An explanation from Schema.org notes that structured data stored in databases helps to make up many websites. But when that information is turned into HTML coding, it is sometimes lost in the translation process.
“Many applications, especially search engines, can benefit greatly from direct access to this structured data,” the Schema.org site notes. “On-page markup enables search engines to understand the information on web pages and provide richer search results in order to make it easier for users to find relevant information on the web. … A shared markup vocabulary makes easier for webmasters to decide on a markup schema and get the maximum benefit for their efforts.”
Search engines and content providers will not be required to adopt the education metadata schema, but project organizers believe that it will receive widespread acceptance owing to the large number of major search engines and other providers who have expressed support.
“This is a watershed project for our industry,” said Charlene Gaynor, CEO of AEP. “It benefits both users and content providers, because improved discoverability expands the market. Being part of the process with Creative Commons allows publishers to address issues such as quality and suitability as dimensions of educational content.”
AEP and Creative Commons will lead the project together. AEP will handle communication, and Creative Commons will supervise development of technical specifications. Creative Commons will convene and manage a working group, which will include an array of representatives.
“The great promise of Open Educational Resources (OER) to provide access to high-quality learning materials is limited by the discoverability of those resources and the difficulty of targeting them to the needs of specific learners,” read a Creative Commons blog post announcing the initiative. “Creating a common metadata schema will accelerate movement toward personalized learning by publishers, content providers, and learners, and [it will] help to unleash the tremendous potential of OER and online learning.”
When a draft of the metadata framework is complete, it will be posted online on a project website, developed by AEP, for public comments and review. Organizers expect the specifications to be complete by Feb. 1, 2012. The draft is expected to cover content for the Common Core State Standards.
Pearson has said it will adopt a common meta-tagging strategy to optimize its web content for searching and storage.
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