XML-BASED COURSE MATERIAL TRANSFORMATIONS FOR
UBIQUITOUS eLEARNING APPLICATIONS
Timothy Arndt
Department of Computer and Information Science, Cleveland State University
2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115, U.S.A.
Angela Guercio
Department of Computer Science, Kent State University – Stark
6000 Frank Avenue NW, North Canton, OH 44720-7548, U.S.A.
Keywords: Adaptive eLearning, Personalized eLearning, XML transformations, Ubiquitous eLearning.
Abstract: This paper describes our work in progress on ubiquitous eLearning. Today’s learners are increasingly likely
to engage in learning activities “on the fly” (while commuting, between other activities, on work breaks,
etc.) than to use long, concentrated work sessions to learn course material. In order to meet the needs of
these learners, a ubiquitous approach to web-based eLearning is required. This approach supports not just
the traditional eLearning of a learner using a fixed PC to study, but extends this to learners studying in open
labs/libraries/friends’ PCs as well as on non-traditional devices such as handheld PCs, PDAs, iPods, cell
phones and the like. An adaptive approach is required to deliver courseware in such a situation. The
eLearning system must adapt to the learner’s particular likes/dislikes, study session length, and learning
style as well as to the characteristics of the learning device – screen size, bandwidth, networked or not, etc.
We propose an XML-based approach in which metadata describing the learner’s situation are continuously
collected and refined and may be transformed via XSLT to meet the learner’s needs at any particular
moment.
1 INTRODUCTION
Several trends are emerging today which point
towards the growing importance of ubiquitous
learning – learning which takes place at any time
and at any place. Among these trends are growing
population of non-traditional learners. Many of these
learners have full or part time jobs which require
them to fit the learning into a crowded schedule.
Learning must take place wherever and whenever
possible and it is not possible to fit this learning into
a fixed, rigid schedule. Older non-traditional
learners often have family obligations which render
them non-mobile as well – the learning must come
to them rather than the other way around. Younger,
more traditional learners also bring new demands to
the learning environment. This generation is used to
being entertained when and where they want, and
may find traditional learning methods to be too
constraining. In order to meet the needs of this
generation, a more flexible, adaptive approach to
learning – learning on the go is required. This paper
describes our work in progress that is geared
towards meeting the needs of today’s generation of
learners.
The basic framework needed to meet these needs
is clear – web-based eLearning will be the preferred
method due to the ubiquitous nature of the web and
its underlying facilities and protocols. Standards-
compliant web browsers are available on all manners
of platforms, from servers down to cell phones and
PDAs and are generally available on PCs in open
labs and libraries. On the back end, metadata may be
used to describe both the learning materials as well
as to give learner profiles needed for customization
(Arndt, 2001), (Arndt, 2007). The use of metadata
allows for open, standards-based learning
environments to be implemented, as demonstrated
by SCORM (Advanced Distributed Learning, 2004).
In considering ubiquitous eLearning solutions,
288
Arndt T. and Guercio A. (2009).
XML-BASED COURSE MATERIAL TRANSFORMATIONS FOR UBIQUITOUS eLEARNING APPLICATIONS .
In Proceedings of the International Conference on Knowledge Management and Information Sharing, pages 288-291
DOI: 10.5220/0002302402880291
Copyright
c
 SciTePress

adaptati
o
availabl
e
into acc
o
F
In t
h
experim
e
illustrat
e
ubiquito
u
used
X
material
s
a cust
o
describe
which s
e
learner
b
section
4
p
rototyp
informa
t
customi
z
transfor
m
2 T
R
A
D
We hav
illustrat
e
adaptabi
docume
n
scenario
called T
styleshe
e
b
een de
v
transfor
m
SMIL 2
p
articul
a
done us
i
XSLT
d
differen
t
databas
e
o
n to the
d
e
to different
o
unt (Salzma
n
F
igure 1: The P
r
h
e following
e
ntal prototy
p
e
different
u
s eLearning.
X
SLT styles
h
s
from one X
M
o
mized lear
n
s a prototyp
e
e
lects an ap
p
b
ased on a
p
r
o
4
we discuss
h
es and ext
e
t
ion about th
z
e his le
a
m
ation techni
q
R
ANSFO
R
D
APTABI
e implement
e
e
s our app
r
lity. The sy
s
n
ts which de
s
s are describ
e
AOML (Arn
d
e
ts for seve
r
v
eloped. The
s
m
a TAOML
-
.0-
b
ased one
a
r computing
i
ng Microsoft
d
atabase hol
d
t
platforms o
r
e
has various
s
d
ifferent net
w
classes of us
e
n
n, 2009), (M
u
r
esentation Ch
o
two secti
o
p
es we have
aspects of
Section 2 sh
o
h
eets to tr
a
M
L-
b
ased for
m
n
ing experi
e
e
system we
p
ropriate med
o
file of his lea
r
h
ow we will i
n
e
nd them to
e user whic
h
a
rning expe
r
q
ues describe
d
R
MATIO
N
LITY
e
d a prototy
p
r
oach to tr
a
s
tem consists
s
cribe learni
n
e
d in an XM
L
d
t, 2000). X
S
r
al computin
g
s
e stylesheet
s
-
b
ased learni
n
which is s
p
platform. T
h
’s MSXSL X
d
s the styl
e
r
different m
a
s
tyle sheets s
t
w
ork bandw
i
er
s must be t
a
u
ntean, 2008)
o
ice Screen.
o
ns we des
c
developed
w
adaptability
o
ws how we
h
a
nsform lear
n
m
at to anothe
e
nce. Sectio
n
have devel
o
ia stream fo
r
r
ning platfor
m
n
tegrate these
capture fu
r
h
can be use
r
ience by
d
in section 2
.
N
S FOR
p
e system
w
a
nsformation
of a numb
e
n
g scenarios.
L
-
b
ased lang
u
S
LT (W3C, 2
0
g
platforms
h
s
describe ho
w
n
g scenario i
n
p
ecialized fo
r
h
is conversi
o
SL processor
e
sheets for
a
chine types.
t
ored accordi
n
i
dths
a
ken
.
c
ribe
w
hich
for
h
ave
n
ing
r for
n
3
o
ped
r
the
m
. In
two
r
ther
d to
the
.
w
hich
for
e
r of
The
u
age
0
07)
h
ave
w
to
n
to a
r
the
o
n is
. An
the
This
n
g to
de
v
de
fi
for
im
p
aut
h
co
m
red
i
p
re
s
p
re
s
dat
a
dat
a
Mi
c
ma
y
sh
o
to t
h
p
re
s
on
dat
a
IIS
b
ro
w
co
n
fig
u
ext
e
p
la
y
p
re
s
are
Th
e
3
be
v
ice type on
fi
ne a FDL (f
o
the Dist
a
p
lemented us
i
h
enticated a
g
m
paring usern
After the u
s
i
rected to the
s
entation he
s
entations is
a
base of pres
e
a
bases in t
h
c
rosoft Acce
s
y
be used. T
h
o
wn in figure
h
e database a
t
When the
s
entation, the
components
o
a
base and co
n
Web server
w
ser’s actio
n
n
figured to
h
ur
e 2, the we
b
e
rnal RealO
n
y
er is respo
n
s
entation. In
t
handled by t
h
e
architecture
e
low.
Figure 2: Th
e
Figure
3
which it wi
l
o
rm definition
a
nce Learni
n
i
ng Active S
e
g
ainst a d
a
ames and pas
s
s
er has bee
n
main page w
h
wishes to
generated
d
e
ntations. Th
e
h
e prototype
s
s, however
a
h
e presentati
o
1. New pres
e
t
any time.
user has
ASP code re
t
o
f the SMIL
n
structs the S
M
then returns
t
n
depends o
n
h
andle the
M
b
browser is
c
n
e player ha
n
n
sible for int
e
t
he prototype
h
e file syste
m
for the proto
y
e
SMIL 2.0 Pre
s
3
: The Prototyp
e
l
l be display
language). T
h
n
g Environ
m
e
rver Pages.
U
a
tabase of
u
s
words.
n
authenticat
e
h
ere he may c
h
view. The
d
ynamically
f
e
presentatio
n
are imple
m
a
ny ADO da
t
o
n choice we
b
e
ntations can
chosen the
t
rieves the in
f
presentation
M
IL present
a
t
his file and
t
n
how the b
r
M
IME SMIL
c
onfigured to
n
dle SMIL
f
e
grating med
i
, all of the
m
m
of the serv
e
y
pe is shown
s
entation Gene
r
e
Architecture.
ed. The
y
h
e Server
m
ent is
U
sers are
u
sers by
e
d, he is
h
oose the
list of
f
rom the
n
and user
m
ented in
t
a source
b
page is
be added
desired
f
ormation
from the
a
tion. The
t
he client
r
owser is
type. In
have the
f
iles. The
i
a for the
m
edia files
e
r system.
in figure
r
ated.
XML-BASED COURSE MATERIAL TRANSFORMATIONS FOR UBIQUITOUS eLEARNING APPLICATIONS
289

3 P
L
S
T
In this
e
that allo
lectures
p
latfor
m
system
selects
a
example
p
latfor
m
implem
e
example
show th
e
users, t
h
(mobile
system i
s
A
J
authenti
c
Based o
n
the clie
n
authenti
c
AUTHE
N
source f
o
lectures
with co
m
as well
databas
e
Figure
4
Adaptive
If a
authenti
c
to take
a
Lecture
connect
and the
QuickTi
m
L
ATFOR
M
T
REAMI
N
e
xperiment
w
ws users to
c
from a va
r
m
s. The syste
m
from which
a
n appropriat
e
, on the vi
e
m
. In the rest
o
e
ntation of th
s of the syst
e
e
actions of t
h
h
ose on a P
C
users). The
s
shown in fi
g
J
ava servle
t
c
ation to
b
ot
h
n
the http h
e
nt
is a PC or
c
ation is
s
N
TICATE).
T
o
r authenticat
(ACTION: G
m
plete transp
a
as authenti
c
e
server acces
s
4
: Three-Tier
eLearning Sys
t
PC user c
o
c
ates the user
a
s input the
p
Part Numbe
r
to a backen
d
URL for
t
m
e Streamin
g
M
SPECI
F
N
G
w
e have impl
e
c
onnect to a
s
r
iety of dif
f
m
checks the
c
the connect
i
e
multimedia
s
e
wing displa
y
o
f this sectio
n
e prototype
s
e
m in action.
h
e prototype
f
C
and those
overall ar
c
g
ure 4 below.
t
(LectureS
e
h
PC users
a
e
ader it is de
t
mobile user
s
en
t
accordi
n
T
he servlet
a
ed clients to
f
ETURL) the
u
a
rency to the
c
ation data,
a
s
ed using JD
B
Architecture
t
em.
o
ntacts the
L
and generat
e
p
articular Le
c
r
requested.
T
d
database se
t
he Lecture
g
Server on
a
F
IC MED
I
e
mented a sy
s
s
eries of reco
r
f
erent comp
u
c
apabilities o
f
i
on is made
s
tream (base
d
y
) for the u
s
n
, we describ
e
s
ystem, and
s
In particular
f
or two class
e
on a cell p
h
c
hitecture of
e
rvlet) pro
v
a
nd Mobile u
s
t
ermined wh
e
and the resu
l
n
gly (ACT
I
a
lso serves a
s
f
etch URLs o
f
u
sers wish to
user. The U
R
a
re stored in
B
C.
for the Prot
o
L
ectureServl
e
e
s an HTML
f
c
ture Number
T
hese are us
e
rver using J
D
(streaming
f
a
remote loca
t
I
A
s
tem
r
ded
u
ting
f
the
and
d
, for
s
er’s
e
the
s
how
, we
e
s of
h
one
the
v
ides
s
ers.
e
ther
l
ting
I
ON:
s
the
f
the
play
R
Ls,
the
o
type
e
t it
f
or
m
and
e
d to
D
BC
f
rom
t
ion)
is
f
p
la
y
E
M
on
d
Th
e
wit
h
PA
U
an
y
req
u
p
ro
t
U
R
the
T
use
r
MI
D
an
d
aut
h
the
suc
ent
e
are
ap
p
U
R
exi
s
the
Ser
v
Th
i
usi
n
Mi
c
De
v
M
o
p
ro
t
f
etched. The
y
er in the ge
n
M
BED and Ac
d
ifferent plat
f
e
QuickTime
h
a complet
e
U
SE, STOP,
y
time during
p
u
est another l
t
ocol ensure
s
R
L of the pla
y
PC-
b
ased sy
s
Figu
r
T
he LectureS
e
r
s to connect
D
lets. MIDle
t
d
password
a
h
en
t
ication t
h
backend d
a
cessful authe
e
r the Lectur
e
sent to t
h
p
ropriate UR
L
R
L or a messa
g
s
t or is not a
v
LectureSer
v
v
er for the
v
i
s portion of
n
g the J2M
E
c
rosystems, t
h
v
ice Configu
r
bile Simulat
o
t
otype is sho
w
servlet then
n
erated HTM
L
tiveX control
f
orms to vie
w
player is e
m
e
controller i
n
PLAY, and
A
p
layback. Th
e
ecture as wel
l
s
that the us
e
y
ing lecture.
s
tem is given
i
r
e 5: PC-Base
d
e
rvlet also en
a
to it using t
h
t
s prompts th
e
a
nd contact
t
h
at is done fo
r
a
tabase serve
r
ntication, th
e
e
Number a
n
h
e Lecture
S
L
. LectureSe
r
g
e that the sp
e
v
ailable. The
M
v
let, contacts
v
ideo file an
d
the prototyp
e
E
Wireless
T
h
e CLDC 1.
r
ation version
o
r. An exam
p
w
n in figure 6
embeds a Q
u
L
page using
s so as to en
a
w
the QuickTi
m
m
bedded in
t
h
n
terface so a
A
DJUST VO
L
e
user can go
l
. The use of
t
e
r does not
k
A screenshot
i
n figure 5
b
e
l
d
eLearning.
a
bles mobile
h
e J2ME pla
t
e
use
r
s for a
u
t
he LectureS
e
r
the Lecture
S
r
using JDB
e
MIDlet lets
n
d Lecture P
a
S
ervlet to
fe
r
vlet replies
e
cific Lectur
e
M
IDlet, indep
the specifi
c
d
plays it for
e
has been
d
T
oolkit 2.1
f
1: Connecte
d
1.1, and the
p
le of the u
s
below.
u
ickTime
dual way
a
ble users
m
e video.
h
e HTML
user can
L
UME at
back and
t
he RTSP
k
now the
showing
l
ow.
and PDA
t
form via
u
sername
e
rvlet for
S
ervlet by
C. Upon
the user
ar
t, which
fe
tch the
with the
e
does not
endent of
c
remote
the user.
d
eveloped
f
rom Sun
d
Limited
Motorola
s
e of the
KMIS 2009 - International Conference on Knowledge Management and Information Sharing
290

Figure 6: Cell Phone-Based eLearning.
4 CUSTOMIZED ELEARNING –
DISCUSSION AND FUTURE
RESEARCH
The previous two sections represent our basic
approach to customized eLearning. User profiles
containing information about learners (e.g. display
device, learning preferences, level of proficiency,
etc.) are stored in a database as an XML document.
Information about learning materials is also as a set
of XML documents. This information about the
learning materials is actually metadata, or semantic
information about the materials (Al-Khalifa, 2006).
A set of data transformers (XSLT stylesheets) use
the user profiles and metadata to transform the
learning materials into a customized presentation in
an XML-based language such as SMIL 2.0. The
metadata which we have incorporated into our
prototype systems is limited, however we are
working to incorporate more advanced metadata, as
represented by IEEE-LOM (IEEE, 2002). A general
learning model (Gaeta, 2009) will be incorporated to
allow for modification of user profiles
REFERENCES
Arndt, T., Guercio, A., Maresca, P., 2001. Unifying
Distance Learning Resources: The Metadata
Approach. Journal of Computers, 13(2), pp. 60-76.
Arndt, T., Chang, S.K., Guercio, A., Maresca, P.,2007. An
XML-Based Approach to Multimedia Software
Engineering for Distance Learning. In Shih, T., Hung,
J. (Eds.), Future Directions in Distance Learning and
Communication Technologies (pp. 106-134).
Information Science Publishing.
Advanced Distributed Learning. 2004 SCORM. 4
th
Edition
Documentation. Retrieved May 11, 2009, from
Advanced Distributed Learning website:
http://www.adlnet.gov/Technologies/scorm/SCORMS
Documents/2004%204th%20Edition/Documentation.a
spx4.
Salzmann, C., Gillet, D., Mulhaupt, P., 2009. End-to-End
Adaptation Scheme for Ubiquitous Remote
Experimentation. Personal and Ubiquitous
Computing, 13, pp. 181-196.
Muntean, G.M., O’Callaghan, S.. 2008. Performance-
aware Multimedia-based E-Leaning over Broadband
Wireless Networks. In 5
th
International Conference on
Adaptive Hypermedia and Adaptive Web-Based
Systems, Workshop on Technologies for Mobile and
Wireless Adaptive Elearning Environments, pp. 4-16.
Arndt, T., Guercio, A., Chang, S.K., 2000. Formal
Specification and Prototyping of Multimedia
Applications. International Journal of Software
Engineering and Knowledge Engineering, 10(4), pp.
377-409.
W3C, 2007. XSL Transformations (XSLT) Version 2.0.
Retrieved May 11, 2009 from W3C website:
http://www.w3.org/TR/xslt20/
Al-Khalifa, H.S., Davis, H.C., 2006. The Evolution of
Metadata from Standards to Semantics in eLearning
Applications. In Seventeenth ACM Conference on
Hypertext and Hypermedia, pp. 69-72. Odense: ACM
Press.
IEEE, 2002. Draft Standard for Learning Object
Metadata. Retrieved May 11, 2009 from IEEE
Learning Technology Standards Committee website:
http://ltsc.ieee.org/wg12/files/LOM_1484_12_1_v1_F
inal_Draft.pdf
Gaeta, A., Gaeta, M., Ritrovato, P., 2009. A Grid Based
Software Architecture for Delivery of Adaptive and
Personalised Learning Experiences. Personal and
Ubiquitous Computing, 13, pp. 207-217.
XML-BASED COURSE MATERIAL TRANSFORMATIONS FOR UBIQUITOUS eLEARNING APPLICATIONS
291