1. Aude Dufresne and Mohamed Rouatbi University of Montreal LICEF – CIRTA – MATI CANADA Learning Object Repositories Network (CRSNG) Ontologies, Applications Integration and Support to Users in Learning Objects Repositories

2. Plan Context Objectives Some cases First solution Integrate Computer Assisted laboratory and pedagogical structures Using XML descriptions Explor@Graph – Generic Advisor - Generic Rules Editor Second solution Use ontologies to define structures and alignment and enrichment strategies Use it to export components used by applications to communicate with a SESAME database. Define an eLearning generic interface to display structures, follow the users and display support using those structures Prospective and Conclusion

3. July 9th 2007SWEL’2007 – Los Angeles CONTEXT LORNET Project - Network of research on the integration of Learning Object Repositories Integrate applications –Scenarios Editor, Competency models, LORs, data-mining tools,etc. Integrate a support system for actors Develop a generic and open solution A Computer Human Interface perspective –Build better interfaces –Integrate support in adaptive interfaces –Accessible to Teachers and Students

4. July 9th 2007SWEL’2007 – Los Angeles OBJECTIVES Integration of support must be based on formal and generic means to describe and communicate structures of information Use Ontologies –to integrate applications and to align models –to define rule based support –to incorporate semantic and logical inference Use RDF data integration and exchange using Protege and Sesame Define a generic adaptive interface linked to a Sesame database to display navigation structures with adaptive support.

5. July 9th 2007SWEL’2007 – Los Angeles Some Cases I want to link a learning scenarios editor with a Computer Assisted Lab, and make it possible to define support between them. I want to display the conceptual structures associated or extracted from a set of resources as a browsing interface. I want to use it to record overlay user’s models, to display feedback and to give support. I want to import a learning scenarios created in one LMS, into a graphical visualization interface and define alignment and enrichment strategies. I want to define adaptive control of an existing application. IntegrationSupport

6. July 9th 2007SWEL’2007 – Los Angeles ExploraGraph - Easy to define contextual support Intentions Contextual explanations Control graphs MsAgent avatars

7. July 9th 2007SWEL’2007 – Los Angeles Graphs and subgraphs A General Graph for the activity, A separate graph for each team, with a specific discussion forum A graph where each planet is described as a concept which is part of the solar system Students can use the Planets graph to find messages in the discussion forum or to annotate their findings A graph accessible only to the professor where he can access group manager for the teams, launch the individual test or take notes Represent concepts and link to Forum

8. July 9th 2007SWEL’2007 – Los Angeles Discussion in teams Each team now have access to a specific graph and a specific forum In Explor@Graph –They read the resources of their group –They access the Forum of their group and search in it –Names of planets, or elements of a conceptual map presented in Explor@Graph can be used to find elements in the forum –They see the amount of unread messages linked to a concept In the Agora Forum –They use the forum to elaborate their findings and organize their work. –If they find other resources they may attached them to a message and use the discussion to present them –They may use keywords, evaluation of messages, sorting, and views to organize information –Evaluations are both personal and shared so one participant may use secret keywords..for annotation but still a mean evaluation of contributions inside a forum can be used to sort the most important elements.

9. Explor@Graph Manipulate sensors Data Transformations Problem Hypothesis Interpretation Conceptual graphs linked to resources with easily defined support visible user’s models MicroLab XSD XML Generic Rule Editor Generic Advisor

10. Support uses XSD representations of Tasks, Competencies, Applications, User Models MicroLab Application XSD ontology model instances generated from code Explor@Graph Generic Rule Editor Create conditions & Actions Using XSD and XML instances Generic Advisor REceives rules, event and Execute actions

11. July 9th 2007SWEL’2007 – Los Angeles Solution 1 Giving support in a Computer Assisted Lab Users andNavigationOntologiesSupport Resources Management LOR Metadatas Rights Collections Users and groups management Explor@Graph Browsing Adaptive feedback Control and support External applications components and instances XSD –XML exported or entered manually Generic Rule Editor Link elements of models conditions - actions Generic advisor Execute rules Controlling interface and user models Limits In many cases Instances have to be defined manually We had to define support for many different applications having different ontologies Explor@Graph ontology was not generic enough

12. July 9th 2007SWEL’2007 – Los Angeles Solution 2 Support in generic navigation structures using Ontologies Protege Ontologies are defined and generate with ODIS Java and DotNet Explor@GraphNet Display Generic Structures Read in SESAME DTE Define content Export it using DCM components to Sesame database Structures are aligned and enriched Export

13. Solution 1 - Solution 2 Support in generic navigation structures using Ontologies Ontologies are used to define the Integration and enrichment (adding user models properties) They help generate components used by applications to communicate and persist information between applications Used between Explor@Graph DTE Explor@GraphNet Generic Advisor

14. Solution 1 - Solution 2 Support in generic navigation structures using Ontologies Users andNavigationOntologiesSupport Resources Management LOR Metadatas Rights Collections Users and groups management Explor@Graph Browsing Adaptive feedback Control and support External applications components and instances XSD –XML exported or entered manually Generic Rule Editor Link elements of models conditions - actions Generic advisor Execute rules Controlling interface and user models Exported or Extracted structures External applications use generated components to communicate RDF Instances to Sesame Explor@Graph Net Read RDF Generic structures OWL structures export components JCM-DCM Alignment Enrichment Deduction logic

15. July 9th 2007SWEL’2007 – Los Angeles Why ontologies ? Define queries which use classes, inheritance properties and other semantic deduction Structured and collaborative description of applications and models using Protege Development is accelerated by the generation by Protege of components needed directly from the ontology. To be developed Use Ontologies at run time for searching, updating user models, etc. Integrate Ontology deduction with rules

16. July 9th 2007SWEL’2007 – Los Angeles Conclusions Different Applications can share information using ontologies aligned and enriched and stored in a SESAME database Explor@Graph easily defined support can be match to the user navigation in imported conceptual structures In development The Generic Advisor can use Sesame to read and write information linked to support. The Generic Rule Editor should read RDF structures in SESAME To do Link to other structures Resources, extracted conceptual structures,...