1. Towards a Creative Exploitation of Digitised Knowledge in eLearning Systems Radoslav Pavlov, Desislava Paneva Institute of Mathematics and Informatics – BAS 2 nd CHIRON Workshop 10-11.Oct. 2005 MSH Paris

2. Presentation overview Steps for efficient exploitation of digitised knowledge for eLearning purposes Digital libraries - essence and main features European initiatives for Digital Libraries Digital Libraries in eLearning process - case studies Digital Libraries and eLearning systems vis-à-vis From Digital Libraries to Knowledge Grids eLearning applications Meta-scenario for utilisation of Knowledge Grids in the eLearning processes Knowledge Grid-driven applications in education 2nd CHIRON Workshop

3. Steps for efficient exploitation of digitised knowledge for eLearning purposes (1) - Develop tools for supporting semantic-oriented indexing, retrieving, aggregating, and creatively exploiting objects in digital libraries/repositories and their integration into sustainable library services; - Develop efficient tools for knowledge presentation of digital objects in digital libraries/repositories; Existing digital libraries/repositories have to be modified in order to enable their use as a source of adaptable digitised knowledge materials. To accomplish that it is essential to: 2nd CHIRON Workshop

4. - Define processes of transformation such as pre- processing, conversion, annotation, etc., of digital objects into learning objects, and develop tools for implementing them; - Implement tools for personalised preference- based access to digital materials. In that sense, the user’s preferences will be used for filtering, extracting and aggregation of digital objects. Steps for efficient exploitation of digitised knowledge for eLearning purposes (2) 2nd CHIRON Workshop

5. Digital Libraries - essence and main features (1) Digital libraries are organised collections of digital content made available to the public, offering services and infrastructure to support preservation and presentation of visual and knowledge objects anytime and anywhere. 2nd CHIRON Workshop

6. Online accessibility Digitisation of analogue collections Preservation and storage Interoperability, etc. Digital Libraries - essence and main features (2) Some main strands to be followed in order to realise the potential of digital technologies for widespread and easy access to information are: 2nd CHIRON Workshop

7. European initiative for Digital Libraries The European Commission adopted the new initiative "i2010: Digital Libraries“ (COM(2005) 465 final, Brussels, 30/09/2005, [Provisional version]) aiming at making European information resources more accessible and usable in an on-line environment. It builds on Europe’s rich heritage combining multicultural and multilingual environments with technological advances and new business models. seventh Framework Programme The seventh Framework Programme focuses on more active research work in the area of digitisation, access to digital cultural content and digital preservation.

8. Digital Libraries in eLearning process - case studies (1) The Arts and Humanities Data Service (AHDS) Visual Arts serves the research initiatives by : Providing Internet access to collections of visual arts digital resources created by and of use to the research community; Preserving visual arts digital resources to ensure their long term use; Promoting good practice and advice for the creation and use of visual arts digital resources for research purposes. http://vads.ahds.ac.uk/index.html “Promoting the use of on-line image collections in learning and teaching in the visual arts” (PICTIVA) - a two-year project of AHDS Visual Arts whose aim is to promote the use of online image collections in learning and teaching in the visual arts. http://vads.ahds.ac.uk/learning/pictiva/index.htmlhttp://vads.ahds.ac.uk/learning/pictiva/index.html

9. Digital Libraries in eLearning process - case studies (2) The project “DialogPlus - Digital Libraries in Support of Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning in Geography”  aims at embedding a wealth of existing digital resources developed in the US and the UK into the curricula of four US and UK higher education institutions, in four different sub- areas of Geography.  The electronic resources are made available through interoperable digital library technology and integrated directly into course units in undergraduate programs supported by Virtual Learning Environments within each institution. http://www.dialogplus.org/

10. Digital Libraries in eLearning process - case studies (3) The project “Digital Libraries for Global Distributed Innovative Design, Education and Teamwork” (DIDET) proposes the development, implementation and use of a test-bed to improve the teaching and learning of students partaking in global team-based design projects and combines the use of digital libraries with virtual design studios. http://dmem1.ds.strath.ac.uk/didet/ 2nd CHIRON Workshop

11. Digital Libraries in eLearning process - case studies (4) The project Knowledge-on-Demand for Ubiquitous Learning (LOGOS) contributes to: the openness for ubiquitous learning of the large-scale repositories of digitised text, graphics, audio, video objects and the process of their transformation into learning content, adequately enhancing and facilitating the knowledge building. New functionality of the learning communication spaces by integrated Web, digital TV, and mobile technologies, supporting cross-media learning content. New eLearning management systems based on this integration with new consistent pedagogical scenarios. 2nd CHIRON Workshop

12. Digital Libraries in eLearning process - case studies (5) LOGOS intends to achieve the following results: Development of learning scenarios for ubiquitous learning in different learning contexts by considering different ways and phases of cross-media authoring, access, delivery, study, and assessments through different modes and levels of integrated Web-based, DVB and mobile technologies; Development of authoring studio for generation of learning resources from existing digital archives; Development and implementation of knowledge-on-demand ubiquitous learning platform, integrating learning resources and communication spaces through knowledge-on-demand learning services. 2nd CHIRON Workshop

13. Digital Libraries in the eLearning processes Digital library Data Digital objects Repository of learning materials End Users - Learning providers; -Authors of learning materials - Tutors; - Lecturers, etc. Pre-processing, conversion, annotation Digital objects Search and Request Virtual Learning Environment Semantic-oriented indexing Annotation Searching Aggregating Retrieving, etc. Deliver learning content 2nd CHIRON Workshop

14. Digital Libraries and eLearning systems vis-à-vis Resources-on-demand Resource description Interoperability Intellectual property rights Heterogeneous resources in a coherent way Sustaining the resource Provide more efficient and more flexible tools for transforming digital content to suit the needs of end-users 2nd CHIRON Workshop

15. From Digital Libraries to Knowledge Grids eLearning applications (1) 2nd CHIRON Workshop Computational/Data grid Knowledge grid (Semantic grid) Information grid Data to Knowledge Control Process models (Meta models) Processes Transactions

16. From Digital Libraries to Knowledge Grids eLearning applications (2) 2nd CHIRON Workshop The computational and data grid: the computer hardware and data networks upon which the work will be conducted. The information grid: the databases of information to be accessed by the hardware, and systems for data manipulation. The knowledge grid: where high-level applications mine the data for the knowledge that can form the basis of semantic understanding and intelligent decision-making. A knowledge grid uses knowledge based methodologies and technologies for responding to high-level questions and finding the appropriate processes to deliver answers in the required form. It includes data mining, machine learning, simulations, ontologies, intelligent portals, workflow reasoning and Problem Solving Environments for supporting the way knowledge is acquired, used, retrieved, published and maintained.

17. Meta-scenario for utilisation of Knowledge Grids in eLearning process Some users need to access certain digital objects to satisfy their learning needs. They connect to the learning provider portal to request the materials. The portal is connected to the Knowledge Grid that provides access to large volumes of digitised knowledge, most likely distributed at many locations. Special services find the relevant materials across the Grid and deliver to the learning provider and by him to the users in suitable form. Michalis Xenos et al., GRID Technologies => 'Education' = 'Distance Education', In Proc. ELeGI 2005 Conference 2nd CHIRON Workshop

18. ELeGI (European Learning Grid Infrastructure) EU-funded Integrated Project that aims at facilitating the emergence of a European GRID infrastructure for eLearning and stimulating research of technologies to enhance and promote effective human learning. Main goals: To define new models of human learning enabling ubiquitous and collaborative learning; To define and implement an advanced service-oriented Grid based software architecture for learning. This will allow us to access and integrate different technologies, resources and contents that are needed in order to realise the Grid paradigm. This objective will be driven by the pedagogical needs and by the requirements provided by the test-beds and informed by the experience gained through implementing the demonstrators. www.elegi.org 2nd CHIRON Workshop Knowledge Grid-driven applications in education (1)

19. SeLeNe: Self eLearning Network The project is a one-year Accompanying Measure funded by EU FP5. The SeLeNe project uses eLearning as a test-bed application to explore novel ways of bridging the gap between Semantic Web technology and Peer-to-Peer computing in a Knowledge Grid environment. A Self eLearning Network can be defined as a distributed repository of educational metadata describing learning objects available on the Web, collaboratively built and used by anyone who wishes to use existing learning objects or to construct new learning objects, in any knowledge domain. The technologies used here are ontologies, RDF, and peer-to-peer. The goal is to develop techniques for managing distributed, evolving metadata repositories, for flexible semantic reconciliation of metadata, and for personalisation of the view of Grid knowledge and information resources in order to match individual users’ needs. http://www.dcs.bbk.ac.uk/selene/ 2nd CHIRON Workshop Knowledge Grid-driven applications in education(2)

20. Akogrimo: Access to knowledge through the Grid in a mobile world Akogrimo is a project funded by the EC under the FP6-IST programme. The project is oriented towards Mobile Dynamic Virtual Organisation (MDVO) and their need to adapt to changing situations, dynamically establish and process complex workflows, and access data and compute intensive services from distributed/mobile resources. The potential scope is much larger than eLearning, although eLearning is among the most important areas of application. Features: - mobility and context awareness - personalisation, privacy, security - cross-organisational distributed resources - heterogeous, dynamic environments - Quality of Service (QoS) http://www.mobilegrids.org/ 2nd CHIRON Workshop Knowledge Grid-driven applications in education (3)

21. Sources 1. "i2010: Digital Libraries“, COM (2005) 465 final, Brussels, 30/09/2005 2. Michalis Xenos, Bill Vassiliandis, Athanassios Skodras, GRID Technologies => 'Education' = 'Distance Education', In Proc. 1st International ELeGI Conference on Advanced Technology for Enhanced Learning, Italy, 2005. 3. AHDS Visual Arts, http://vads.ahds.ac.uk/index.htmlhttp://vads.ahds.ac.uk/index.html 4. PICTIVA project, http://vads.ahds.ac.uk/learning/pictiva/index.html http://vads.ahds.ac.uk/learning/pictiva/index.html 5. DialogPlus project, http://www.dialogplus.org/http://www.dialogplus.org/ 6. ELeGI project, www.elegi.orgwww.elegi.org 7. SeLeNe project, http://www.dcs.bbk.ac.uk/selene/http://www.dcs.bbk.ac.uk/selene/ 8. Akogrimo project, http://www.mobilegrids.org/http://www.mobilegrids.org/ 9. DIDET project, http://dmem1.ds.strath.ac.uk/didet/http://dmem1.ds.strath.ac.uk/didet/ 2nd CHIRON Workshop