OAI is designed with a low-barrier technology approach, thus allowing institutions to provide content metadata with little effort. On the other hand, search capabilities are very limited on OAI data providers, and have to be provided by separate service providers. We propose that data providers form a peer-to-peer network which supports distributed search over all connected metadata repositories. Such an approach is already implemented for learning content metadata (project 'Edutella'). We describe how this technology could be reused in the OAI context. This would allow OAI repositories to provide distributed search capabilities and effortless integration of new archives within a peer-topeer network with little additional implementation effort.

Meta-data is the fundamental building block of the Semantic Web. However, the meta-data concept is too loosely defined to provide architectural guidelines for its use. This paper analyzes important uses of meta-data in the e-learning domain, from a pedagogical and philosophical point of view, and abstracts from them a set of fundamental architectural requirements for Semantic Web meta-data. It also describes some flexible generic techniques for working with meta-data, following these requirements. Finally, the paper describes a Semantic Web-based e-learning architecture based in these requirements and techniques currently under development at the Knowledge Management Research Group at CID (Centre for user oriented IT Design) at KTH, the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. This architecture builds on Edutella, a peer-to-peer meta-data exchange network, and a technique called conceptual modeling using the Conzilla concept browser, a new kind of knowledge management tool for conceptual navigation and exploration. The

Today educational technologies are reaching a state that allows interoperability and reuse of learning resources. The underlying techniques rely heavily on the standards movement for metadata representation. On top of this, monolithic reference platforms are being developed with the aim to ease application development. However, we do not think this approach is flexible enough to embrace future learning techniques. In contrast, we suggest a learning framework where services can be developed and exchanged between as well as within systems. A fundamental part of this framework is the semantic layer, which builds on the structure of the Semantic Web. Hence we do not regard metadata as something 'objective' that you have to download from some central server. On the contrary, metadata should be allowed to consist of subjective views of resources that are distributed and shared in contexts that can evolve dynamically. In support of such requirements, our learning framework consists of a combination of semantic web techniques and peer-to-peer services for search, retrieval, publication, replication and mapping of metadata.

Despite numerous proposals for its creation, the semantic web has yet to achieve widespread adoption. Recently, some researchers have argued that participation in the semantic web is too difficult for "ordinary" people, limiting its growth and popularity.

Abstract. This paper has two foci that are intended to be complementary. First, it describes Conzilla as an incarnation of a concept browser. More specifically, as a technical solution for expressing context-maps, concepts, concept relations etc. Second, it introduces Conzilla as a fairly complete RDF editor which combines graph- and form-based manipulation of RDF-graphs. Apart from these foci, the main requirements for the Conzilla design is: It should serve as a collaboration tool for more or less formalized modeling techniques, most notably UML-dialects. It should simplify the task of creating information according to various metadata standards. It should support customized presentations of existing information without requiring duplication or modification of information sources. These requirements are fullfilled by choosing a three layered approach for working with semantic web information in Conzilla, i.e. the information, presentation and style layers. 1

This paper introduces the Human Semantic Web (HSW) as a conceptual interface, providing human-understandable semantics on top of the ordinary (machine) Semantic Web, which provides machine-readable semantics based on RDF. The HSW is structured in the form of a Knowledge Manifold and makes use of Unified Language Modeling (based on the Unified Modeling Language) combined with conceptual browsing to present its information to the user in a way that creates substantial benefits in terms of overview, clarity and flexibility. The HSW-browser Conzilla combines the semantics of RDF with the human-understandable semantics of UML in order to enable more powerful forms of human-computer interaction – such as querying the Semantic Web through Edutella and supporting the concept-incontext methodology. The Semantic Web is discussed in terms of three levels of semantic interoperability: isolation, coexistence and collaboration. Collaboration, as the highest goal, can be achieved by conceptual calibration, which builds bridges between different

Life-long learning is a key issue for our knowledge society. With social software systems new heterogeneous kinds of technology enhanced informal learning are now available to the life-long learner. Learners outside of learning institutions now have access to powerful social communities of experts and peers who are together forging a new web 2.0. This paper reviews current work in pan-European initiatives that impact upon life-long learning via views of professional learning, learner competence and social networking. It seeks to provide an overview of some of the critical research questions for the interdisciplinary field of social software research.

Current learning standards (e.g. IEEE LOM, IMS, SCORM, CanCore) trying to adopt Semantic Web technologies to conquer web-based learning contexts. In this paper we propose a methodology for developing learning ontologies, and discuss the role of the Semantic Web in educational or learning systems. We also provide a brief overview of learning ontology, its need, development tools and process. In addition we provide representative examples of ontology-based applications or projects in education.

(based on the 2001/2002 proposal)

This paper presents the Knowledge Manifold educational architecture and a number of tools (developed by the KMR group), which enable the construction of interactive mathematics learning environments that support a learner-centric, interest-oriented form of “knowledge pull”. They include the Virtual Mathematics Laboratorium, constructed with the Conzilla concept browser, the Mathemagic ™ portfolio built in the SCAM portfolio, and the CyberMath shared 3D virtual reality environment. The pedagogical aim of these tools is to increase the cognitive contact with mathematics, e.g. by modeling its contexts, visualizing its concepts and interacting with the geometrical forms behind its formulas. 1. Introduction and