1. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca1 Canadian Core Learning Object Metadata Application Profile Norm Friesen norm@netera.ca www.cancore.ca

2. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca2 Overview What CanCore? Rationale for CanCore’s development CanCore’s place in standards evolution Understanding of Learning Objects Repositories, Alliances and Support Future of CanCore

3. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca3 What is CanCore? Based on and fully compatible with the first e- learning standard: IEEE 1484.21.1, LOM 1.0, IMS Meta-data "multi-part Standard to facilitate search, evaluation, acquisition, and use of learning objects…" "also facilitates the sharing and exchange of learning objects, by enabling the development of catalogs and inventories while taking into account the diversity of cultural and lingual contexts in which the learning objects and their metadata are reused."

4. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca4 What is CanCore? Application profile: "customization of a standard to meet the needs particular communities of implementers with common applications requirements." Subset of LOM elements: 77 down to 56; 39 are active Guidelines document: best practice recommendations, 175 pp.

5. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca5 CanCore’s Community: input instructional and information specialists from: Academic Technologies for Learning of the University of Alberta the Open Learning Agency of British Columbia the Electronic Text Centre of the University of New Brunswick Athabasca University implementers from: Centre recherche LICEF the University of Calgary indexers from Alberta Learning administrators from TeleEducation New Brunswick.

6. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca6 CanCore’s Community: stakeholders Alberta Learning Industry Canada EduSource: primary partners AU, Netera Alliance, Téléuniversité du Québec, University of Waterloo, New Media Innovation Centre Larger repository community: Eisenhower National Clearinghouse SESDL, COLIS, ??

7. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca7 Rationale: Simplicity LOM: leading educational metadata specification LOM Data 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

8. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca8 Rationale: Simplicity LOM Element 5.4 Semantic Density: " The degree of conciseness of a learning object." omitted in CanCore LOM Element 1.2 Title "Name given to this learning object." Word order, subtitles, multilingual titles, series/episode titles LOM Classification Element Group " Describes where this learning object falls within a particular classification system."

9. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca9 Rationale Solution: core set of LOM elements most important for exchangeable resource descriptions Mid-way between structuralist (LOM) and minimalist (Dublin Core) approaches to metadata

10. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca10 Rationale: Semantics E-learning specifications & standards communities are 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

11. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca11 Rationale: Specificity Effective implementation requires a consistent interpretation of each element’s purpose and use Realize economy of scale by coordinating the implementation and interpretation of metadata for a number of learning object repository projects

12. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca12 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)

13. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca13 CanCore Guidelines explication and interpretation of element definitions and descriptions recommendations based on best practice recommendations for vocabulary (or "value space") values and definitions multilingual plain language examples XML-binding examples technical implementation notes

14. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca14 Rationale: Overview IMS Metadata Information Model: appx. 80 elements, little interpre- tation Complexity decreases Specificity and Interoperability increases Implementation CanCore - CAREO

15. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca15 CanCore and Standards Evolution User Needs Approved Standards R&D Concepts Labs Testbeds Markets Standards Bodies Spec Consortia Spec Consortia Spec Consortia Spec Consortia Labs Testbeds Markets Testbeds, Markets Standards Bodies SpecificationsImplementations, Reference Models, Requirements ADL IEEE ISO From: Thor Anderson, (2001) "International E-learning Specifications" ©IMS

16. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca16 Two approaches to Learning Objects Context provided by technical specifications (training): SCO’s (SCORM) RLO’s (Cisco) Context provided by pedagogical practice (K-12, higher ed.): CanCore MERLOT

17. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca17 Sharable Content Objects (SCO) Learning Management System (LMS) Delivery Device Learner Repository WWW Database DVD Course Tracking Testing Intelligent Tutoring Adaptive Learning Browser PDA Wireless Phone Human Dialogue System Warfighter Student Technician Laborer Professional Anyone! The ADL Model From: Slosser, S. (2001) "ADL and the Sharable Content Object Reference Model"

18. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca18 CanCore and ADL-SCORM Different definitions of “educational objects” Many specifications referenced and combined vs. just metadata Public education vs. training emphases

19. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca19 The MERLOT Model

20. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca20 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

21. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca21 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

22. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca22 Repository Architectures: Metadata Creation

23. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca23

24. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca24 Repository Architectures: Access Separate resources and metadata allow for multiple and disparate resource collections to appear as one Metadata must be freely available Combined in a single search set for single- click access Provides a personalized, "portal" solution for the data access problems of the Internet AU tool: staff.icaap.org/careo staff.icaap.org/careo

25. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca25 Repository Architectures: Access

26. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca26 CanCore’s Future Update CanCore guidelines document Looking at formal governance issues Looking internationally for collaboration opportunities Looking to establish a permanent office

27. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002www.cancore.ca27 Conclusion CanCore is the current state of educational metadata development and implementation in Canada “A widespread consensus on a particular protocol which has not been ratified by any official standards body, such as ISO, but which nevertheless has a large market share.” (FOLDOC)

28. National Library of Canada, Nov. 2002 www.cancore.ca28 Find out more about CanCore at: www.cancore.ca