Beyond Educational Objects:Beyond Educational Objects:Steps Toward the Steps Toward the

Educational Semantic WebEducational Semantic Web

Terry Anderson Ph.D.Terry Anderson Ph.D.Canadian Research Chair in Canadian Research Chair in

Distance EducationDistance EducationAthabasca UniversityAthabasca University

Terrya@athabascau.caTerrya@athabascau.ca

Aug 5, 2003

MERLOT International Conference

Vancouver, BC

Context – Athabasca Context – Athabasca University, Alberta, University, Alberta,

CanadaCanada

* Athabasca University

Largest Open University in Canada

Fastest growing University in Canada

50,000 enrolments

Individualized and Open instruction

Largest MBA and MDE programs in Canada

Presentation OverviewPresentation Overview

Role of Interaction in learning Role of Interaction in learning Examples of “deep tagging”Examples of “deep tagging” Agents and educational interactionAgents and educational interaction Tools of the Semantic WebTools of the Semantic Web Educational Modeling LanguagesEducational Modeling Languages

Wayne Gretzky Wayne Gretzky

“"Some people skate to the puck. I skate to where the puck is going to

be.“

61 NHL records

Have we already achieved Have we already achieved educational perfection?educational perfection?

Current System for Education Current System for Education Content Management Is Not Content Management Is Not

Working!Working!• What has happened to the innovation projects of What has happened to the innovation projects of

the 1990’s?the 1990’s?• Too many sites, too many pages, too little reuseToo many sites, too many pages, too little reuse• No indexing according to pedagogical applicationNo indexing according to pedagogical application• Poor retrieval of non-text based contentPoor retrieval of non-text based content• Unresolved issues of trust, quality, identity, Unresolved issues of trust, quality, identity,

ownershipownership• Reusing content created down the hall is a Reusing content created down the hall is a

challenge - much less that from around the globechallenge - much less that from around the globe

Need for a new set of powerful, distributed Need for a new set of powerful, distributed creation, repurposing and delivery toolscreation, repurposing and delivery tools

Affordances of the Net Affordances of the Net makes the differencemakes the difference

““An affordance refers to attributes of both An affordance refers to attributes of both the object and the actor” (Gaver, 1991)the object and the actor” (Gaver, 1991)

Affordances of the Net have been Affordances of the Net have been constantly expanding since its constantly expanding since its development in the last half of the centurydevelopment in the last half of the century

Three major features:Three major features: InformationInformation CommunicationsCommunications AgentsAgents

Access to vast amounts of Access to vast amounts of informationinformation

Increase in quality, quantity Increase in quality, quantity and types of human and types of human

interactioninteraction

Education is InteractionEducation is Interaction

Learner

Teacher Content

Educational Interactions

Learner /teacher

Teacher / content.

Teacher / teacher Content / content

Learner / learner

Learner /content

•Anderson (2002) Equivalency Theorem

From Student-Teacher From Student-Teacher Interaction Interaction

To Student-Content InteractionTo Student-Content Interaction

Content is re-useable, scalable and accessibleContent is re-useable, scalable and accessible Moore’s Law and Metcalfe’s laws both work to Moore’s Law and Metcalfe’s laws both work to

augment capacity of content to be become augment capacity of content to be become cheaper, more accessible, more engaging and cheaper, more accessible, more engaging and pedagogically powerfulpedagogically powerful

Need for tools to easily create engaging Need for tools to easily create engaging content interactions – ie games, simulationscontent interactions – ie games, simulations

Need for underlying structure or theory to aide Need for underlying structure or theory to aide in constructing educational experiencesin constructing educational experiences

From Student-Teacher to From Student-Teacher to Student-Student interactionStudent-Student interaction

Development of communities of Development of communities of inquiry at a distance inquiry at a distance

Example of emergent communities Example of emergent communities that create their own content – that create their own content – slashdotslashdot

Having Students create the content Having Students create the content for their studies – why save all the for their studies – why save all the learning for the teachers?learning for the teachers?

Are Interactions Equivalent?Are Interactions Equivalent?

Sufficient levels of deep and Sufficient levels of deep and meaningful learning can be developed meaningful learning can be developed as long as one of the three forms of as long as one of the three forms of interaction is at a very high level. The interaction is at a very high level. The other two may be offered at minimal other two may be offered at minimal levels or even eliminated without levels or even eliminated without degrading the educational experience. degrading the educational experience. Anderson’s 2002 Equivalency TheoremAnderson’s 2002 Equivalency Theorem

Computation – From Human Interaction to Agent Assisted Interaction

Learner

Teacher Content

.

6.

Teacher Agents

Content Agents

Learner Agents

What is an Agent?:What is an Agent?: Computer code that is:Computer code that is:

AutonomousAutonomous Goal orientatedGoal orientated Self startingSelf starting Operates more or less continuouslyOperates more or less continuously Communicative abilitiesCommunicative abilities AdaptableAdaptable Mobile or network enabledMobile or network enabled

From From Thaiupathump, C., Bourne, J., & Campbell, O. Thaiupathump, C., Bourne, J., & Campbell, O. (1999). (1999).

Student AgentsStudent Agents

Supports many of the traditional Supports many of the traditional students tasks of scheduling, students tasks of scheduling, searching, editing etc.searching, editing etc.

Making collaborative work effective Making collaborative work effective in an anytime/anyplace contextin an anytime/anyplace context

Example Example I-Help I-Help system system from from University of SaskatchewanUniversity of Saskatchewan

http://www.cs.usask.ca/i-help

Content AgentsContent Agents

Update and refresh contentUpdate and refresh content Manage intellectual property rights through Manage intellectual property rights through

interpretation of structured rights data such as:interpretation of structured rights data such as: The The Open Digital Rights Language (ODRL) Open Digital Rights Language (ODRL) http://odrl.net/http://odrl.net/

“ “The ODRL is a vocabulary for the expression of terms and The ODRL is a vocabulary for the expression of terms and conditions over digital content including permissions, constraints, conditions over digital content including permissions, constraints, obligations, conditions,offers and agreements with rights obligations, conditions,offers and agreements with rights holders.”holders.”

Repair and protect contentRepair and protect content Alter content in response to student models and Alter content in response to student models and

contextscontexts

Interplay between Agents Interplay between Agents and Studentsand Students

The purpose of a user model then would not be to The purpose of a user model then would not be to create a path to a fixed goal; goals would be emergent create a path to a fixed goal; goals would be emergent for the user as a result of interacting with the media. for the user as a result of interacting with the media.

The user-model would catalogue where we'd been, our The user-model would catalogue where we'd been, our learning styles and preferences, our prior background learning styles and preferences, our prior background in different subjects, and could offer us a filtered set of in different subjects, and could offer us a filtered set of choices for each next jump or link which would choices for each next jump or link which would optimize their potential value for us” optimize their potential value for us” J.Lemke (1998)J.Lemke (1998)

Now moving towards student controlled modelsNow moving towards student controlled models

Teacher AgentsTeacher Agents

Marking, managing, tutoring, guiding Marking, managing, tutoring, guiding coordinating, schedulingcoordinating, scheduling

Inserting new content into course Inserting new content into course web site, notifying and updating as web site, notifying and updating as necessarynecessary

Tracking developments in both Tracking developments in both discipline and scholarship of teachingdiscipline and scholarship of teaching

Hietala, Pentti. (1996) A prototype for a social learning system with intelligent agentshttp://www.uta.fi/~ph/papers/EuroAIED96/node3.html

BUT….BUT….Agents cannot work Agents cannot work

effectively in an effectively in an unstructured domainunstructured domain

Structuralists

Presentationalists

Web as meaningful, semantic information

Web as Display and Experience

What can speak more to What can speak more to the human condition than the human condition than our love of creating and our love of creating and

playing music?playing music?

Sounds like the blues are composed of feeling, finesse, and fear.

~ Billy Gibbons ~

Music is well said to be the speech of angels; in fact, nothing among the utterances allowed to man is felt to be so divine.

It brings us near to the infinite. ~ Thomas Carlyle ~

Experiments in Musical Experiments in Musical Intelligence (EMI)Intelligence (EMI)

David Cope Professor, David Cope Professor, University of California Santa University of California Santa CruzCruz

Many compositions by Many compositions by himself and 3 CD’s and himself and 3 CD’s and online compositions “in the online compositions “in the style of …”style of …”

See See http://arts.http://arts.ucscucsc..eduedu/faculty/cope/Emmy.html/faculty/cope/Emmy.html

The Semantic WebThe Semantic Web

“The Semantic Web is not a separate Web but an extension of the current one, in which information is given well-defined meaning, better enabling computers and people to work in cooperation.” Tim Berners-Lee

The Semantic WebThe Semantic Web• se·man·ticse·man·tic “of or relating to meaning” “of or relating to meaning”• Term coined by Tim Berners-Lee (inventor of the WWW) Term coined by Tim Berners-Lee (inventor of the WWW)

in 1998 - see in 1998 - see www.w3c.orgwww.w3c.org or or Scientific America articleScientific America article• Adds structured meanings and organization to the Adds structured meanings and organization to the

navigational and formatting data of the current webnavigational and formatting data of the current web• Goal is to make web space understandable and Goal is to make web space understandable and

navigable by both humans and agentsnavigable by both humans and agents• Minimum 10 year projectMinimum 10 year project• Aids locating, accessing, querying, processing and Aids locating, accessing, querying, processing and

exchanging data across a distributed heterogeneous exchanging data across a distributed heterogeneous networknetwork

• Based on formalized ontology’sBased on formalized ontology’s

From the “big picture” at www.semanticweb.org

Tools of the Semantic web - Tools of the Semantic web - XMLXML

Provides self describing, non Provides self describing, non proprietary yet standardized format proprietary yet standardized format for knowledge exchangefor knowledge exchange

Structured and formalized data Structured and formalized data structure allows for data exchange structure allows for data exchange and transformationand transformation

Facilitates integration of information Facilitates integration of information from multiple sourcesfrom multiple sources

Resource Description Resource Description Format – “Beyond machine Format – “Beyond machine

readable to machine readable to machine understandable”understandable”

Based on triplets of data, each of which can Based on triplets of data, each of which can be a resource on the Web (URI) or a literalbe a resource on the Web (URI) or a literal

Resources: things, entities, objects, ideas Resources: things, entities, objects, ideas anything that can be talked aboutanything that can be talked about

Resources have Properties – values or Resources have Properties – values or relationships to other resourcesrelationships to other resources

Statements: the value of the propertyStatements: the value of the property

RDF ExampleRDF Example

<channel <channel rdf:about="http://www.downes.ca/dlorn.htrdf:about="http://www.downes.ca/dlorn.htm"> m">

<title>DLORN</title> <title>DLORN</title> <link>http://www.downes.ca/dlorn.htm</li<link>http://www.downes.ca/dlorn.htm</link> <description>Distributed Learning nk> <description>Distributed Learning Object Repository Network</description> Object Repository Network</description> <dc:publisher>NRC <dc:publisher>NRC E-Learning</dc:publisher> E-Learning</dc:publisher>

OntologyOntology““The fundamental divisions of The fundamental divisions of being into the finite and the being into the finite and the infinite, the contingent and the infinite, the contingent and the necessary, etc., and the necessary, etc., and the subdivisions of the finite into the subdivisions of the finite into the categories (q.v.) substance and categories (q.v.) substance and its accidents (quantity, quality, its accidents (quantity, quality, etc.)” etc.)” Catholic Encyclopedia Catholic Encyclopedia

OntologyOntology• A set of concepts - such as things, events, and A set of concepts - such as things, events, and

relations - that are specified in some way … in relations - that are specified in some way … in order to create an agreed-upon vocabulary for order to create an agreed-upon vocabulary for exchanging information (Whatis.com, 2001)exchanging information (Whatis.com, 2001)

• A means by which information is formally A means by which information is formally structured for search, retrieval, processing structured for search, retrieval, processing etc.etc.

• Metadata specifications are instances of a Metadata specifications are instances of a defined ontologydefined ontology

• See See www.semanticweb.orgwww.semanticweb.org

Tools to create and manage Tools to create and manage Ontologies Ontologies

Written in RDF/ XMLWritten in RDF/ XML DAML+OIL & OWL Web Ontology Languages DAML+OIL & OWL Web Ontology Languages ““OWL adds more vocabulary for describing OWL adds more vocabulary for describing

properties and classes: among others, relations properties and classes: among others, relations between classes (e.g. disjointness), cardinality between classes (e.g. disjointness), cardinality (e.g. exactly one), equality, richer typing of (e.g. exactly one), equality, richer typing of properties, characteristics of properties (e.g. properties, characteristics of properties (e.g. symmetry), and enumerated classes.” (W3C)symmetry), and enumerated classes.” (W3C)

The Educational Experience The Educational Experience and the Semantic weband the Semantic web

Step one - Learning Objects Step one - Learning Objects including all those stored on systems including all those stored on systems like CAREO and Merlotlike CAREO and Merlot But – how are they used, in what But – how are they used, in what

context, by whom etc. etc. etc.context, by whom etc. etc. etc.

Tagging from Sports worldTagging from Sports world Now sports writers have a simpler way to format, Now sports writers have a simpler way to format,

store and publish sports information for store and publish sports information for newspapers, Web sites and other media. The newspapers, Web sites and other media. The Sports Markup Language, or SportsML, takes Sports Markup Language, or SportsML, takes typical sports information, such as game or typical sports information, such as game or player statistics, and breaks it up into basic player statistics, and breaks it up into basic elements. The language then defines how that elements. The language then defines how that information should appear in print or a database, information should appear in print or a database, or on the Web, a wireless device or interactive or on the Web, a wireless device or interactive TV. TV. (AP News Nov 7, 2002)(AP News Nov 7, 2002)

See See http://www.http://www.SportsMLSportsML.com.com

Structure of SportsML Structure of SportsML http://www.SportsML.comhttp://www.SportsML.com

NITF was developed by the International Press Telecommunications Council. It is a standard that is open, public, proven, well-used, well-

documented, and well-supported.

The World of Formal The World of Formal TaggingTagging

Navy XMLGreen Building eXtensible Markup Language

http://kmr.nada.kth.se/el/ims/md-lomrdf.html

Moving Beyond ObjectsMoving Beyond Objects

Education is not contentEducation is not content ““A lot of learning does not come from A lot of learning does not come from

knowledge resources at all, but stems from knowledge resources at all, but stems from the activities of learners solving problems, the activities of learners solving problems, interacting with real devices and interacting interacting with real devices and interacting in their social and work situation” Koper, in their social and work situation” Koper, 20012001

Coding and classifying interactions, contexts Coding and classifying interactions, contexts and presence necessary to fully describe the and presence necessary to fully describe the teaching/learning transactionteaching/learning transaction

Moving Beyond ObjectsMoving Beyond Objects

How can educational content be How can educational content be “decontextualized’?“decontextualized’?

How can you evaluate an educational object How can you evaluate an educational object outside of this context?outside of this context?

Need for a structure, compatible with the Need for a structure, compatible with the Semantic web that defines actors, roles, Semantic web that defines actors, roles, objectives, evaluation and other components of objectives, evaluation and other components of educational contexteducational context

“To be re-useable a Shareable Content Object should be independent of learning context so that it may be re-used in different learning experiences” SCORM

Server

•

Sharable ContentObjects from across the

World Wide Web

Assembled in real-time, on-

demand

To provide learning and assistance

anytime, anywhere

ADL – SCORM VisionADL – SCORM Vision

Server

Educational Modeling Educational Modeling LanguagesLanguages

““a semantic rich model and binding describing a semantic rich model and binding describing the content and processes within ‘units of the content and processes within ‘units of learning’ from a pedagogical perspective” learning’ from a pedagogical perspective” CEN/ISSCEN/ISS

Most popular developed by Rob Koper at the Most popular developed by Rob Koper at the Dutch Open UniversityDutch Open University

See See http://eml.ou.nlhttp://eml.ou.nl Basic unit moves from a learning object to the Basic unit moves from a learning object to the

“unit of study”“unit of study” Basis of IMS Learning Design Basis of IMS Learning Design

specificationspecification

Characteristics of an EMLCharacteristics of an EMLKoper, 2001Koper, 2001

FormalismFormalism Pedagogical flexibilityPedagogical flexibility Integrate learning objectsIntegrate learning objects CompletenessCompleteness ReproducibilityReproducibility PersonalizationPersonalization Medium neutralMedium neutral InteroperableInteroperable distributabledistributable

eml.ou.nl/introduction/docs/ped-metamodel.pdf

Making IMS-LD into Making IMS-LD into ‘learning experiences’‘learning experiences’

Learning processes are modelled in Learning processes are modelled in the IMS-LD ‘language’the IMS-LD ‘language’

These models are ‘played’ in an IMS-These models are ‘played’ in an IMS-LD-aware player;LD-aware player;

Analogous to marking-up learning Analogous to marking-up learning materials in HTML and having a materials in HTML and having a browser interpret thembrowser interpret them

Slide from Colin Tattersall, 2003

IMS-LD conceptsIMS-LD concepts

People act in different People act in different rolesroles working towards certain working towards certain objectivesobjectives by performing by performing learning and/or support learning and/or support

activitiesactivities within an within an environmentenvironment, consisting of , consisting of

learning objectslearning objects and and servicesservices used in used in the performance of the activities.the performance of the activities.

Analogy with a play ….Analogy with a play ….

Slide from Colin Tattersall, 2003

EML Unit of Study Model (Koper, 2001)

EML expressed as XML (Koper, 2001)

Comparing IMS LD and EMLComparing IMS LD and EML

IMS LD characterized as “EML Light”IMS LD characterized as “EML Light” Specification divided into three levelsSpecification divided into three levels

A.A. Core elementsCore elementsB.B. Adds properties and conditions to control flow Adds properties and conditions to control flow

of the designof the designC.C. Adds sending of messages and notificationsAdds sending of messages and notifications

• Dropped DocBook content description, Dropped DocBook content description, substitute IMS Content packagingsubstitute IMS Content packaging

• Not compatible with first EML playersNot compatible with first EML players

Expressing EMLExpressing EML

Through an EML compatible learning Through an EML compatible learning management systemmanagement system

Through printouts of components like Through printouts of components like activity or content for either teacher activity or content for either teacher or studentor student

Through a repository of units of studyThrough a repository of units of study Through a purpose built EML Through a purpose built EML

environment like http://fle3.uiah.fi/environment like http://fle3.uiah.fi/

Edubox – Edubox – Web-Web-playerplayer

Browser-based interaction Browser-based interaction between system, students between system, students & learners& learners

Learning path focussed Learning path focussed delivery using delivery using personalised activities & personalised activities & environmentsenvironments

Co-operation between Co-operation between groups of users and group/ groups of users and group/ role based communicationrole based communication

Linkages to external Linkages to external (standardised) (standardised) environmentsenvironments

The web-player facilitates interaction between students, learners and the pedagogical model. Focussing on education delivery the player has highly adaptable colour-

schemes and is language independent. Using pure Internet standards the player and no JAVA applets, the player is easily linked to external environments.

Explora2 Explora2 (G.Paquette, 2003)(G.Paquette, 2003)http://explora2.licef.teluq.uquebec.ca/demo/en/presentation.hthttp://explora2.licef.teluq.uquebec.ca/demo/en/presentation.ht

mm Aggregating and Interoperating Resources /

Learning Objects in an eLearning System Embedding Learning Designs/Instructional

Methods as Learning Objects Embedding Actor’s Roles and Corresponding

Environments as Learning Objects A semantic level view: Actors, operations,

objects associated to knowledge Development funding through EduSource

and LORNet

WebMCQWebMCQ

Australian prototypeAustralian prototype Scripts and plays interactive, group Scripts and plays interactive, group

problem solving units for K12 using problem solving units for K12 using

IMS LDIMS LD Contact James Dalziel Contact James Dalziel

www.webmcq.comwww.webmcq.com

Learning design Enclosed in an IMS Content Package

Problems with the IMS Problems with the IMS Learning design Learning design

SpecificationSpecification No dedicated editorsNo dedicated editors No commercially available or Open No commercially available or Open

Source run time playersSource run time players Complicated specification – over 100 Complicated specification – over 100

tagstags Need for community of active Need for community of active

researchers/developersresearchers/developers

Final WarningFinal Warning

The educational semantic web will very The educational semantic web will very significantly change the context of formal and significantly change the context of formal and informal learninginformal learning

““new technologies compete with old ones-for time, for new technologies compete with old ones-for time, for attention, for money, for prestige, but mostly for attention, for money, for prestige, but mostly for dominance of their world-view” Neil Postman, 1992dominance of their world-view” Neil Postman, 1992

The world view of the educational semantic web is much The world view of the educational semantic web is much more connected, international, transparent and more connected, international, transparent and documented than the current educational context – can documented than the current educational context – can we be sure that these capacities will be used ethically and we be sure that these capacities will be used ethically and to enhance the public good?to enhance the public good?

ConclusionConclusion We have a great deal to learn about learningWe have a great deal to learn about learning ‘‘deep tagging’ and other ways of structuring deep tagging’ and other ways of structuring

and adding semantic knowledge to and adding semantic knowledge to educational processes allows:educational processes allows: Systematic data collectionSystematic data collection Theory developmentTheory development Automation and agent useAutomation and agent use Reuse and cost efficienciesReuse and cost efficiencies Lots of funLots of fun

Thank you for your time and attentionThank you for your time and attention

Your comments and questions???

TerryA@Athabascau.ca

What is the ‘Killer App’ for What is the ‘Killer App’ for the Educational Semantic the Educational Semantic

Web??Web??

References References

• Hodgins, H. W. (2000). The future of learning objects. In D. A. Wiley (Ed.), The Instructional Use of Learning Objects: http://reusability.org/read/

• Koper, R. (2001). Modeling units of study from a pedagogical perspective: The pedagogical meta-model behind the EML Heerlen, Open University of the Netherlands. Available online http://eml.ou.nl/introduction.articles.htm

Roschelle, JRoschelle, J and Kaput, J. (1996) "Educational software and Kaput, J. (1996) "Educational software architecture and systemic impact: The promise of component architecture and systemic impact: The promise of component software," Journal of EducationalComputing Research, 14, 217-228 software," Journal of EducationalComputing Research, 14, 217-228

Wiley, D. A. (2000). "Connecting learning objects to instructional Wiley, D. A. (2000). "Connecting learning objects to instructional design theory: A definition, a metaphor, and a taxonomy," in D. A. design theory: A definition, a metaphor, and a taxonomy," in D. A. Wiley, ed., Wiley, ed., The Instructional Use of Learning Objects: Online The Instructional Use of Learning Objects: Online VersionVersion. Retrieved May 18, 2001, from the World Wide Web: . Retrieved May 18, 2001, from the World Wide Web:  http://reusability.org/read/chapters/http://reusability.org/read/chapters/wileywiley.doc.doc