What is IEEE Learning Object Metadata/IMS Learning Resource Metadata?

Abstract

The IEEE 1484.12.1 – 2002 Standard for Learning Object Metadata is an internationally recognised open standard (published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association) for the description of “learning objects”. The IEEE working group that developed the standard defined learning objects as being “any entity, digital or non-digital, that may be used for learning, education or training”, a definition which has struck many commentators as being rather broad in its scope. IEEE 1484.12.1 is the first part of a multipart standard, and describes the LOM data model. The LOM data model specifies which aspects of a learning object should be described and what vocabularies may be used for these descriptions; it also defines how this data model can be amended by additions or constraints. Other parts of the standard are being drafted to define bindings of the LOM data model, i.e. define how LOM records should be represented in XML and RDF (IEEE 1484.12.3 and IEEE 1484.12.4 respectively). this briefing paper focuses on the LOM data model rather than issues relating to XML or other bindings