Educational Content semtec

Semantic Technologies Working Group
This working group is currently quiescent. Further work in the area of linked data is likely to be taken forward in parallel with the JISC Exposing digital content for education and research programme. A CETIS briefing paper on the semantic web, linked and open data wil be published shortly. [30 June 2010]

The Semantic Technology Working Group was formed as a direct result of the exploratory Semantic Technologies for Teaching and Learning session at the 2007 CETIS Conference. This conference session also resulted in a JISC ITT inviting proposals for a study on the potential of semantic technologies for learning and teaching. The primary aims of the CETIS Semantic Technology Working Group are firstly to act as an expert working group for the JISC SemTech project and secondly to develop recommendations for potential future work based on the outputs of the project.

The Working Group has already had a number of closed meetings focused on scoping the remit and steering the direction of the SemTech project. SemTech aimed to identify and quantify the benefits of semantic technologies and outline a roadmap for their adoption in the context of HE/FE education, informal learning and exploratory learning. The final project report can be download from the JISC website.

Meetings
The last open meeting of the Semantic Technologies Working Group was held on 10 December in the Collins Building, (map and directions), University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

The aims of this meeting were to:
 * Review the outputs of the SemTech project.
 * Consider the roadmap and recommendations to JISC.
 * Respond to these recommendations and explore future directions.
 * Investigate ways that CETIS can raise awareness of the potential affordances of semantic technologies to the teaching and learning sector.
 * Discuss future activities in this areas that CETIS could potentially engage in.


 * Sheila's live blog of the meeting
 * Adam's reflections
 * Lorna's blog post on Outputs and activities from the meeting
 * tweets from the day

Working Group Participants

 * Phil Barker, CETIS
 * Helen Beetham, JISC
 * Simon Buckingham-Schum, Open University
 * Lorna, Campbell, CETIS
 * Hugh Davis, SemTech Project, University of Southampton
 * Michael Gardner, University of Essex
 * David Kernohan, JISC
 * Wilbert Kraan, CETIS
 * Tony Linde, University of Leicester
 * Sheila MacNeill, CETIS
 * Sue Manuel, Loughborough University
 * David Millard, SemTech Project, University of Southampton
 * Thanasis Tiropanis, SemTech Project, University of Southampton
 * Sue White, SemTech Project, University of Southampton
 * Robin Wylie, Learning and Teaching Scotland

Further Information

 * JISC SemTech webpage
 * Southampton SemTech site
 * Twine group
 * Are there compelling use cases for using semantic technologies in teaching and learning Sheila's Blog
 * Semantic technologies on Lorna's Blog