Challenges Facing the Semantic Web and Social Software as Communication Technology Agents in E-Learning Environments

Abstract

The semantic web describes the process whereby information content is made available for machine consumption. With increased reliance on information communication technologies, the semantic web promises effective and efficient information acquisition and dissemination of products and services in the global economy, in particular, e-learning. Despite the semantic web’s promises, certain challenges face the realization of these goals. In this paper, the author addresses key challenges, including technological and socio-cultural issues, in addition to discussing specific implications relating to the direction of the semantic web.

References

	Adams, K. (2002). The semantic web: Differentiating between taxonomies and ontologies. Online, 26(4), 20-33. Retrieved January 22, 2009, from http://www.online mag.net
	Alfonseca E. Carro R. M. Martín E. Ortigosa A. Paredes P. (2009). The impact of learning styles on student grouping for collaborative learning: A case study.User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction, 16, 377–401. .10.1007/s11257-006-9012-7
	Barron, T. (2000). E-learning’s global migration. Learning Circuits. Retrieved August 26, 2005, from http://www.astd.org/LC/2000/0900_barron.htm
	Berners-Lee, T. (1998). What the semantic web isn’t but can represent. The World Wide Web Consortium. Retrieved January 22, 2009, from http://www.w3.org/DesingnIssues/RDFnot.html
	Berners-Lee T. Hendler J. Lassila O. (2001). The semantic web.Scientific American, 35–43.
	Bertino E. Khan L. Sandhu R. Thuraisingham B. (2006). Secure knowledge management: Confidentiality, trust, and privacy. IEEE Transactions on Systems. Man & Cybernetics: Part A, 36(3), 429–438. .10.1109/TSMCA.2006.871796
	Bleicher, P. (2006). Getting to a semantic web on the internet. Applied Clinical Trials Magazine, 42-43. Retrieved January 22, 2009, from http://appliedclinicaltrialsonline.findpharma.com/appliedclinicaltrials/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=310806
	Braun, S., & Schmidt, A. (2006). Socially-aware informal learning support: Potentials and challenges of the social dimension. In Proceedings of the Joint International Workshop on Professional Learning, Competence Development and Knowledge Management-LOKMOL and L3NCD, 1st European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, Crete, Greece. Retrieved December 20, 2009, from http://cnm.open.ac.uk/projects/ectel06/pdfs/ECTEL06WS68d.pdf#page=25
	Briggs K. C. Myers I. B. (1977). Myers-Briggs type indicator. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologist Press, Inc.
	Cayzer S. (2004). Semantic blogging and decentralized knowledge management.Communications of the ACM, 47(12), 47–52. 10.1145/1035134.1035164
	Chung W. (2008). Web searching in a multilingual world.Communications of the ACM, 51(5), 32–40. 10.1145/1342327.1342335
	Collis, B., & Strijker, A. (2004). Technology and human issues in reusing learning objects. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 4, 1-32. Retrieved May 1, 2009, from http://www-jime.open.ac.uk/2004/4/collis-2004-4.pdf
	Dahlberg I. (1995). Conceptual structures and systematization.International Forum on Information and Documentation, 20(3), 9–24.
	de Moor, A. (2005). Patterns for the pragmatic web. In Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Conceptual Structures, Kassel, Germany (LNAI 3596, pp. 1-18).
	Felder R. M. Silverman L. K. (1988). Learning and teaching styles in engineering education.English Education, 78, 674–681.
	Gasevic D. Hatala M. (2006). Ontology mappings to improve learning resource search.British Journal of Educational Technology, 37(3), 375–389. 10.1111/j.1467-8535.2006.00611.x
	Giles J. (2008). The semantic web will make finding answers online as simple as asking the right question.New Scientist, 198(2658), 26–27. 10.1016/S0262-4079(08)61363-9
	Gozzi R. Jr . (2007). Searching for search engine metaphors.Etc.; a Review of General Semantics, 276–279.
	Green C. Ruhleder K. (1995). Globalization, borderless worlds, and the tower of Babel: Metaphors gone awry.Journal of Organizational Change Management, 8(4), 55–68. 10.1108/09534819510090213
	Gudykunst W. B. Kim Y. Y. (1997). Communicating with strangers: An approach to intercultural communication (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
	Hall E. T. (1976). Beyond culture. New York: Doubleday.
	Hofstede G. (1980). Culture’s consequences. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
	Hofstede G. (1996). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind. New York: McGraw Hill.
	Hovy E. (2002). Comparing sets of semantic relations in ontologies. In GreenR.BeanC.MyaengS. H. (Eds.), The semantics of relationships. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
	Kawachi, P. (1999). When the sun doesn’t rise: Empirical findings that explain the exclusion of Japanese from online global education. Retrieved January 12, 2008, from http://www.ignou.ac.in/Theme-3/Paul%20%20KAWACHI.html
	Kay R. (2006). Semantic web.Computerworld, 32.
	Kim, H., & Dong, A. (2002). Pragmatics of the semantic web. Paper presented at the Semantic Web Workshop.
	Kobielus, J. (2007). The semantic web: Meaning and SOA. Business Communications Review, 30-36.
	Koch N. (2001). Software engineering for adaptive hypermedia applications. Reihe Softwaretechnik, 12. Munich, Germany: Uni-Druck Publishing Company.
	Lee J. Upadhyaya S. J. Rao H. R. Sharman R. (2005). Secure knowledge management and the semantic web.Communications of the ACM, 48(12), 49–54. 10.1145/1101779.1101808
	Lytras M. Naeve A. (2006). Semantic e-Learning: Synthesizing fantasies.British Journal of Educational Technology, 37(3), 479–491. 10.1111/j.1467-8535.2006.00617.x
	McCalla, G. (2004). The ecological approach to the design of e-learning environments: Purpose-based capture and use of information about learners. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 7. Retrieved April 18, 2009, from http://www-jime.open.ac.uk/2004/7/mccalla-2004-7.pdf
	McCool R. (2005). Rethinking the semantic web: Part I.IEEE Internet Computing, 86–88.
	Mesdag M. V. (2000). Culture-sensitive adaptation or global standardization - the duration of usage hypothesis.International Marketing Review, 17, 74–84. 10.1108/02651330010314722
	Mey J. L. (2003). Context and (dis)ambiguity: A pragmatic view.Journal of Pragmatics, 35, 331–347. 10.1016/S0378-2166(02)00139-X
	Miniwats International. (2007). Internet usage statistics: The internet big picture. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from www.Internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
	Olaniran B. A. (2004). Computer-mediated communication in cross-cultural virtual groups. In ChenG. M.StarostaW. J. (Eds.), Dialogue among diversities (pp. 142–166). Washington, DC: National Communication Association.
	Olaniran B. A. (2007a). Challenges to implementing e-learning in lesser-developed countries. In EdmundsonA. (Ed.), Globalized e-learning cultural challenges (pp. 18–34). Hershey, PA: Idea Group.
	Olaniran B. A. (2007b). Culture and communication challenges in virtual workspaces. In St-AmantK. (Ed.), Linguistic and cultural online communication issues in the global age (pp. 79–92). Hershey, PA: Idea Group.
	Olaniran B. A. (2008). Group decision making in computer-mediated communication as networked communication: Understanding the technology and implications. In RaisinghaniM. S. (Ed.), Handbook of research on global information technology management in digital economy. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
	Olaniran B. A. Agnello M. F. (2008). Globalization, educational hegemony, and higher education.Journal of Multicultural Educational Technology, 2(2), 68–86. 10.1108/17504970810883351
	Olaniran B. A. Edgell D. (2008). Cultural implications of collaborative information technologies (CITs) in international online collaborations and global virtual teams. In ZemlianskyP.St-AmantK. (Eds.), Handbook of global virtual workspaces (pp. 118–133). Hershey, PA: Idea Group.
	Patil, B., Maetzel, K., & Neuhold. (2003). Creating digital opportunities in IT education: An inclusive framework. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://ecommerce.lebow.drexel.edu/eli/2003Proceedings/docs%5C093Patil.pdf
	Repenning, A., & Sullivan, J. (2003). The Pragmatic web: Agent-based multimodal web interaction with no browser in sight. In Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, Zurich, Switzerland (pp. 212-219).
	Richards C. Nair G. (2007). 21st century knowledge-building in the Asia Pacific: Towards a multidisciplinary framework for linking ICT-based social and personal contexts of education and development.The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, 32(7), 1–11.
	Schoop M. de Moor A. Dietz J. L. G. (2006). The pragmatic web: A manifesto.Communications of the ACM, 49(5), 75–76. 10.1145/1125944.1125979
	Singh M. P. (2002). The Pragmatic Web.IEEE Internet Computing, 4–5. 10.1109/MIC.2002.1003124
	Singh R. Iyer L. Salam A. F. (2005). The semantic e-business vision.Communications of the ACM, 48(12), 38–41. 10.1145/1101779.1101806
	Snae, C., & Brueckner, M. (2007). Ontology-driven e-learning system based on roles and activities for Thai learning environment. Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects, 3. Retrieved April 18, 2009, from http://ijklo.org/Volume3/IJKLOv3p001-017Snae.pdf
	Sowa J. (2000). Knowledge representation. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
	Spyns, P., & Meersman, R. A. (2003). From knowledge to interaction: From the semantic to the pragmatic web. Brussels, Belgium: STARLab.
	Spyns P. Meersman R. A. Jarrar M. (2002). Data modeling versus ontology engineering.SIGMOD Record, 31(4), 12–17. 10.1145/637411.637413
	Stojanovic, L., Staab, R., & Studer, R. (2001). eLearning based on semantic web. Paper presented at World Conference on the WWW and Internet (WebNet), Orlando, Florida.
	Stutt, A., & Motta, E. (2004). Semantic learning webs. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 10. Retrieved October 15, 2008, from http://www-jime.open.ac.uk/2004/10
	Tallman S. Jenkins M. Henry N. Pinch S. (2004). Knowledge clusters and competitive advantage.Academy of Management Review, 29(2), 258–271. 10.2307/20159032
	Tennis J. T. Sutton S. A. (2008). Extending the simple knowledge organization system for concept management in vocabulary development applications.Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 59(1), 25–37. 10.1002/asi.20702
	Van Dam N. Rogers F. (2002, May). E-Learning cultures around the world: Make your globalized strategy transparent.[from http://www.elearningmag.com]. E-learning, 28–33. Retrieved February 12, 2008.
	Vaughan K. MacVicar A. (2004). Employees’ pre implementation attitudes and perceptions to e-learning: A banking case study analysis.Journal of European Industrial Training, 28(5), 400–413. 10.1108/03090590410533080
	Veltman K. H. (2004). Towards a semantic web for culture.Journal of Digital Information, 4(4), 3–15.
	Wahid F. (2007). Using the technology adoption model to analyze Internet adoption and use among men and women in Indonesia.The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, 32(6), 1–8.
	Weigel V. (2003). Deep learning for a digital age. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

You do not own this content. Please login to recommend this title to your institution's librarian or purchase it from the IGI Global bookstore.

Username or email:
*

Password:
*

Forgot individual login password?

Create individual account

Challenges Facing the Semantic Web and Social Software as Communication Technology Agents in E-Learning Environments

MLA

APA

Chicago

Export Reference

Abstract

References

Request Access