The proposed research focuses on the context of learning in Semantic Web. In such an environment basic entities exist, interact and are changing: Learning Objects, the containers of educational materials, Learners, users whose goal is to enhance their learning portfolio, and Learning Services, the processes that deliver Learning Objects to Learners and manage the interaction between Learning Objects and Learners.
Learning Objects may be atomic (unstructured, free-standing) or compound (recursively containing other Learning Objects), static (structured at design time) or dynamic (structured at run-time), they should be reusable, tailored to Learner needs, affordable and discoverable.
Learners come with a knowledge level, preferences and a learning style, while their goal is to learn.
Learners interact with Learning Objects in a physical/ technical level (e.g. navigate), in a linguistic level (e.g. Learner--service dialog) and in a modeling level (e.g. activities related to modeling the knowledge, comprehension of the Learner, or modeling the flexibility and the adaptable features of the service).
In a network where reasoning can be implemented by computers, that is the Semantic Network, technologies and methodologies such as Ontological Engineering, Logic and Inference Rules, Description Logic and Intelligent Agents, can be profitably used in addressing and resolving a number of issues related to the context of this research. We will concentrate on (a) the ontologically--driven Learner and Service modeling, and (b) the ontologically--driven
management of the Learner--Service dialog. Related issues are also (a) the reference architecture for Learning Objects and Services, (b) Learner/ Service Modeling Services and Dialog Management Processes, and (b) standardization of a semantic annotation (metadata) to describe a Learner model and a Service model (e.g. the IEEE LOM standard).
