JISC

Project Aims

The project aims to provide a pilot version of a subject vocabulary mapping service on the internet for course search purposes. This service will be a prototype of a full subject vocabulary mapping service that could be used by learning opportunity search services. It will consist of a series of vocabularies, including subject classification systems, coding systems and keyword lists, mapped to a highly granular ‘spine’ vocabulary, plus web services to permit the interrogation of the data using any of the supported vocabularies.

The information service provider will be able to ‘plug-in’ the search service, so that a user can provide a search term from any vocabulary supported by the subject vocabulary mapping service and obtain search results from the information service, even if the information service used does not directly support the vocabulary. The full service will enable learners and other users to search learning opportunity repositories using their own choice of words or phrases, including arbitrary keyword lists, regardless of the coding used in the course search system.

Context and contribution to the e-Learning Programme

Since the inception of the XCRI strand of work there has been an increasing expectation that XCRI will address vocabularies, particularly subject vocabularies, even though this is not directly within its remit. A common method of searching across repositories of learning opportunities has been the 'holy grail' of course information systems, so that learners do not have to grapple with different search mechanics in otherwise very similar systems.

It is proposed that the subject vocabulary work be integrated as much as possible with XCRI-CAP development, so that any service it develops can be utilised by XCRI-CAP enabled services.

The project will fill in a significant gap in the provision of services via XCRI. It will increase the take-up of XCRI by resolving what is perceived as a vital practical problem: how to regularise subject searching across different information systems, in the interests of validity and accuracy of returned
lists of courses.

It is expected that the project will contribute to the e-Framework in the area of mapping.