FAQ

As part of the project, the team has developed a new toolkit of AngularJS editors for creating learning resource descriptions using an application profile of schema.org (LRMI); and, creating competency frameworks based on an application profile of the Achievement Standards Network Description Language (ASN-DL). The tools are designed to function in the browser through direct action with the triplestore and totally independent of the LD4PE WordPress implementation they currently serve. As a result, when publicly released in the first quarter of 2016, the two editors in the toolkit can be used by anyone, can be refactored (with a little AngularJS expertise) to create schema.org descriptions based on more than one application profile using different controlled vocabularies and different competency indexes.
 

Yes, the infrastructure of the Exploratorium includes not only the WordPress front end, but also an RDF triple store containing the learning resource descriptions as well as controlled vocabularies (SKOS) and other data. The competency index is also modeled and available in RDF.

For a fuller description of how all these parts fit together, see the LD4PE Overview Briefing Paper.
 

Not during the IMLS grant period. The 2-year grant period is intended to accomplish three significant tasks:

1. Create the Competency Index for RDF and Linked Data (CI-RDF) through crowd-sourcing metadata community expertise;
2. Populate the Exploratorium with learning resource descriptions that have been mapped to individual competencies and benchmarks in the competency index; and
3. Develop best-practice documentation on the processes of community development of competency indexes and learning resource descriptions as well as leveraging crowd-sourced expertise through social mechanisms to rank learning resources.

So, yes, when we have completed these three tasks including a useful version of CI-RDF, DCMI will look to community development of competencies covering other metadata areas using the development best practices documented during the IMLS project—e.g., ontologies (CI-O), knowledge organization systems (CI-KOS), application profiles (CI-AP), and cataloging (CI-CAT).
 

Yes! Competency frameworks, or indexes, are living works containing statements of socially expected knowledge, skills, and habit of mind for professional work that continue to evolve at a measured pace as the context of their application changes. In addition to being able to comment on each competency in the Exploratorium, you will also have a means to suggest new competencies to the Competency Index Editorial Board (CIEB) for RDF and Linked Data.
 

That depends. People will be filling their backpacks with named “collections” containing their favorite learning resources. When they create a collection, they can choose whether to make that collection public of private. You’ll be able to subscribe to one or more public collections belonging to people whose judgment you trust and benefit as their collections grow.
 

While the vast majority of the resources described are free, you will also find resources that are fee-based or under license.