Demonstration/Poster
Presentation Title:
XML: A Better Model for Online Education
Presenter(s)
Chris Candler, MD
Univeristy of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Abstract:
Like HTML, XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a web-based subset of the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML). However, HTML has several limitations as its frozen set of tags is essentially a simple page layout language rather than a truly extensible markup language like SGML or XML. XML allows users to define their own discipline-specific tags that they may insert into their web pages (i.e., marking up). Through these custom tags, documents can be given machine-readable context that will enable users to view the data from multiple perspectives. Additionally, XML has the ability to separate style from data, which will allow media-independent portability (e.g., computer screen, CD-ROM, laser printer). In these ways XML will bring more features to the web as it provides a more powerful framework to visualize, manage and share information.
XML is a better way of delivering online educational content as it provides instructors the ability to define the content and scope of their web pages, allowing more precise searching and more advanced linking within and among courses. When fully implemented across the curriculum it will allow schools to better understand the information they are teaching by revealing discrepancies, duplications, and new relationships between courses and topics. Future applications could include tutorials that automatically create quiz questions based on their content and documents that enable students to view concepts from a variety of perspectives.
Web Site:
PRIMARY AUTHOR'S INFORMATION
Chris Candler, MD
Address:
1000 Stanton L Young Blvd
Suite 418
Telephone Number:
405-271-9090
Fax Number:
405-271-2553
E-mail Address:
chris-candler@ouhsc.edu