Site Metadata

Metadata Definitions

Metadata (once defined for the site) can be used to tag various types of contents as enumerated below. Once tagged properly, it allows the site members to easily locate relevant contents as and when necessary. It also allows better reporting and analysis in terms of metadata tags. The system allows metadata values to be set for a given site in five dimensions

1. Subject : supports hierarchical values
2. Exam : supports a list of values
3. Region : supports hierarchical values
4. Complexity : supports list of values
5. Skill Set : supports list of values

Its not required to use all the avilable dimensions in your misrosite. You define a metadata definition which may have values only in one or two but not all five dimensions. Based on how many dimensions you define the values for, system will provide only those dimensions while tagging your course or test as well as while searching.

Any implementation (microsite) can rename these dimension to whatever suits their needs. For example you can rename subject to Category ... by using the custom labels placement. Read more about renaming these dimensions here.

A few example metadata definitions related to Finance, HealthCare, HR, IT and K12 sectors are provided as default to choose from. But we encourage you to create your own specific one. Once a metadata definition is associated with the site, all the defined dimensions would be available for tagging various types of contents (presently limited to test, question and course).

How is metadata used by Users

Course listing, course sessions listing and catalog provides metadata based filtering of the results. In future there will be more screens which would allow metadata based filtering of the data.

Metadata Definition Listing

Use the menu item Site Admin -> Metadata to view the list of metadata definitions that are currently available to the microsite. The list provides the following information for every definition

• Name of the definition
• A short prefix
• Site which owns this definition
• Date the definition was created

A microsite is always associated with one and only one metadata definition.The list also shows the definition which is currently associated with the site using the green checkmark icon .

Changing the Association

In the metadata definition list click on the first column corresponding to the definition that needs to be associated. Just one click removes the current association and attaches the new one.

Creating a New Metadata Definition

If the default set of metadata definitions already available is not sufficient for a given site, the site administrator can always create a new metadata exclusively for his own site. To create a new definition use the Site Admin -> Metadata menu item and click on the Create Definition button. If one of the predefined metadata would suffice for the current site, then this step can be skipped.

Specify a name for the metadata definition that you intend to create and a unique prefix which would be used internally by the system. Select a dimension by clicking on the appropriate dimension tab and then use the commands as available on the right menu bar.

Specify the name and synonym (optional) for the first attribute. The id is automatically generated by the system and it is advisable not to change the ids. No two attribute within one dimension can share the same id. Use the Update Metadata button to save the attribute. To create the next attribute, simply select the current attribute on the left and use the appropriate command from the menu and repeat the previous steps.

Select the other dimensions (ex skill levels, complexity etc) and add attributes in an identical way. The source tab provides a real time XML view of the hierarchical attributes for all dimensions. Direct editing of the definition can also be done in the source XML. Once all the attributes have been added, use the save button to save all the changes.

Note that before any new dimension can be used in the site it needs to be associated with the site. This can be achieved as specified in Changing the Association section above.

Using a metadata in Course Editor

You can tag the course with metadata.Course editor provide toolbar button to open metadata selector. As long as the course is editable, you can edit the metadata for it. For hierarchical values, you don't need to select the parent level values for any child level value (system selects it implicitly). For example, in the picture below, you need not select Java, if you are adding any of its child values.

Using Metadata in Test Editor

Test editor also provides toolbar buttons to add meatdata for the test itself and/or specific questions or range of questions. For details check the Metadata section in Quiz Editor - Test Content.