Maths for Engineers: Linking Resources to Key Concepts
Maths for Engineers: Linking Resources to Key Concepts
Project Aims
The aims of this project were two-fold: firstly to develop a flexible mathematics learning resource tailored for a specific user group, and secondly to explore the process of developing a scalable Semantic Web resource from an existing website.
Teaching and Learning Issues
An existing ‘Web 1.0′ website was developed in a previous project to support incoming engineering students by providing them with high quality maths resources. Although the content was of a high quality, the data and its structure are rigidly contained in the page navigation, hindering the ease of searching, of updates and reuse of the data.
Student evaluations of the original website shaped our objectives in developing the new resource, providing an understanding of the search processes that lead a student to the set of resources that they require.
The Development Process
The resource that was developed exploited the additional functionality of the SIMILE Project Exhibit web framework and focused on resolving obstacles to the previous version’s maintainability and use. ‘Faceted browsing’ allows users to find resources related to specific concepts or questions in a ‘preparatory problems’ booklet. Particular effort was put into maximising the value of the resource to students by combining machine-based reasoning across the resources (e.g. ‘resource X deals with concept Y so it will be useful for question Z’) with expert recommendations from experienced tutors.
In order to allow these assertions to be made, data modelling was carried out using RDF123 and data collated using spreadsheets. SKOS was used to represent a ‘local ontology’ of mathematical concepts. These data sources were then converted into RDF/XML and then presented using Exhibit.
Links
Access Controlled Site: http://www.ucel.ac.uk/eng/maths/flatdata/semanticsearch.html
More Information
- Watson, J. and Davies-Wykes, M. (2009) Maths For Engineers – Combining Federated Search And Expert Recommendations In A Learning Support Resource Presentation given at the Computer Assisted Learning 2009 conference, 23rd March 2009, Brighton
- Carmichael, P. and Watson, J. (2009) ‘Maths for Engineers: using Semantic Technologies to Support Student Transitions into Higher Education’ Poster presented at HEA Conference, June 2009, Manchester
