Abstract:

Descriptive models representing learning objects (LOs) are here introduced. It will be considered models describing general features of LOs (descriptive, structural, administrative metadata; intellectual property rights; ...); LO types; LOs internal architecture (e.g. parts of a LO). This analysis offers an updated state of the art related to LOs metadata schemes, models describing the content structure of a LO, and finally vocabularies for indexing educational resources.

For each model introduced, a brief description will be provided with a focus on more relevant elements from a pedagogical point of view. In particular, the analysis will be focused on the use of such models for supporting learning content design processes.

This study is part of a more extensive project whose main goal is the development of a formal and pedagogically oriented ontology of LOs that will be defined by means of different steps: (i) the definition of the state of the art of LOs descriptive models; (ii) the phenomenological analysis of the LO ontological status; (iii) the development of a LOs primitive taxonomy and the related vocabulary; (iv) the design of a LOs ontology; (v) the definition of specification required to implement the LO ontology in real-world scenarios (e.g. learning content design).

It will contribute to the achievement of project goals by means of (i) the definition of the main features/dimensions required to describe a LO; (ii) the definition of a terminological base which to refer to develop the ontological model; (iii) the definition of a taxonomic scheme for LO types classification; (iv) the definition of the components of a LO (in particular through the analysis of LOs structure models); and finally (v) the definition of a rich and updated bibliography.

Keywords:

Learning objects, learning content design, metadata.