[Scott Wilson said...]
Well, that sounds very sensible, yet at the same time completely fails
to
answer the question - why are we exchanging a specific set of
descriptive
information about learning objects? What is this information intended to
be
used for?
Without an understanding of purpose, it is difficult to determine what a
"reductive" profile should look like; the definition below mentions
purpose
in a general sense, but does not enumerate any purposes in particular:
"mandatory elements specify the minimum elements that should be use for
effective communication"
But what is the nature and purpose of the communication? And how is that
communication determined to be "effective"?
Perhaps the "purpose" of UK LOM Core is so obvious to the metadata
wizards
that it doesn't need any explanation for mere mortals...
---------------------------------------------------
Maybe I could have a go at this bit, then. Speaking as a mere mortal...
The purpose of providing descriptive information about learning objects
is to enable people who want to use them to find the ones they are
interested in efficiently. So the purpose of providing information
*which can be exchanged* is to make these descriptions as widely
available as possible.
The data in a LOM record falls into 4 categories:
1. Information which identifies the object being described (eg the title
and publisher); if the end user knows exactly what s/he is looking for,
this can be used to pinpoint a specific learning object quickly.
2. Information which describes what the object is about (eg the
description, keywords and classification); if the end user is looking
for resources on a particular topic, this can be used to find them.
3. Information which can be used to narrow down a search for resources
on a particular topic by excluding categories of resources which are not
required; for example, the cost and copyright restriction fields (6.1
and 6.2). Some of the educational metadata would also be used for this
purpose, notably learning resource type and educational context (5.2 and
5.6).
4. Information which the end user will find helpful in making a decision
about whether to use the resource once s/he has located an interesting
metadata record; the educational description, annotation, platform
requirements, rights description, technical location...
Noone has yet defined what a learning object is; could we go with a
broad definition along the lines of "anything our users would like us to
catalogue"?
Jane Read
Cataloguing Officer
The Higher Education Academy
Genesis 3
Innovation Way
York Science Park
Heslington
York
YO10 5DQ
Tel: +44 (0)1904 434793
Email: [log in to unmask]
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