Personalizing access to learning networks

ABSTRACT

In this article, we describe a Smart Space for Learning™ (SS4L) framework and infrastructure that enables personalized access to distributed heterogeneous knowledge repositories. Helping a learner to choose an appropriate learning resource or activity is a key problem which we address in this framework, enabling personalized access to federated learning repositories with a vast number of learning offers. Our infrastructure includes personalization strategies both at the query and the query results level. Query rewriting is based on learning and language preferences; rule-based and ranking-based personalization improves these results further. Rule-based reasoning techniques are supported by formal ontologies we have developed based on standard information models for learning domains; ranking-based recommendations are supported through ensuring minimal sets of predicates appearing in query results. Our evaluation studies show that the implemented solution enables learners to find relevant learning resources in a distributed environment and through goal-based personalization improves relevancy of results.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.3 INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL
      H.3.3 Information Search and Retrieval
          Subjects: Information filtering

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.3 INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL
      H.3.3 Information Search and Retrieval
          Subjects: Relevance feedback; Selection process; Query formulation; Search process
      H.3.4 Systems and Software
          Subjects: User profiles and alert services; Distributed systems; Information networks
      H.3.5 On-line Information Services
          Subjects: Data sharing; Web-based services
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.4 Hypertext/Hypermedia
          Subjects: User issues; Architectures

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.2 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
      I.2.4 Knowledge Representation Formalisms and Methods
          Subjects: Semantic networks; Representation languages; Predicate logic

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.1 Computer Uses in Education
          Subjects: Distance learning

General Terms:
Design, Human Factors, Standardization

Keywords:
Personalization, learning networks, ontologies, personalized access, semantic Web