starting notes - a DITA map domain for learning content

[john_hunt@us.ibm.com]

Hi all -

I've opened discussion and started some
design notes about a DITA map domain for learning content in the wiki here
- 

        http://wiki.oasis-open.org/dita/LearningContent/Structure/DITAMapDomain

And for kicks, I'll see how it pastes
into email below.

Please comment.

John Hunt


A DITA Map Domain for learning and training content

JH: These are early thoughts in progress for design of a map domain for learning content. This builds on the following:

• The how-to sample found here - http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-dita7/.
• John Accardi's article on course structure and DITA - http://learning-cms.sun.com/staging/POCoutput/SLS_CMS_Training/WEB/concepts/SLS_CMS_HighLevelStructures.html.

(John A - add the link to the pretty picture, if
you can)

The working premise is that we want DITA map domain to represent the structure of topics for a learning object, using the topic types we have developed.

Doing this as a map domain instead of a map type basically makes it possible to use these learning-object map structures within any DITA map, not just a learning-specific DITA map. (Open for discussion on this.)

To cut to the chase, here's a sample work-in-progress for such a thing.

This is plenty to discuss here!

Basic design pattern for a learning object

<map>
<!-- learningObject clusters can appear anywhere in a map hierarchy but always
    follow a consistent information pattern within the LO -->
<learningObject collection-type="sequence" href=""topOverview.dita"" type="learningOverview">
 <learningDesignRef href=""learningDesign_topic.dita"" type="learningDesign" />
 <learningOverviewRef href=""testlearningOverview.dita"" type="learningOverview"/>
 <learningContentRef href=""testlearningContent.dita"" type="learningContent"/>
 <learningAssessmentRef href=""testlearningAssess.dita"" type="learningAssessment"/>
 <learningSummaryRef href=""testlearningSummary.dita"" type="learningSummary"/>
</learningObject>
</map>

A learning object can contain other learning objects

• Just as a topicref can contain other topicref's, a learningObjectRef can contain other learningObjectRef's.
• Nest learningObjectRef immediately after a learningContentRef or immediately before a learningAssessmentRef.

<map>
<!-- learningObject clusters can appear anywhere in a map hierarchy
but always
     follow a consistent information pattern within the LO -->
<learningObject collection-type="sequence" href=""topOverview.dita""
type="learningOverview">
  <learningDesignRef href=""learningDesign_topic.dita""
type="learningDesign" />
  <learningOverviewRef href=""testlearningOverview.dita""
type="learningOverview"/>
  <learningContentRef href=""testlearningContent.dita""
type="learningContent"/>
    <learningObject collection-type="sequence" href=""another_topOverview.dita""
type="learningOverview">
      <learningDesignRef href=""another_learningDesign_topic.dita""
type="learningDesign" />
      <learningOverviewRef href=""another_learningOverview.dita""
type="learningOverview"/>
      <learningContentRef href=""another_learningContent.dita""
type="learningContent"/>
      <learningAssessmentRef href=""another_learningAssess.dita""
type="learningAssessment"/>
      <learningSummaryRef href=""another_learningSummary.dita""
type="learningSummary"/>
    </learningObject>
  <learningAssessmentRef href=""testlearningAssess.dita""
type="learningAssessment"/>
  <learningSummaryRef href=""testlearningSummary.dita""
type="learningSummary"/>
</learningObject>
</map>

a learningContentRef can href to learningContent, plus task, concept, reference, topic

A topic for discussion, but if we want to open the option to incorporate the actual content directly with the map, then enabling learningContentRef to href to any desirable DITA topic type can do that.

What a DTD for this looks like

Here's some DTD fragments that describe such a thing. Based on our discussion, I'll add to the plugin for all to try out. Note - not all attributes listed below.

<!ENTITY % learningObject         "learningObject">
<!ENTITY % learningDesignRef      "learningDesignRef">
<!ENTITY % learningOverviewRef    "learningOverviewRef">
<!ENTITY % learningContentRef     "learningContentRef">
<!ENTITY % learningTopicRef       "learningTopicRef">
<!ENTITY % learningSummaryRef     "learningSummaryRef">
<!ENTITY % learningAssessmentRef  "learningAssessmentRef">

<!ELEMENT learningObject ((%topicmeta;)?,
 (%learningDesignRef;)?,
 (%learningOverviewRef;)?,
 (%learningContentRef;)*,
 (%learningObject;)*,
 (%learningAssessmentRef;)*,
 (%learningSummaryRef;)?)
>

<!ATTLIST learningObject
 collection-type (choice|unordered|sequence|family) #IMPLIED
 type         CDATA     #IMPLIED
 linking      (targetonly|sourceonly|normal|none) #IMPLIED
>
<!ELEMENT learningDesignRef ((%topicmeta;)?)>
<!ATTLIST learningDesignRef
 collection-type (choice|unordered|sequence|family) #IMPLIED
 type         CDATA     "learningDesign"
 linking      (targetonly|sourceonly|normal|none) #IMPLIED
>
<!ELEMENT learningOverviewRef ((%topicmeta;)?)>
<!ATTLIST learningOverviewRef
 collection-type (choice|unordered|sequence|family) #IMPLIED
 type         CDATA     "learningOverview"
 linking      (targetonly|sourceonly|normal|none) #IMPLIED
>
<!ELEMENT learningSummaryRef ((%topicmeta;)?)>
<!ATTLIST learningSummaryRef
 collection-type (choice|unordered|sequence|family) #IMPLIED
 type         CDATA     "learningSummary"
 linking      (targetonly|sourceonly|normal|none) #IMPLIED
>

<!ELEMENT learningContentRef ((%topicmeta;)?)>
<!ATTLIST learningContentRef
 collection-type (choice|unordered|sequence|family) #IMPLIED
 type         CDATA     "learningContent | topic | task | concept | reference"
 linking      (targetonly|sourceonly|normal|none) #IMPLIED
>

<!ELEMENT learningAssessmentRef ((%topicmeta;)?)>
<!ATTLIST learningAssessmentRef
 type         CDATA     "learningAssessment"
 linking      (targetonly|sourceonly|normal|none) #IMPLIED
>