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The application of "Semantic Web" technologies to learning processes is receiving an increasing attention from the perspective of facilitating the selection, delivery and tailoring of learning experiences. But most of the current approaches are centered on the final interaction of the learner with the "learning objects" provided for him/her, neglecting the organizational perspective. From the viewpoint of an organization, the application of Semantic Web technologies should be motivated by the improvement of learning-oriented mechanisms, including both cultural and structural aspects, and considering the ideal of achieving a state of continuous improvement in learning behavior. Such an approach to achieving a "semantic learning organization" gives a complementary perspective to existing "educational Semantic Web" propositions. In this paper, the potential role of the Semantic Web as a driver for enhanced learning organizations is analyzed, and a conceptual framework for the notion of a semantic learning organization is provided.

What is LOCO-Analyst? LOCO-Analyst is an educational tool aimed at providing teachers with feedback on the relevant aspects of the learning process taking place in a web-based learning environment, and thus helps them improve the content and the structure of their web-based courses. LOCO-Analyst aims at providing teachers with feedback regarding: *  all kinds of activities their students performed and/or took part in during the learning process, *  the usage and the comprehensibility of the learning content they had prepared and deployed in the LCMS, *  contextualized social interactions among students (i.e., social networking) in the virtual learning environment. This Web site provides some basic information about LOCO-Analyst, its functionalities and implementation. In addition, you can watch videos illustrating the tool's functionalities. You can also learn about the LOCO (Learning Object Context Ontologies) ontological framework that lies beneath the LOCO-Analyst tool and download the ontologies of this framework.

This paper presents an ontology-based framework aimed at explicitly representing the context of the use of a learning object inside of a learning design. The core of the proposed framework is a learning object context ontology that leverages a range of other kinds of learning ontologies (e.g. domain, user modeling, learning design etc.) to capture the context-specific metadata. On top of that framework, we develop the architecture of an adaptive educational system, in order to illustrate the benefits of our proposal for personalization of learning design. Finally, we reflect on how two present educational tools (iHelp Courses and TANGRAM) correspond to the proposed architecture.

In this paper it is presented our contribution for carrying out adaptive and intelligent Web-based Education Systems (WBES) that take into account the individual student learning requirements, by means of a holistic architecture and Framework for developing WBES. In addition, three basic modules of the proposed WBES are outlined: an Authoring tool, a Semantic Web-based Evaluation, and a Cognitive Maps-based Student Model. As well, it is stated a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) oriented to deploy reusable, accessible, durable and interoperable services. The approach enhances the Learning Technology Standard Architecture, proposed by IEEE-LTSA (Learning Technology System Architecture) [IEEE 1484.1/D9 LTSA (2001). Draft standard for learning technology - learning technology systems architecture (LTSA). New York, USA. URL: http://ieee.ltsc.org/wg1], and the Sharable Content Object Reusable Model (SCORM), claimed by Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) [Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative (2004). URL: http://www.adlnet.org].

Research interests in applied technologies and learning/teaching systems. Provides a rich collection of publications and conference presentations.

ActiveMath is a complex web-based adaptive learning environment with a number of components and interactive learning tools. The basis for handling semantics of learning content is provided by its semantic (mathematics) content markup, which is additionally annotated with educational metadata.

eLearning is fast, relevant and just-in-time learning grown from the learningrequirements of the new, dynamically changing, distributed business world. The term „Semantic Web" encompasses efforts to build a new WWW architecture that supports content with formal semantics, which enables better possibilities for searching and navigating through the cyberspace. As such, the Semantic Web represents a promising technology for realizing eLearning requirements. This paper presents an approach for implementing the eLearning scenario using Semantic Web technologies. It is primarily based on ontology-based descriptions of content, context and structure of the learning materials and benefits the providing of and accessing to the learning materials.

As JISC has recently announced an open call of funding for a study on Semantic Web technologies in teaching and learning we thought we'd use this opportunity to provide a bit of an update on Semantic Web developments. The JISC call seeks to fund a study which looks at pragmatic aspects of the actual use of semantic applications in real world scenarios. The successful applicant will review a number of case studies of real-world teaching and learning scenarios and look at the potential for use of semantic technologies. The key question they are asking is: "Can you convince us that semantic technologies offer one potential solution to some real problems?"

"A naïve ontology for concepts of time and space for searching and learning" Introduction. In this paper, we propose a new approach for developing naïve ontology as the basis for optimal information access interfaces for multimedia digital documents intended for novice users. Method. We try to elicit the knowledge structure of domain novices and patterns of its modification in their searching and learning processes by eye-tracker and showing eye-movements in the post-search interviews. Analysis. Recorded interview data were fully transcribed and coded using Atlas.ti and analysed following a bottom-up strategy of the constant-comparative technique. Results. We developed a taxonomy of knowledge modification which includes (1) adding, (2) correcting, (3) limiting, (4) relating, (5) specifying and (6) transforming. Conclusion.The taxonomy may be expanded and elaborated as the project progress and findings are expected to be incorporated into the design of the naïve ontology. The study results provided theoretical implications on knowledge building, methodological implications on data collection using eye-tracker and showing eye-movements in the post-search interviews and useful information on the design of information access interface for novices users.

The use of the semantic web in education is explored. Two application areas for use are discussed: a) software agents that support teachers in performing their tasks in flexible online educational settings, and b) software agents that interpret the structure of distributed, self-organized, self-directed learning networks for lifelong learning. The resulting information is used by learners to help persons them perform their tasks in this context more effectively and efficiently.

Semantic Web applications offer great potential to student modellers who have traditionally struggled with issues of re-use, portability and tight coupling with learning applications. In this paper, we describe our use of ontology languages and elearning standards to develop a loosely coupled and portable student modelling architecture used in a large-scale, distributed production learning environment.

Welcome to the laboratory for Advanced Research in Intelligent Educational Systems (ARIES). The lab was founded in 1987 with the goal of deepening both research and practice in intelligent systems and how they apply to teaching and learning. Faculty, staff, and students within the laboratory contribute to numerous academic areas, such as user modeling, artificial intelligence, adaptive hypermedia, e-learning, and information visualization.

Select ARIES Publications Welcome to the laboratory for Advanced Research in Intelligent Educational Systems (ARIES). The lab was founded in 1987 with the goal of deepening both research and practice in intelligent systems and how they apply to teaching and learning. Faculty, staff, and students within the laboratory contribute to numerous academic areas, such as user modeling, artificial intelligence, adaptive hypermedia, e-learning, and information visualization. The laboratory is headed by Dr. Gordon McCalla, and is funded in part by the the TeleLearning Network Centres of Excellence (1995-1999), and the LORNET NSERC Research Network (2003-Present). ARIES is one of the many laboratories within the Department of Computer Science at the University of Saskatchewan.

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The big question for many researchers in the area of educational systems now is what is the next step in the evolution of e-learning? Are we finally moving from a scattered intelligence to a coherent space of collaborative intelligence? How close we are to the vision of the Educational Semantic Web and what do we need to do in order to realize it? Two main challenges can be seen in this direction: on the one hand, to achieve interoperability among various educational systems and on the other hand, to have automated, structured and unified authoring support for their creation. In the spirit of the Semantic Web a key to enabling the interoperability is to capitalize on the (1) semantic conceptualization and ontologies, (2) common standardized communication syntax, and (3) large-scale service-based integration of educational content and functionality provision and usage.

"Earlier this month, I wrote about the Higher Education sector's interest in the opportunities presented by use of semantic technologies. Today I published a podcast with Thanassis Tiropanis, project manager for the recently finished SemTech report and co-organiser of a workshop on Semantic Web applications for learning and teaching which takes place in Nice on 30 September."

"SemHE 2009: Semantic web applications for learning and teaching support in higher education"

Research Topic: The Semantic Web - Reference Pages for Higher Education The semantic web is a complex and exciting technology that will change how we work in the information age, and how we interact with the Internet. To support research activity within the field of Education, this site provides dynamic links to resources around the world. Gathered here, you will find: * a vision for educational application of learning made possible with semantic web technologies, * a general reference resource for terms and definitions, * technical resources within the field of the semantic web and semantic networking, * case studies of the semantic web applied in different fields and in education, and * publications and conferences focusing on the semantic web.

ARIES is working on the application details alluded to in my semantic web paper.

Topics in education are changing with an ever faster pace. ELearning resources tend to be more and more decentralized. Users increasingly need to be able to use the resources of the web. For this, they should have tools for finding and organizing information in a decentralized way. In this paper, we show how an ontologybased tool suite allows to make the most of the resources available on the web.