Explains the Open Archives Initiative (OAI) which was developed to solve problems of digital library interoperability on the World Wide Web. Topics include metadata; HTTP; XML; Dublin Core; the OAI Metadata Harvesting Protocol; data providers; service providers; reference linking; library policies; shared semantics; and name authority systems.…

Describes the development of the OAIster system (Open Archives Initiative, University of Michigan, Digital Library Production Service) to harvest, store, transform digital object metadata into Digital Library eXtension Service (DLXS) Bibliographic Class format, build indexes and make the metadata searchable through an interface using the XPAT…

Discusses PICS (Platform for Internet Content Selection), the Centre for Information Quality Management (CIQM), and metadata. Highlights include filtering networked information; the quality of information; and standardizing search engines. (LRW)

Explains the concept of a semantic Web where software agents perform jobs for end-users by using hierarchies, metadata, and structured vocabularies. Discusses taxonomies; defining ontologies and taxonomies; standardized language and conceptual relationships; different points of emphasis; and topic maps as new Web infrastructure. (LRW)

Discusses the Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM), which integrates electronic learning standards to provide a common ground for course development. Describes the Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin- Madison campus. (JOW)

Provides an overview of a planned session to describe the work of the World Wide Web Consortium, including technical specifications for HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), and over 20 other Web standards that address graphics, multimedia, privacy, metadata, and other technologies. (LRW)

Shows how XML is applied to digital library systems. Compares major features of XML with those of HTML and describes an experimental XML-based metadata retrieval system, which is based on the Dublin Core and is designed as a subsystem of the Korean Virtual Library and Information System (VINIS). (Author/LRW)

Discusses the search option on Web sites and explains how to develop a search engine. Highlights include search options, including Boolean operators, graphical interface, and language; platform and server compatibility; indexing; metadata; XML; customization options; installation and configuration; evaluation; usability; and cost. (LRW)

Discusses metadata standards that help manage and locate Web-based educational resources, based on experiences at the University of Arizona. Highlights include GEM (Gateway to Educational Materials); Dublin Core protocol; national and international efforts; and MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching). (LRW)

According to Manovich (2001), the database and the narrative are natural enemies, each competing for the same territory of human culture. Aboriginal knowledge traditions depend upon narrative through storytelling and other shared performances. The database objectifies and commodifies distillations of such performances and absorbs them into data…

This paper draws on the presentation of three online pilot "series" of learning objects aimed at offering university staff convenient updating opportunities around issues connected with e-learning. The "Hot Topics" format presented short themed sets (series) of learning objects to a wide-range of staff, encouraging sampling strategies to support…

Narrative case research has been widely utilized in educational inquiry to investigate different and changing positions and perspectives on questions of identity, curriculum and classroom practice. Despite the fact that case-study research of this kind is well suited to the investigation of changing technologies and their interpretation in…

The information overload in learning and teaching scenarios is a main hindering factor for efficient and effective learning. New methods are needed to help teachers and students in dealing with the vast amount of available information and learning material. Our approach aims to utilize contextualized attention metadata to capture behavioural…

Introduction: This paper extends a series on summaries of Web objects, in this case, the alt attribute of image files. Method: Data were logged from 1894 pages from Yahoo!'s random page service and 4703 pages from the Google directory; an img tag was extracted randomly from each where present; its alt attribute, if any, was recorded; and the…

To ensure efficient access to and integrated searching capabilities for their institution's new digital library projects, the authors studied Web sites of the Association of Research Libraries' (ARL) 111 academic, English-language libraries. Data were gathered on 1117 digital projects, noting library Web site and project access, metadata, and…