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2 THE UTL MODEL
2.1 Track Conceptual Model
Some recent European works focus on the tracking
problematic (i.e. track representation, acquisition
and analysis). Most of these works, such as DPULS,
ICALTS, IA, and TRAILS projects have taken place
in the Kaleidoscope European Network of
Excellence (Kaleidoscope, 2004) and each of these
projects have influenced our proposal. We have
identified two main data types for tracks: the
derived-datum type and the primary-datum type.
The primary data are not calculated or elaborated
with the help of other data or knowledge. They
could be recorded before, during or after the learning
session (e.g. a log file, a questionnaire). This kind of
data is a raw-datum. The content-datum type
concerns the outcomes provided by the learning
session actors (e.g. productions of the learners, a
tutor report). Both of these data have to be identified
in the collection of tracks provided by the learning
environment, in terms of location and format. We
introduce here the keyword and the value elements
for this purpose. These elements will be discussed
further in the paper. The additional-datum type
qualifies a datum which is linked to the learning
situation and could be involved in the usage
analysis.
Figure 1: The conceptual model of UTL.
The derived data are calculated or inferred from
primary data or other derived data. The indicator
type qualifies derived data which have a pedagogical
significance. Thus, an indicator is always relevant to
a pedagogical context: it is always defined for, at
least, one exploitation purpose, and linked to, at
least, one concept of the scenario. We will detail this
specific aspect further in the paper. A derived datum
which has to be calculated but which has no
pedagogical significance is an intermediate-datum.
We will now detail the information model of each
data types. The formalism used is the IMS LD
Information Model (IMS/LD, 2003) notation.
- The diagrams are tree structures, to be read
from left to right. An element on the left
contains the elements on the right side.
- < is an OR relationship.
- [ is an AND relationship.
- *: the element occurs zero or more times.
- +: the element occurs one or more times.
- ?: the element is optional.
- No symbol: the element occurs one time.
Each data type has three facets (Defining, Getting,
Using) which allow two processes for modelling a
datum: the predicted one, when the designers, during
the design phase, declare the datum as needed, and
the unpredicted one, when the datum is collected or
calculated without an explicit designer's request. In
the first process, the Defining and the Using facets
are filled first; then the Getting facet is discussed
with developers. This is the way one could provide,
for instance, examples and descriptions, rather than a
specific technique or tool. In the second process,
developers and/or analysts fill the Getting facet first,
then the Using and Defining facets are discussed
with designers.
2.2 The Raw-datum Information
Model
derived-datum primary-datum
intermediate-datum
indicator
additional-datum
pedagogical-context
traceable-conceptexploitation-purpose
content
keyword value
use
use
is relevant of
raw-datum
is characterized by
content-datum
Defining is composed by the Title of the datum and a
Description could be added. Getting focuses on the
mean for acquiring the datum. It is composed by the
Collection-type element which could be a Human-
collection, operated by at least one Role (e.g. an
observer), with a specific Collection-vector (e.g. a
video recorder), or an Automatic-collection. This
kind of collection is characterised by the nature (e.g.
log file) of the collection – the Record-type and the
Record-tool. If this tool is already available in the
learning environment, one could provide its
Location; if not, one could provide the developers
with a Description and/or some known Examples.
Getting is also composed by the Location of the
datum (e.g. URL of the file), and by the Acquisition-
time of the datum ('Before-session', 'During-session',
'After-session'). Using is composed by two elements:
the Used-by one, which exists only for commodity
about the data dependencies, and the Content one
which allows the retrieving of the datum from its
source. The category of a datum’s content could be
Keyword or Value. These generic concepts allow the
description of multiple tracks formats from text files
to databases and videos (see 2.8). This Content
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