Are Tags from Mars and Descriptors from Venus? A Study on the Ecology of Educational Resource Metadata

Abstract

Abstract. In this study, over a period of six months, we gathered empirical data from more than 200 users on a learning resource portal with a social bookmarking and tagging feature. Our aim was to study the interrelation of conventional metadata and social tags on the one hand, and their interaction with the environment, which can be understood as the repository, its resources and all stakeholders that included the managers, metadata indexers and the whole community of users. We found an interplay between tags and descriptors and showed how tags can enrich and add value to multilingual controlled vocabularies in various ways. We also showed that, even if many tags can be seen as redundant in terms of the existing LOM, some of them can become a useful source of metadata for repository owners, and help them better understand users' needs and demands.

Tag-based collaborative filtering recommendation in personal learning environments

“…In TEL context, several researchers stressed the importance of tags in TEL environments. Vuorikari et al [12], for instance, investigate the importance of tags in "tag ecologies" and show that tags can enrich and add value to multilingual controlled vocabularies. The authors further conclude that tags can become a useful source of metadata for learning repository owners, and help them better understand users' needs and demands.…”

Information Management for Digital Learners : Introduction, Challenges, and Concepts of Personal Information Management for Individual Learners

“…In addition, there are several studies confirming the general usefulness of tags and the support that tags can provide to users in (re-)finding information: Riina Vuorikari et al [VSPK09], for instance, investigated the usefulness of user-generated tags for the learning resource metadata ecology-where the term "metadata ecology" is used to describe the interrelation of conventional metadata and (social) tags as well as their interaction with the environment [VSPK09,p.408]. As a result, Vuorikari et al revealed that tags can essentially enrich conventional metadata.…”