Applying and Extending Semantic for Semantic Web Courses

Linked Learning 2011, 29 May 2011 Lloyd Rutledge, Open Universiteit

• Independent students • Education as distance collaboration • Flexible schedules

• Many conforming Semantic Web functions • Well-known oft-used tool • Specializes in editing ontologies

• Online, sharable, universal • Specializes in data retrieval • XSLT can tailor data report presentation

• Online, sharable, universal • Specializes in distance collaboration • Well-supported, has extension framework infobox: open data editing

• MediaWiki extension • Well-supported, active development • Semantic Web: -ish, -partial  Annotation syntax  Data queries and formatted reports  RDF export

• Semantic MediaWiki extension • Infobox-like templates for data browsing • Forms for data entry • Primitives for building ontology-based interface

Semantic MediaWiki for Distance Learning

• Student and teacher share environment – From anywhere, anytime – Student can build – Teach can track and query • Student can build full data system – Ontologies, data, tailored interface – Does everything, but nothing well – Little internal Semantic Web support Forms of education use of Semantic MediaWiki

• Student projects – Done for Bachelors and Masters – Semantic is foundation for system building • Courseware – Course information – Student assignments and projects

Semantic MediaWiki for the Semantic Web

• Really? – Started as a research baby step toward – Has become short-term industry driven – Many near equivalents and “not quites” • Components – Own data annotation syntax – Own query language • Although several extensions offer SPARQL – Many query result presentations formats – RDF export with links • Little internal Semantic Web support

OWL Wiki Forms

• Editing Semantic Web ontologies – Forms and infoboxes for ontologies – Classes and properties in RDF, RDFS and OWL – Also in RDF export • Semantic MediaWiki annotations in infobox code – rdf:datatype -> [[Has type::]] – owl:inverseOf -> SMW’s invert-property template • Inferencing in infobox displays – rdfs:domain -> property in template and form – owl:symmetricProperty -> in infobox both ends of triple • Inferencing in Forms input – rdfs:range -> Semantic Forms autocompletion parameters

Conclusion

• MediaWiki for teacher access – The more on the wiki the better • The Semantic Web in the wiki • Remains an “extra” tool for students • Future work – More SPARQL usage: internal & external – Fresnel integration – Additional semantic browsing features – Continued integration with new extensions