Documentation - eLesson Markup Language eLML

Revision History

Please check the CVS repository for a complete revision history.

Table of Content

  1. 1 Introduction
    1. 1.1 Purpose and Scope
    2. 1.2 eLML Background
      1. 1.2.1 SVC Project GITTA
      2. 1.2.2 Advantages of the GITTA XML structure
      3. 1.2.3 Problems in GITTA
      4. 1.2.4 Revision of the GITTA XML structure
    3. 1.3 The Didactical Structure ECLASS
  2. 2 XML Basics
    1. 2.1 Elements
      1. 2.1.1 Element Contents
      2. 2.1.2 Element Attributes
    2. 2.2 Document Type Definitions DTD
    3. 2.3 XML Schemas
  3. 3 eLML XML Schemas
    1. 3.1 The elml.xsd file
    2. 3.2 The biblio_harvard.xsd file
    3. 3.3 The config.xsd file
      1. 3.3.1 Change the levels of the lessons
      2. 3.3.2 Change the module names
      3. 3.3.3 Change the icons used for the layout
      4. 3.3.4 Change the institutions
      5. 3.3.5 Change the departments
      6. 3.3.6 Change the lesson labels
      7. 3.3.7 Change the languages
      8. 3.3.8 Change the copyright statement
  4. 4 Description of eLML Structure
    1. 4.1 Lesson Level
      1. 4.1.1 Element <lesson>
      2. 4.1.2 Element <entry>
      3. 4.1.3 Element <goals>
      4. 4.1.4 Element <unit> - see section 4.2 Unit Level
      5. 4.1.5 Element <selfAssessment>
      6. 4.1.6 Element <summary>
      7. 4.1.7 Element <furtherReading>
      8. 4.1.8 Element <glossary>
      9. 4.1.9 Element <bibliography> - see section 4.4 Bibliography
      10. 4.1.10 Element <metadata> - see section 4.5 Metadata
    2. 4.2 Unit Level
      1. 4.2.1 Element <unit>
      2. 4.2.2 Element <entry>
      3. 4.2.3 Element <goals>
      4. 4.2.4 Element <learningObject>
      5. 4.2.5 Element <clarify>
      6. 4.2.6 Element <look>
      7. 4.2.7 Element <act>
      8. 4.2.8 Element <selfAssessment>
      9. 4.2.9 Element <summary>
      10. 4.2.10 Element <furtherReading>
    3. 4.3 Further Elements
      1. 4.3.1 Element <column>
      2. 4.3.2 Element <table>
      3. 4.3.3 Element <list>
      4. 4.3.4 Element <box>
      5. 4.3.5 Element <term>
      6. 4.3.6 Element <multimedia>
      7. 4.3.7 Element <formatted>
      8. 4.3.8 Element <popup>
      9. 4.3.9 Element <link>
      10. 4.3.10 Element <citation>
      11. 4.3.11 Element <newLine>
      12. 4.3.12 Element <paragraph>
    4. 4.4 Bibliography
      1. 4.4.1 Element <bibliography>
      2. 4.4.2 Element <book>
      3. 4.4.3 Element <contributionInBook>
      4. 4.4.4 Element <journalArticle>
      5. 4.4.5 Element <newspaperArticle>
      6. 4.4.6 Element <map>
      7. 4.4.7 Element <conferencePaper>
      8. 4.4.8 Element <publicationCorporateBody>
      9. 4.4.9 Element <thesis>
      10. 4.4.10 Element <patent>
      11. 4.4.11 Element <videoFilmBroadcast>
      12. 4.4.12 Element <websites>
      13. 4.4.13 Element <eJournals>
      14. 4.4.14 Element <mailLists>
      15. 4.4.15 Element <personalMail>
      16. 4.4.16 Element <cdRom>
    5. 4.5 Metadata
      1. 4.5.1 Element <metadata>
      2. 4.5.2 Element <organisation>
      3. 4.5.3 Element <prerequisites>
      4. 4.5.4 Element <keywords>
      5. 4.5.5 Element <technical>
      6. 4.5.6 Element <lessonInfo>
      7. 4.5.7 Element <rights>
  5. 5 Attribute descriptions
      1. 5.1.1 Attribute align
      2. 5.1.2 Attribute icon
  6. 6 How to create a eLesson with eLML?
    1. 6.1 First thoughts about an eLML eLesson
      1. 6.1.1 In Practice
    2. 6.2 Tips and Tricks
  7. 7 How to install eLML and start working with it?
    1. 7.1 The eLML folder structure and file hierarchy
      1. 7.1.1 Folder „structure“: XML-Schema
      2. 7.1.2 Folder “presentation”: XSL, CSS and other layout files
      3. 7.1.3 Folder “content”: XML files with your lessons
      4. 7.1.4 Folder “logic”: XSP, Java, Database connections etc.
      5. 7.1.5 Folder “manual”: the eLML documentation
      6. 7.1.6 Folder “config”: Configuration files
      7. 7.1.7 Folder “tmp”: Temporary files
    2. 7.2 Installing eLML
      1. 7.2.1 Working with eLML and any other XML Editor
      2. 7.2.2 Working with eLML and Cocoon
    3. 7.3 Setting the XSL parameters correctly
    4. 7.4 Creating your own layout
      1. 7.4.1 Modify the layout using CSS
      2. 7.4.2 Modify the layout using HTML
      3. 7.4.3 Modify the layout using XSL
  8. 8 References / Additional Resources
    1. 8.1 Websites
    2. 8.2 Software tools
    3. 8.3 Books / Articles

TOC UP 1 Introduction

TOC UP 1.1 Purpose and Scope

The documentation of the eLesson Markup Language eLML provides the explanations needed to work with the XML framework eLML and the associated files and structures. The documentation has the following purposes:

  • Provide an overview about the background of eLML.
  • Inform how eLML can be adapted to use in your eLearning project.
  • Describe the eLML structure and all the eLML XML elements.
  • Provide information about the installation and use of eLML.
  • Provide instructions how the presentation structure can be adapted.

TOC UP 1.2 eLML Background

eLML originates from the XML structure used in the SVC (Swiss Virtual Campus) project GITTA (Geographic Information Technology Training Alliance). The GITTA XML structure was designed to suit the needs of heterogeneous consortium creating eLearning materials with a common look and feel. Coming to an end of the GITTA project the XML structure was revised and documented on behalf of the SVC Mandate Edutech.

TOC UP 1.2.1 SVC Project GITTA
GITTA is one of the more than 50 SVC projects. It was started in 2000 for an initial 3 years period of time. The aims of GITTA are to create flexible modular web-based learning material for varied basic and specialized study curricula in Geographic Information Systems & Technologies (GIST).

The GITTA project consortium unites the majority of institutes from Swiss Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences teaching GIST. It encompasses members from three different language regions and from different application domains, including geomatics, geography, cartography, forestry, civil engineering and landscape architecture.

The development of homogeneous content and the creation of consistent and sustainable learning material in such a heterogeneous environment posed some major challenges and required that special attention was directed to the didactical model and the underlying technology.

GITTA employs the open standard XML and its co-standards to implement the didactical structure outlined below. The project benefits from the use of XML technology as a base for the technical implementation in a number of ways. XML is software and hardware independent and allows the enforcement of the content model through XML validation tools without a need for lengthy content development manuals. Therefore, the decentralized development of content is made easier and more consistent. Additionally, the materials are independent of a specific e-learning platform but can, nevertheless, be used in combination with a e-learning platform like, for example WebCT.

As XML is a Markup Language it has been possible to add additional information to a GITTA lesson in form of metadata information. These information help the tutors when assembling a course out of different lessons.

TOC UP 1.2.2 Advantages of the GITTA XML structure
In retrospect one can say that the GITTA project has benefited largely from the XML structure developed and used. Without this structure the creation of homogeneous eLearning material in such a heterogeneous consortium might not have been possible.

Advantages:

  • XML is hardware and software independent. Therefore, the developed content is not bound to a specific platform.
  • The content model is enforced through XML validation tools. There was no need to write lengthy content development manuals.
  • The presentation is separated from the content. The transformation from XML to a representative format like HTML is done by XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation). Therefore, each lesson can be presented in the same style and layout and the layout can easily be changed without the need to update every single lesson.

TOC UP 1.2.3 Problems in GITTA
Where there are advantages there are also some problems. Most often the authors commented about the quite deeply nested XML structure which makes it hard to learn the structure and also after some time of not-use it is difficult to get into it again. Other problems concerned XML in general. It was commented upon the not too comfortable use of XML as a tool for writing content. The user interfaces are quite simple (extended text editors) and do not offer much comfort or even a WYSIWYG interface. Therefore, the user has to know something about XML in general and needs to get used to writing content in a simple text editor.

Another dilemma was the use of semantic or presentational tags in the XML structure. While XML is actually designed for using semantic tags and also allows to exactly separate content from presentation it is not always possible or acceptable to have semantic tags only. The original GITTA structure had many paragraph tags with names like 'motivation', 'instruction' or 'conclusion'. The were used to structure the content semantically. However, as some of these paragraphs were displayed the same in the final layout the authors could not understand why they should mark them up differently.

TOC UP 1.2.4 Revision of the GITTA XML structure
The revision of the GITTA XML structure and the creation of eLML – eLesson Markup Language tried to get rid of some of the problems mentioned above while maintaining the advantages. eLML employs basically the same structure as GITTA. However, it was tried to make it easier to use as far as possible.

The problem of the user interfaces available for writing content in XML cannot be solved with the structure. However, there are tools which may allow to create at least some kind of a WYSIWYG feeling. Such approaches might be included when the structure is used by many projects and the tools and experiences are exchanged on the Sourceforge website (http://sourceforge.net/projects/elml).

The GITTA XML structure has proved it selves as usable. The revision concentrated on weeding out the parts of the structure which were not used by the authors. Additionally, the semantic tags have been replaced by some representational ones which are more meaningful to content authors and directly linked to a specific representation. This is contrary to a purely semantic Markup Language. However, experience has shown that it is more practical.

GITTA used a database and a Cocoon server to store and display its contents. eLML was adapted to work without databases. This means, that a metadata section, a glossary and a bibliography was included into the lesson structure. This may lead to the case where the same book or other resource needs to be listed in several lessons. However, this seems a more practical way than having to set up and maintain a database. The structure and its XML tags are described in detail in the following chapters of this documentation.

TOC UP 1.3 The Didactical Structure ECLASS

eLML is didactically based on the ECLASS schema (adapted from Gerson 2000). The following elements shall define a didactically meaningful structure for each lesson.
  • Entry: The 'E' equals to the introductory statements made before each single lecture in a class. Entries shall, for example, show what is to be discussed and in which context the lesson fits. It may give an explanation why this topic is being introduced and the historical perspective of the thematic.
  • Clarify: The 'C' represents the main part of a unit and explains the key concepts. In this section the facts about a specific topic are presented. GIST concepts are conveyed depending on the module the lesson belongs to.
  • Look: The 'L' allows the students to review examples or samples that further explain what is being taught in this lesson. It defines the main points made in the clarify part through illustrations, animations, videos, etc.
  • Act: The 'A' is to encourage the students to practice what has just been learned. It is equivalent to the classical lab exercises and hands-on workshops. It is an important integrative part of the on-line learning course as it actively engages the students and may allow to do group work and share work between students.
  • Self Assessment: The 'S' gives the students the opportunity to test for themselves what they have learned. It is important that this section also includes automated (e.g. for quizzes) or manual (e.g. peer reviews or tutor) feedback.
  • Summary: The second 'S' stands for the final part of the lesson which summarizes and concludes. It reiterates the main points of the lesson and may also give further expectations.

These main elements of ECLASS are further subdivided to allow the inclusion of, for example, text, tables or multimedia elements. These elements have been developed adapting parts of the LMML (Learning Material Markup Language) framework (LMML 2004).

This gives only an overview over the didactical structure employed in eLML. Further and more detailed explanations can be found in the following chapters of this documentation.

Top   |    TOC    |   Next "XML Basics"