Pinetree: A Learning Content Repository Based on Semantic Web Technologies

During the last few years, mobile devices such as cellular phones and PDAs have become sophisticated tools for creating digital content. Moreover, their built-in or attachable sensor capabilities make it possible to derive metadata that denote the context of the user. The challenge of annotating digital content with contextual metadata is a central part of our current research efforts and the main rationale for the development of Pinetree. Pinetree is a learning content repository based on semantic Web technologies. The aim of the article is to explore the utility of using RDF (resource description framework) as a data model in a learning content repository. We describe the different components of Pinetree and illustrate its use in a specific learning scenario. Our initial results indicate that a learning content repository based on RDF can be a flexible solution for digital content storage in terms of metadata expressivity, interoperability and data distribution.