1. Towards an Advanced Learning Infrastructure Based on Semantic Web Technologies Martin Dzbor and Enrico Motta Knowledge Media Institute, The Open University KnowledgeWeb Workshop, 27 th Sep 2004

2. Semantic Browsing and Semantic Services in Education

3. Magpie Components Enriched Web Page Semantic Log (found-item 3275578832 localhost #u"http://localhost/peopl e/motta/" john-domingue john-domingue) (found-item 3275578832 localhost Jabber Server Magpie Hub Ontology cache (Lexicon) Problem Domain & Resources Ontology based Proxy Server Web Page

4. Semantically Enhanced Web Browsing ‘Zero overhead costs’ –Dynamic ontology-driven enrichment in real time –Utilizing interfaces familiar to the lay user –Resource re-usability & openness ‘Gateway’ to the semantic web –Access knowledge through annotated web resources –Integrated with standard web browsers –Magpie services are ‘first class’ concepts Multiple user interaction modalities –User-requested (‘pull’ or ‘click&go’) semantic services –Trigger (‘push’ or ‘subscribe&learn’) semantic services One-click (or less) interface

5. Value of tools like Magpie Quan & Karger (2004): –[…] separate pieces of information about a single resource that used to require navigation through different web sites can be merged together […] without specialized portal sites or coordination between the sites McDowell, Etzioni &al. (2003): –How do we entice non-technical people to structure their data? –[…] semantic annotation will be motivated by services [giving] immediate benefits – instant gratification to the user. Tauscher & Greenberg (2001): –< 1% browsing actions use explicit history mechanisms –Browsing history needs better representation that would be meaningful to the user.

6. Supporting different learning modalities

7. Benefits to a student Quick access to course-related resources –Learning embedded into other browsing activities Ability to link [theoretical] resources with the [practical] articles, documents, stories, … –Science (but also art & philosophy) is largely about relating things and seeing patterns Universities re-use chunks of existing knowledge [from third parties], and only create/provide their interpretation rather than replicating them –Rapid course update & customization

8. Benefits to a student [cont.] Exploratory guiding as a metaphor: –“What would my Prof say if he/she was watching over my shoulder when I read about IPCC climate scenarios?” Support for managing and sharing the semantic representations of browsing histories –“A fellow student has followed a similar trail to the one you are following. Do you want to see the resources he/she has identified?” Automated creation of a semantic footprint in the selected ontology for visited pages (if the user allows) –High-level semantic filtering/querying –Yet-another ‘gateway’ to the semantically relevant knowledge/information (via Magpie on-demand services)

9. Magpie & KnowledgeWeb Magpie brings in semantic web services –Modularization of interaction with learning units –Simple & fast update of individual modules –Power users (not knowledge engineers) authoring and publishing new services for other users/customers –Service discovery & composition –Potential for (almost) one-on-one customization Early-stage “Author’s toolkit” under construction

11. Issues for learning infrastructure Good quality front-end content is important to make most of the back-end context –Semantic annotations of LUs can be re-used –We need to go beyond mere document metadata Central portal vs. distributed knowledge [with different degrees of trust, reliability or complexity] –Portal is a comprehensive knowledge repository… –…yet a user must ‘enter’ it to learn anything –Re-using and re-purposing existing content in a variety of contexts –Future is in knowledge (data) linking & reasoning not in document storing & retrieving (?)

12. Issues… [cont.] Learning seen as making connections –Discovering and/or creating “learning narratives” Decoupling knowledge from authors/owners? –Semantic annotations don’t replace people, but they may help bring ‘right people’ together –Consider popularity of FOAF, MPG & co. KnowledgeWeb as repository vs. community –Best knowledge repository is that managed by a motivated community of users –We should probably address the issue of supporting sustainable communities of users & practitioners –E.g. climateprediction.net community forum essentially superseded traditional FAQ, HowTo, User feedback,…

13. Other frameworks to consider What about semantics & presence? –BuddySpace: distributed client/server architecture, XML-based, using IM as ‘foot in the door’, relates semantic knowledge of browsing histories to the ‘real’ people/colleagues/friends

14. BuddySpace Goal:“Who else [from my CoP] did something similar?” From semantically enriched web page towards knowledge sharing by the communities of practice & interest

15. Other frameworks to consider What about semantics & presence? –BuddySpace: using IM as ‘foot in the door’ Location is also interesting… –BuddySpace: scaleable dynamic maps, geographic positioning as a metaphor for conceptual maps (e.g. project-based, task-based, life-cycle-based,…), one glance pattern recognition

16. climateprediction.net: “Who else?” in practice ~60,000 users, 1,000,000 model-years, together with a live forum we facilitate real buy-in & motivation

17. Automatic Map Generation Large-scale CPDN tactics transplanted to a UK-based project environment Right-click to ‘drill down’ into ‘cluster’ nodes (provides scaleability)

18. Other frameworks to consider What about semantics & presence? –BuddySpace: using IM as ‘foot in the door’ Location is also interesting… –BuddySpace & CPDN: using geographic maps as a metaphor for conceptual maps Peer-to-peer and face-to-face interaction –Hexagon, FlashMeeting & co.: lightweight yet GRID power tools for a quick F2F chat or a videoconference –Considering P2P facilities around Magpie, P2P data sharing (e.g. students’ climate models, visualizations)

19. Goals: True multiparty No need to install GRID power Ubiquitous virtual presence env.

20. Other frameworks to consider What about semantics & presence? –BuddySpace: using IM as ‘foot in the door’ Location is also interesting… –BuddySpace & CPDN: using geographic maps as a metaphor for conceptual maps Peer-to-peer and face-to-face interaction –Hexagon, FlashMeeting: emerging P2P paradigm Addition of these tools to KWeb EduPortal –…might be offered to the users as an ‘added value’ of their subscription or enrolment –…might be a feature distinguishing us from others –…could make portal truly ‘ubiquitous’

21. Magpie plug-in for IE and now also Mozilla downloadable from http://kmi.open.ac.uk/projects/magpie BuddySpace client downloadable from http://www.buddyspace.org M.Dzbor@open.ac.uk Thank you!

23. Double CO 2 productionControl ClimatePrediction.net 1994

24. 2094 ClimatePrediction.net Double CO 2 productionControl

25. Magpie IE Plugin Entity recognition interface Web Browser Interface (incl. ‘click management’) & Trigger Services Interface (GUI-s) Text highlighting (incl. on-demand services) Ontology browsing, mapping module Recognized entities (hash) Document Object Model Lexicon- based Rule-based (eSpotter) Remote ontologies, KB-s & services RDF(S)/OWL parsers Hierarchical rep. suitable for simple ‘reasoning’ Ontology ‘cache’ Rules & patterns Edit, manage, extend/learn or customize the rules Selected classes/branches 1 1 Ontology visualizer/browser User preferences about actions a c d e f g h h i j k l’ l k’ m o’ n p q r s t u o