EdReNe 2011 ASN

ASN Framework» Atomize» Describe» Relate

» RDF Modeling of Learning Outcomes» Global Connecting of Learning Resources

» Stuart A. Sutton JES & Co. / University of Washington [email protected] » Diny Golder JES & Co. [email protected]

What is the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) ASN is a lightweight, powerful model and set of

practices for describing and relating learning outcomes (outcome-to-outcome, outcome-to-learning outcome document, and outcome-to-learning resources, etc.)

ASN is a learning outcomes repository currently containing:→ 992 published learning outcomes document representations→ 360,000 entities (descriptions of learning outcomes documents and learning outcomes)→ Approximately 3.5 million triples

» Atomize» Describe» Relate


Central Role of Learning Outcomes

We educate for a purpose—learning outcomes express that purpose in a form meaningful to humans

Learning outcomes are inherent to the definition of a learning resource or activity

Learning outcomes in machine-readable form provide a powerful means for:→ learning resource discover→ aligning what is taught with what is assessed → tracking what has been learned in a meaningful way→ customizing learning to individual student needs


Central Role of Learning Outcomes


LearningOutcomes

LearningAssessments

LearningResources

TightCoupling

Global Linking


U.S.Learning

Outcomes

LearningResources

U.S.

Assessment Resources

U.S.

AustralianLearningOutcomes

LearningResourcesAustralia

Assessment ResourcesAustralia

Direct Map

Implied Map

Implied Map

Global Linking


Private & public sector cooperation to link learning resources through learning outcomes

Atomize / Describe / RelateAtomizeDescribeRelate


Creation of an ASN RDF graph of a learning outcomes ‘document’ consists of three steps: (1)

analysis and atomization of the text into meaningful semantic units, (2) creation of a metadata description for each atom and the

document as a whole, and (3) relating the atoms (semantic units) in meaningful ways for both

humans and machines

Atomize / Describe / RelateAtomize


Atomization :: Atomization involves analyzing the source learning outcomes ‘publication’ and extracting all learning outcome assertions as separate semantic units

Loyalty to Text :: The purpose of analysis and atomization is to accurately represent the learning assertions in machine-readable form

Loyalty to Granularity :: Atomization takes place at the level of the source ‘publication’—never more, never less

Representation Not Reproduction :: The goal of atomization is to represent the source ‘publication’ as data, not to reproduce it as narrative


Example:AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy

» The Physical Setting

» The Universe

• The patterns of stars in the sky stay the same, although they appear to move across the sky nightly, and different stars can be seen in different seasons.

• Planets change their positions against the background of stars.

• The earth is one of several planets that orbit the sun, and the moon orbits around the earth.

By the end of the 5th grade, students should know that


Moving air and water can be used to run machines

Some sources of energy cost less than others and some cause less pollution than others

Some source of “energy” is needed for all organisms to stay alive and grow.

Make and interpret scale drawings

Find and describe locations on maps with rectangular and polar coordinates.

Make sketches to aid in explaining procedures and ideas.Many materials can be recycled and used again,

sometimes in different forms.

Planets change their positions against the background of stars.

Example:AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy

Atomize / Describe / RelateDescribe


Rich Description :: Learning outcomes assertions are richly described so they can be meaningfully referenced (i.e., linked to)

Lightweight Model :: The ASN abstract model is simple and defines only two types of entities—«Documents» & «Statements» Extensible Model :: Extensions to meet community needs through subclass and subproperty declarations that conform to RDF and Linked Data principles are expected

Application Profile :: Development of jurisdictional/organizational application profiles to meet community needs that are based on the ASN framework are expected



Describing:AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy


ASN URI: http://asn.jesandco.org/resources/S100729D

Authority Status: Original

Indexing Status: Yes

Education Level: 3, 4, 5

Subject: Science

Statement Notation: 4A (3-5) #3

Descriptionen-US:

4A (3-5) #3 Planets change their positions against the background of stars.

Language: English

Identifier: http://purl.org/ASN/resources/S100729D

Is Part Of: http://purl.org/ASN/resources/D1000152


Describing:AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy

http://asn.jesandco.org/resources/S100729D

http://purl.org/ASN/scheme/ASNAuthorityStatus/Original

http://purl.org/ASN/scheme/ASNIndexingStatus/Yes

http://purl.org/ASN/scheme/ASNEducationLevel/3



http://purl.org/ASN/scheme/ASNTopic/science

http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/iso639-2/eng

http://purl.org/ASN/resources/S100729D

http://purl.org/ASN/resources/D1000152


Description

• Author• Comment• Description• Publisher• Spatial (aspects)• Statement Label• Statement Notation• Temporal (aspects)• Concept Term (topicality)**• Education Level**• Jurisdiction**• Skill Embodied**• Subject (learning area

subject)**

Mapping Relationships

• Derived From• Has Child (skos:broader)• Is Child Of (skos:narrower)• Source• Logically Subsequent• Logically Antecedent• Logically Coincident• Close Match• Exact Match• Broad Match• Narrow Match• hasPart• isPartOf• …

+ Additional mapping predicates…

Administration

• Change Note• Date Created• Date Copyrighted• Date Valid• Editorial Note• History Note• License• Publication Status• Rights• Rights Holder• Authority Status**• Indexing Status**

** Controlled Vocabularies (SKOS)


Controlled Vocabularies ASN encourages the use of jurisdictionally specific controlled

vocabularies with concepts identified using URI (e.g., expressed using SKOS) and available for linking in public namespaces

A few specific vocabularies for ASN descriptions:→ Education levels→ Jurisdictions (political subdivisions &

organizations); e.g.,– http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/countries/ne– http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/countries/fr– http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/countries/at– http://purl.org/ASN/scheme/ASNJurisdiction/AAAS


U.S. Controlled Vocabularies

Learning Area Subject


Australia Controlled Vocabulary

Used with the asn:conceptTerm property

Atomize / Describe / RelateRelate


Learning planes are the class of maps / graphs that define relationships between existing ASN learning assertion «atoms»

A set of ASN «atoms» may have 1-n learning planes created by 1-n organizations and individuals (teachers, students etc.)

Learning planes are variously called things like ‘learning trajectories’ in the Netherlands and ‘strand maps’ in the U.S. (AAAS)…

Learning planes may take the form of individual student learning maps and ePortfolios…

Learning planes can be derived from contexts where they are otherwise latent—e.g., in a publisher’s textbook or a teacher’s syllabus

Learning Planes:Atoms to Molecules


Context Mappings

Learning Outcomesi.e., «atoms»

Learning Planes{ Selection, Sequence, Content }i.e., «molecules»

Learning Planes



AAAS Strand MapsLearning planes (molecules) made up of signposts (atoms) in a learning progression

Strand DimensionG

rade Dim

ension

Learning Planes


Plane B

Plane A

Learning Planes:Mapping Across Multiple Sets


Publisher (3rd Party) Refinements:Derived Learning Outcomes


Derived

Der

ived

Original

Publisher AClosed System

Publisher BOpenSystem

Pearson Derived Statements


Original Derived1. Name the courts and judicial officials established to operate within the local, state, and federal governments.

1.1. Name courts/judicial officials that operate within local governments.1.2. Name courts/judicial officials that operate within state governments.1.3. Name courts/judicial officials that operate within federal governments.

2. Use prefixes, suffixes, and root words to understand word meanings.

2.1. Use prefixes to understand word meanings.2.2. Use suffixes to understand word meanings2.3. Use root words to understand word meanings.

3. Describe the establishment by Constantine of the new capital in Constantinople and the development of the Byzantine Empire, with an emphasis on the consequences of the development of two distinct European civilizations, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic, and their two distinct views on church-state relations.

3.1. Describe the establishment by Constantine of the new capital in Constantinople3.2. Describe the development of the Byzantine Empire3.3. Describe the consequences of the development of two distinct European civilizations, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic, and their two distinct views on church-state relations.

«atoms» & «molecules» First Class Citizens of the W

eb


Individual learning outcomes exist as first class citizens anywhere on the Web!

Individual learning planes exist as first class citizens anywhere on the Web!

Learning outcomes and their related learning planes each have provenance & authority!

→ But…not always a shared provenance & authority

Atomize / Describe / RelatePlaneRelationships


Learning planes use a minimum of four classes of relationship:→ Requisite :: Class of relationships that define the dependencies of two «atoms» (e.g., one «atom» is a pre-requisite to another…a co-requisite to another) in 1-n learning outcome graphs → Identity :: Class of relationships defining the degree of similarity between two «atoms» in 1-n learning outcome graphs→ Structural:: Class of relationships that identify a hierarchical structure between two «atoms»→ Associative:: Class of relationships that identifies developmental and other associative paths between «atoms»

Plane Relationships: Top-Level ‘’Requisite’


asn:logicalCoincident

asn:logicalSubsequent

sn:logicalAnecedent

» Subsequent» Logically Subsequent» Antecedent» Logically Antecedent» Coincident» Logically Coincident

Plane Relationships: Top-Level ‘’Identity’


skos:closeMatch

skos:exactMatch

skos:broadMatch

skos:narrowMatch

» Close Match» Exact Match» Broad Match» Narrow Match

Plane Relationships: Top-Level ‘Structural’


skos:broader skos:narrower dct:isPartOf dct:hasPart

Partitive Hierarchies (Part-Whole)Generic-Specific Hierarchies


ASN Structural Properties:

source

Arbitrary levels of granularity

« Documents »

« Statements »

Representing the AAAS Benchmarks for

Science Literacy


Strand DimensionG

rade Dim

ension

”[AAAS Strand Map] arrows can imply a development of sophistication within one scientific idea, a relationship across topics or disciplines, a joining of multiple learning goals into some more complex understanding, or a single learning goal contributing to multiple subsequent learning goals. ”

—Andrew Ahlgren and Soren Wheeler (2002). “Mapping the Steps toward Basic Understanding of Scientific Inquiry” Science & Education, Volume 11, Number 3 / May 2002

Plane Relationships: Top-Level ‘Associative’

» furtherDevelopment» crossSubjectRelation» conceptMerger» contributesToUnderstanding


Entity Mapping Predicates

alignToalignFrom

hasPart (hasChild)

isPartOf

logicalAntecedentlogicalSubsequentlogicalCoincident

closeMatchexactMatch

«etc…»

isChildOf (broader)hasChild (narrower)

« Documents » « Statements »

Broad Linking Properties (formally declared subproperty extensions expected)

Atomize / Describe / RelateRelate


Supporting resource :: Relationship that identifies a resource (i.e., some real or conceptual thing in the world) that supports or addresses the learning outcome embodied in an «atom»








Desire2Learn Competencies

and ePortfolio



and ePortfolio

Activity Example (Rubric)



and ePortfolio

Activity Example (Rubric)ePortfolio Artifact

Important Conclusions All learning outcomes documents are built from atomic learning outcomes

assertions and all curricula are learning plane expressions built on top of those atomic assertions

Learning outcomes ‘documents’ must be atomized at the level defined by their source

Regardless of how learning outcomes data is stored locally, expose that data to the open web as RDF

Diligently use Linked Data principles:→ Use URIs as identifiers for resources—learning outcomes and learning outcomes documents→ Use HTTP URIs so that people and machines can look up those resources on the web (and link to them)→ When humans or machines look up a URI using standards (e.g. RDF, SPARQL), provide useful information (e.g., a description of the learning outcome or learning outcome document)→ Include in the resources links to other URIs so that they can discover more things—other learning outcomes and concepts


Questions?» Atomize» Describe» Relate

» Stuart A. Sutton JES & Co. / University of Washington [email protected] » Diny Golder JES & Co. [email protected]

EdReNe 2011 ASN

Education

washington

dinygolder

science literacyplanets

learning outcomes

learning outcome

linked data

learning outcome

learning outcomes