---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- eLesson Markup Language eLML XML-Structure Redesign of GITTA.DTD March 2004 Susanne Bleisch and Joel Fisler by order of Edutech, SVC Mandate ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This XML structure is based on the GITTA - Geographic Information Technology and Training Alliance (SVC project 200128) XML structure which has been developed and used through the process of creating the GITTA elearning materials. It was roughly based on the Learning Material Markup Language LMML (for more Information see http://www.lmml.de). The didactical model is based on the ECLASS model (E-CLASS: Creating a Guide to Online Course Development For Distance Learning Faculty by Dr. S. M. Gerson, Johnson County Community College, KS 66210, http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/winter34/gerson34.html). More information can be found on the Website at http://sourceforge.net/projects/elml or http://www.elml.ch ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The attribute label is restricted to 20 characters which can be a random selection from the values 'a-z', 'A-Z', '0-9' and '_'. The attribute label is restricted to 20 characters which can be a random selection from the values 'a-z', 'A-Z', '0-9' and '_'. The attribute labelRef contains the references to a valid label of one other element within a lesson. The attribute labelRef contains the references to a valid label of one other element within a lesson. The attribute title contains a string representing a title. The attribute title contains a string representing a title. The attribute navTitle contains a string representing a short title that is used for the navigation. The attribute shall be used, when the original title of the lesson, unit or learningObject is too long for the navigation. The attribute intStatement may containan introductionary string to the learning objectives. The attribute presentation can be used to set the presentation of the learningObjectives either to list or table. The attribute legend contains a string representing an image or other elements legend. The attribute uri contains a valid URI. The attribute targetLesson contains one of the lesson labels defined in the validate.xsd. The attribute targetLessonLang contains the definition of the language of the target lesson. The attribute targetLabel contains a label specified within an element within the same lesson (specifies the target element of an internal link). The attribute type contains a string describing the type of a linked element (e.g. pdf for a PDF-Document, or shp for a Shape-File). This is especially useful for links to downloadable material. The attribute size contains the file size of downloadable material (e.g. 7KB or 15MB). The attribute target allows to specify if the link should e.g. be openend in a new window (_blank) or in the same window (_top). The attribute allows any strings. If you want to limit the allowed strings (e.g. only '_blank' and '_top') then you'll need to add a xs:redefine section to your validate.xsd file instead of the xs:include sections that includes elml.xsd and redefine the this attribute group as to only allow the specific strings for the attribute target. The attribute space allows the values short or long. Short creates a simple line break (equivalent to <br> in HTML) while long starts visually a new paragraph. The attribute type allows to specify the type of a multimedia element (similar to mime types). Possible values are gif, jpeg, png, flash, svg, quicktime, mpeg, mp3, vrml, x3d, realone, mathml, div and applet. The attribute thumbnail contains the URI to the thumbnail file (e.g. ../multimedia/test_thumb.jpg) in case an image shall be displayed with a thumbnail. The attribute src contains the URI to the multimedia file (e.g. ../multimedia/test.jpg). The attribute valign allows to specify the vertical alignment of content within columns and tables. The attribute align allows to specify the horizontal alignment of multimedia objects and content within columns and tables. The attribute glossRef allows to specify (for the purpose of referencing) one of the terms specified in the attribute term of the element definition. The attribute term contains a string with the term which is defined in the element definition. The attribute glossRef references these terms. Characters, Numbers, Blanks, etc. are allowed. The attribute width allows to specify the width of an image, multimedia object, table, etc. as a positive Number. The attribute height allows to specify the height of an image, multimedia object, table, etc. as a positive Number. The attribute units allows the values pixels or percent. It is used to specify what the units of the numbers specified in the attributes width and height are. The attribute rowspan allows to specify the number of rows that are spanned by this table cell. The attribute colspan allows to specify the number of columns that are spanned by this table cell. The attribute listStyle allows to specify the type of list. Values to select are ordered (with numbers) or unordered (with symbols). The attribute metaSetUpInfo allows to specify what needs to be set up on, for example, an eLearning platform, so that these exercise or self assessement can be done (eg. set up a discussion forum with the topic 'Exercise 1'). The attribute style allows to define how the text within the element formatted should be displayed. Values to select are bold, italic, underlined, crossedOut, upperCase, lowerCase, subscript, superscript and code. The attribute yearOnly allows defining if a bibliography reference should be made with author name and year of publication or with year of publication only. Default is author name and year of publication (attribute set to 'no'). The attribute mainEntry allows defining if a index item is the main entry meaning that here is the best description/use of this index item. Default is no. The attribute affiliatedTo allows defining a specific notation of the index item. For example, if the index item is 'houses' then it might be affiliated to 'house' so to have only one notation in the final index. If the attribute is not set then the word(s) marked up as index item are taken for the final index. The optional attribute category can be used to define different levels of questions. How the content of this attribute is handled and what is allowed within is left to the author of the project specific XSLT files. The attribute shuffle allows defining if the answers to the questions should be (re-)arranged randomly each time the (e.g. html) page is reloaded. The required attribute correct allows defining if an answer is the correct one (yes) or if it is a wrong answer designed to trick the student (no). The optional attribute feedback allows to give the student a short text feedback about his wrong (or correct) choice of answer. It might also contain a hint as to where in the lesson the student might find the correct answer for the question. The element lesson is the root element of any eLML xml file. To work through a lesson needs typically about 1.5 to 2 hours. The element unit allows to structure the content of a lesson in one or more units. The element learningObject allows to structure the content of a unit in one or more learningObjects. A learningObject contains typically one topic which is explained (clarify part), shown by examples (look part) and learned through exercises (act part). The order of these parts is random and not all parts need to be used mandatorily. The parts my occur zero, one or more times. The element entry contains the introduction to a topic on lesson and unit level. The element clarify contains the explanations (clarify it) to a topic in a learningObject. The element look contains the examples (look at it) to a topic in a learningObject. The element act contains the exercises (get active, do something) to a topic in a learningObject. The element goals is the parent element of the lObjective elements. Each element lObjective contains one learning object which wants to be achieved by studying this lesson or unit. The element selfAssessment contains the exercises which allow to control if the learning objectives were achieved (on lesson and on unit level). The element summary summarizes the key elements and facts of a lesson or unit. The element furtherReading contains the elements resItem (on lesson and unit level). Each element resItem is the reference to an item in the bibliography which is recommended for the student to read for getting more information about the topic. The element glossary is the parent element of all definitions within the glossary. Each element definition contains the definition to a specific or new term. The terms and definitions are displayed in the glossary and can be referenced from within the lesson content. The element index allows to define if an index will be present in the lesson or not. Use it when it should be present and leave it when it should not. When the index is present then also indexItems within the content of the lesson should be defined. The element listOfFigures allows to define if a listOfFigures will be present in the lesson or not. Use it when it should be present and leave it when it should not. When the listOfFigures element is present then also multimedia elements within the content of the lesson should be defined. The element listOfTables allows to define if a listOfTables will be present in the lesson or not. Use it when it should be present and leave it when it should not. When the listOfTables element is present then also table elements within the content of the lesson should be defined. The element column is a structure element to structure the page into two or three columns which themselves can contain content. The element columnLeft defines the left column and contains content. The element columnMiddle defines the middle column and contains content. The element columnRight defines the right column and contains content. The element table allows to define a table out of table rows and table cells (table data and table headings). Each element tablerow defines one row of a table. Each element tabledata defines one table data cell of a table. Each element tableheading defines one table heading cell of a table. The element list defines a list consisting of at least one item. Each element item contains one list item of a list (one point). The element annotation can contain additional/background information to a section of a lesson. The element box is a representation element. It is basically the same as the element paragraph but is displayed with a border and background colour. The element term allows to reference a glossary definition from within the text (if used beside a paragraph it is displayed as paragraph, if used within a paragraph it is displayed inline). The element indexItem allows to markup (a) specific word(s) as items for the final index. The element multimedia allows to integrate images, interactions, animations, etc. into the content. The element formatted allows to specially format parts of text. The element popup is a representation element. It is basically the same as the element paragraph but is displayed with a border and background colour and is only shown if clicked on the link. The element link allows to link internally (to other parts of the lesson), externally (to other sources in the internet) or to downloadable material (local on the GITTA server in the multimedia folder or external via the internet/ftp/etc on another server). The element citation allows to markup text as citation from one of the resources listed in the bibliography. See the testlesson to see how this can be done. The element newLine allows to insert a short or long line break. The element paragraph is a simple paragraph of text. The element selfCheck allows inserting three types of questions (see subelements for the types possible) for the student to check if the learning goals were reached. The element multipleChoice allows defining a question and a set of answers from which the student can choose the correct one(s) (one or several correct answers possible). The element fillInBlanks allows defining a question and a text where the student has to fill in the blank spaces with the correct word(s). The element question allows to define the question that should be in direct context of the content of the lesson or unit so far and allow to check if the learning goals have been reached. The element answer allows defining one or several answers (one or more correct answers depending on the question type selected) to the question posed. The element gapText allows defining the text containing the spaces left out for the student to fill in. The element gap allows defining the gaps that are to be filled in by the student. The attribute answers allows to specify which word(s) are correct in this space. Several correct words are entered separated by commas - e.g. "gap, GAP, Gap". The element solution allows specifying the correct solution and maybe giving some background information that explains the answer(s). The element toc allows inserting a table of content into all structure elements (ECLASS). The attribute scope defines the scope of the inserted toc. Valid values are lessons, lesson and unit. The attribute recurse allows defining if the toc lists e.g. only the other lessons (toc scope="lessons") or also their units and learningObjects.