Didaskon.Net | Description

Didaskon Description

Didaskon is a framework for automated composition of a learning path for a student.

The selection and workflow scheduling of learning objects is based on their description, semantically annotated specification of user profiles, anticipated knowledge after course completion, and technical details of the client’s platform.

Motivation

Our world is changing fast. The amount of information sources and the available data is growing spectacularly these days. It is very difficult time for teachers to keep up with changes, especially in information domain, and to find new and appropriate sources of information; this problem affects e-Learning as well. Without constant maintenance, electronic courses are also getting out-of-date. Moreover, all of the current solutions seem to undervalue the potential of Web 2.0 idea. Another problem is that contemporary e- Learning systems deliver predefined, inflexible courses which usually do not take into account user specific conditions.

Context

Didaskon context is presented below:

Formal knowledge - fomral repositories designed to store well organized (according to SCORM standard) Learning Objects.
Social Semantic Information Sources (SSIS) - informal sources of knowledge.
OnGlass - one of Didaskon's clinets
FOAFRealm - a Distributed Identity Management System

Architecture

One of the biggest advantages of Didaskon is its SOA architecture (see figure below).

That allows technology interoperability, different systems like IKHarvester and formal repositories (i.e. LOstRepository) can be easily integrated.

Ontologies

General system structure is simple and is presented below:

Ontology for user model – delivering personalized content. User profile is described with FOAFRealm Ontology; it is based on FOAF metadata that provides functionality to manage identities and share resources with friends.
Ontology for content - ensuring cooperation of heterogeneous environments which use different formats.

Sub-Projects

The following projects are beeing developed within Didaskon initiative:

IKHarvester (Informal Knowledge Harvester) - provides Didaskon with Learning Objects (LOs) described with LOM standard. These LOs are created from SSIS (Social Semantic Information Sources)
IKHarvester is also a part of notitio.us project.
LOstRepository (Learning Object Repository) is designed to store Learning Objects. Application offers functionality to upload well organized (according to SCORM standard) Learning Objects, browse through them, and what is most important: acquire them – thanks to Web Services technology.

Demos

Short demos (mov. files 1280x800) presenting Didaskon's functionality:

Publications

Publications presenting Didaskon Framework

Adam Westerski, Sebastian Ryszard Kruk, Krystian Samp, Tomasz Woroniecki, Filip Czaja, Caoimhin O'Nuallain: E-learning based on the Social Semantic Information Sources
Jacek Jankowski, Filip Czaja, Dobrzañski Jaros³aw: Adapting informal sources of knowledge to e-Learning
Sebastian Ryszard Kruk, Adam Gzella, Dobrzañski Jaros³aw, Bill McDaniel, Tomasz Woroniecki: E-Learning on the Social Semantic Information Sources

Documentation

Documentation about Didaskon Framework

W³adys³aw Bultrowicz, Dobrzañski Jaros³aw, Filip Czaja: Didaskon System Prototype Documentation
W³adys³aw Bultrowicz, Dobrzañski Jaros³aw, Filip Czaja: Ontologies Specification for Didaskon: Composition, Learning Objects, Student
W³adys³aw Bultrowicz, Dobrzañski Jaros³aw, Filip Czaja: Existing solutions for modeling learning objects, students profiles and composition, algorithms -state of art.
Jacek Jankowski: SemPerKit - Semantic Personal Web Site Starter Kit
Jacek Jankowski: LOstRepository (Learning Object Repository) - Specification

Code

Location of the source code

Sourceforge: http://sourceforge.net/projects/didaskon/

License

with contributions from (under the Corrib.org project):

Digital Enterprise Research Institute,
National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
http://www.deri.org/
Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunication and Informatics
Gdansk University of Technology, Poland
http://www.eti.pg.gda.pl/

Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
Neither the names Jacek Jankowski and Sebastian Ryszard Kruk nor the names of its contributors (Digital Enterprise Research Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland; Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunication and Informatics, Gdansk University of Technology, Poland) may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

Financing

Didaskon project is supported by:

Enterprise Ireland under Grant No. ILP/05/203
Science Foundation Ireland Grant No. SFI/02/CE1/I131