Derived from its philosophical origin, an ontology in computer science is a data model that represents a set of concepts within a domain and the relationships between those concepts. For example, in artificial intelligence, software engineering, biomedical informatics and information architecture, the ontology is defined as a form of knowledge representation about the world. Ontologies in computer science generally describe (1) Individuals: the basic or “ground level” objects; (2) Classes: sets, collections, or types of objects; (3) Attributes properties, features, characteristics, or parameters that objects can have and share; (4) Relations: ways that objects can be related to one another; and (5) Events: the changing of attributes or relations
Published in Chapter:
An Ontological Approach to Online Instructional Design
Robert Z. Zheng (University of Utah, USA) and Laura B. Dahl (University of Utah, USA)
Copyright: © 2010
|Pages: 23
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60566-782-9.ch001
Abstract
This chapter introduces the ontological instructional design as an alternative to the traditional instructional design in teaching and learning. By comparing the differences between traditional instructional design and e-Learning, the authors suggest that instructional design in e-Learning require a different model than the existing traditional models due to the idiosyncratic nature of e-Learning in terms of population, environment, and resources. An ontological instructional design model is proposed with a focus on the sharability, reusability and interoperability of ontological entities and design components within the ontological entities, which provides a holistic approach to online instructional design compared to the segmented, linear design approach in traditional instructional design models. A case study is included to illustrate the use and application of the ontological instructional design model in an online business course. Finally, guidelines for implementing the model are made with suggestions for future research.