Company LOGO

www.computing.dcu.ie

Towards the Validation of Adaptive Educational

Hypermedia using CAVIAr

Mark Melia & Claus Pahl

Dublin City University

6th International Workshop on Authoring of Adaptive and Adaptable Hypermedia

www.computing.dcu.ie 2/25

Agenda

• Courseware validation• Definition• Approach

• Modeling concerns - CAVIAr

• Model interoperability – model transformations

• Applying validation to AEH • Transforming LAOS to CAVIAr• Simple validation

www.computing.dcu.ie 3/25

Courseware Validation

• What is Courseware Validation?• Courseware validation allows the course

creator to check for certain pedagogical and non-pedagogical characteristics in constructed courseware.

• What characteristics are of concern?• Literature review

www.computing.dcu.ie 4/25

Identification of Courseware Construction Concerns

www.computing.dcu.ie 5/25

Courseware Authoring Validation Information Architecture (CAVIAr)

• Data models• Domain model

• Concepts

• Pedagogically neutral

• Learning context model• Conceptual sequencing constraints

• Learner Stereotypes– Presumed knowledge– Learning goals

• Learning resource model• Models learning resources and metadata

• Courseware model• Topics

– Entry learner conditions for topics– Sequencing relationships

www.computing.dcu.ie 6/25

Courseware Authoring Validation Information Architecture (CAVIAr)

• Validation model • Defines a valid courseware in terms of the

data models• Constrains the allowable model configurations

• Courseware model must adhere to constraints

www.computing.dcu.ie 7/25

A Metamodeling Approach

CAVIAr Metamodel

CAVIAr model

Instance ofModel Constraints

Defined on

Must be true for

www.computing.dcu.ie 8/25

Defining Constraints on CAVIAr

• Constraints defined on the metamodel – constrains the allowable structure of the model

context Topic

Inv more_contained_topics: relations->select(type = #CONTAINS)->size() > 5 and relations-> select(type = #CONTAINS)->size() <15

•Number of topics contained in a topic must be between 5 and 15

www.computing.dcu.ie 9/25

Model Interoperability – Model Transformations

• Allows for model transformations• Transform from one model type to another

model type• Defined using a declarative language at the

metamodel level (the model schema level)

• CAVIAr models can be transformed to/from any type of models as long as:• Metamodel defined for target/source model• Transformation defined between metamodels

www.computing.dcu.ie 10/25

A Metamodeling Approach

CAVIAr Metamodel

CAVIAr model

Instance of

Metamodel x

model x

Instance of

TransformationDefinition

Transformation

Model Constraints

Defined on

Must be true for

www.computing.dcu.ie 11/25

Model Transformations - AEH -> CAVIAr

AEH Metamodel

Databases Course

CAVIAr Metamodel

Databases Course

Instance of

TransformationDefinition

Transformation

Instance of

www.computing.dcu.ie 12/25

AEH Interoperability Case Study AEH - LAOS

• Set of models for creating AEH – MOT (Cristea et. al.)• Domain map• Goal and constraint map• User map• Adaptive map • Presentation map

• Common Adaptation Framework (CAF)• XML format

• LAG • Defined in BNF format• Basic level made up of IF-THEN-ELSE rules

www.computing.dcu.ie 13/25

Transforming LAOS to CAVIAr

• Transforming CAF to CAVIAr• CAF Metamodel definition• CAF metamodel CAVIAr metamodel

definition

• Transforming LAG to CAVIAr• LAG metamodel definition• LAG metamodel CAVIAr metamodel

definition

www.computing.dcu.ie 14/25

CAF Transformation: CAF metamodel definition

www.computing.dcu.ie 15/25

CAF Transformation: Generating CAVIAr domain model

www.computing.dcu.ie 16/25

CAF Transformation: Generating CAVIAr learning context model

www.computing.dcu.ie 17/25

CAF Transformation: Generating CAVIAr courseware model

www.computing.dcu.ie 18/25

CAF Transformation: Generating CAVIAr learning resources & metadata

www.computing.dcu.ie 19/25

Transforming LAOS to CAVIAr

• Transforming CAF to CAVIAr• CAF Metamodel definition• CAF metamodel CAVIAr metamodel

definition

• Transforming LAG to CAVIAr• LAG metamodel definition• LAG metamodel CAVIAr metamodel

definition

www.computing.dcu.ie 20/25

LAG Transformation

• Defining LAG Metamodel

www.computing.dcu.ie 21/25

LAG Transformation

• Transforming a simple LAG sequencing rule to CAVIAr courseware model constraint

IF (DM.Concept.title.access == ‘true’) THEN(DM.Concept.text.show == ‘true’)

www.computing.dcu.ie 22/25

LAG Transformation

www.computing.dcu.ie 23/25

Validating the AEH

• The AEH can then be validated as any other courseware using a constraint language.

• LOs must be shorter than 40 mins in length

context Topic

Inv more_contained_topics:

relations->select(type = #CONTAINS)

->size() > 5 and relations->

select(type = #CONTAINS)->size() <15

www.computing.dcu.ie 24/25

Conclusions

• Provided for a starting point in validating AEH designs

• Modelling technologies allow for AEH interoperability• AEH CAVIAr

• Possibility of generalising the approach to allow for a more generic approach to AEH interoperability with TEL state of the art

www.computing.dcu.ie 25/25

Questions

• Questions, comments welcome• Thank you for listening.

• Contact Details• Email: mark.melia@computing.dcu.ie