Applying and Extending Semantic Wikis for
Semantic Web Courses
Linked Learning 2011, 29 May 2011
Lloyd Rutledge, Open Universiteit
• Independent students• Education as distance collaboration• Flexible schedules
• Many conforming Semantic Web functions
• Well-known oft-used tool• Specializes in editing ontologies
• Online, sharable, universal• Specializes in data retrieval• XSLT can tailor data report
presentation
• Online, sharable, universal• Specializes in distance collaboration• Well-supported, has extension
framework
• MediaWiki extension• Well-supported, active
development• Semantic Web: -ish, -partial
Annotation syntax Data queries and formatted reports RDF export
• Semantic MediaWiki extension• Infobox-like templates for data
browsing• Forms for data entry• Primitives for building ontology-based
interface
Semantic MediaWiki for Distance Learning
• Student and teacher share environment– From anywhere, anytime– Student can build– Teach can track and query
• Student can build full data system– Ontologies, data, tailored interface– Does everything, but nothing well– Little internal Semantic Web support
Forms of education use of Semantic MediaWiki
• Student projects– Done for Bachelors and Masters– Semantic wiki is foundation for system
building• Courseware
– Course information– Student assignments and projects
Semantic MediaWiki for the Semantic Web
• Really?– Started as a research baby step toward– Has become short-term industry driven– Many near equivalents and “not quites”
• Components– Own data annotation syntax– Own query language
• Although several extensions offer SPARQL
– Many query result presentations formats– RDF export with Linked Data links
• Little internal Semantic Web support
OWL Wiki Forms
• Editing Semantic Web ontologies– Forms and infoboxes for ontologies– Classes and properties in RDF, RDFS and OWL– Also in RDF export
• Semantic MediaWiki annotations in infobox code– rdf:datatype -> [[Has type::]]– owl:inverseOf -> SMW’s invert-property template
• Inferencing in infobox displays– rdfs:domain -> property in template and form– owl:symmetricProperty -> in infobox both ends of triple
• Inferencing in Forms input– rdfs:range -> Semantic Forms autocompletion parameters
Conclusion
• MediaWiki for teacher access– The more on the wiki the better
• The Semantic Web in the wiki• Remains an “extra” tool for students• Future work
– More SPARQL usage: internal & external– Fresnel integration– Additional semantic browsing features– Continued integration with new extensions
