HTML, raw XML, or RDF/XML

TeleCampus Dublin Core Fields TitleCreatorSubject DescriptionPublisherContributor DateTypeFormat IdentifierSourceLanguage Relation Coverage Rights All fields are optional, none are mandatory

TeleCampus Warwick Framework a higher-level context for the Dublin Core a higher-level context for the Dublin Core modularization of metadata modularization of metadata facilitates interoperability facilitates interoperability permits selective access & manipulation of data permits selective access & manipulation of data WARNING: It can create complexity that is not needed. (Lagoze, 1996)

TeleCampus IMS Educause: Instructional Management System 1.catalyst for development of instructional software 2.creation of an online management infrastructure for learning 3.facilitation of collaborative learning activities 4.certification MANDATE Members: Apple, Cisco,ETS, IBM, Indust.Canada, Microsoft, Oracle, Sun, US Defense,etc. Partners: ARIADNE (Europe), NIST LOM,

TeleCampus IMS Metadata Schema incorporates & extends Dublin Core incorporates & extends Dublin Core mandatory fields mandatory fields simple controlled vocabulary simple controlled vocabulary sets dictionary values sets dictionary values reference schemas reference schemas domain-specific taxonomies domain-specific taxonomies RDF/XML RDF/XML NOT just a metadata schema

TeleCampus ARIADNE Alliance of Remote Instructional Authoring and Distribution Networks for Europe fosters the sharing and reuse of electronic pedagogical material, by universities and corporations. fosters the sharing and reuse of electronic pedagogical material, by universities and corporations. a Europe-wide repository for pedagogical documents (Knowledge Pool System) a Europe-wide repository for pedagogical documents (Knowledge Pool System) co-author of IMS Metadata structure co-author of IMS Metadata structure

TeleCampus IEEE LOM P To enable learners or instructors to search, evaluate, acquire, and use Learning Objects focus on the minimal set of properties neededfocus on the minimal set of properties needed Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers Learning Object Management Protocol MANDATE

TeleCampus AICC Provides guidelines for interoperability for systems to share data online Provides guidelines for interoperability for systems to share data online Aviation Industry CBT (Computer-Based Training) Committee AICC Guidelines & Recommendations (AGR) AICC Guidelines & Recommendations (AGR)

TeleCampus ADL SCORM a set of interrelated technical specifications built upon the work of the AICC, IMS and IEEE to create one unified content model Sharable Courseware Object Reference Model Advanced Distributed Learning Network

TeleCampus Merlot Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching California State University system’s Distributed Learning and Teaching Initiative & Multimedia Repository Initiative a collection of high quality interactive online learning materials & people a collection of high quality interactive online learning materials & people an example of a learning object repository an example of a learning object repository does not adhere to universal metadata standards does not adhere to universal metadata standards

TeleCampus International Metadata Standard for Learning Objects Dublin Core IMS/ARIADNE IEEE LOM P Expressed through RDF> XML/SGML

TeleCampus POOL a customizable, intelligent, learning object repository a customizable, intelligent, learning object repository Portal for Objects Oriented to Learning

TeleCampus POOL

TeleCampus POOL Metadata Project Specifications for applying IMS to POOL learning objects including: A base schema & schemas for describing video, audio, and still images at different levels of granularityA base schema & schemas for describing video, audio, and still images at different levels of granularity Application of schema to the TeleCampus online course databaseApplication of schema to the TeleCampus online course database New Brunswick Distance Education Network Inc. University of New Brunswick Electronic Text Centre

TeleCampus