Metadata Design of a Content Management System for Music Virtual Learning Environment

Abstract

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) uncovers a new learning space for students to start their learning in multidisciplinary subjects and provides an enormous storage for different types of learning materials. This brings not only the ease and flexibility to our learning, but also the challenges in organizing, managing, and controlling of information which is indispensable to the design of an effective online learning system. In particular, Music Information Retrieval (MIR) is an interdisciplinary science on the process of retrieving information from music related resources. Due to the unique application characteristics and various forms of music, appropriate design and application of metadata plays an important role for the MIR in such a Content Management System (CMS) as it would affect the comprehensiveness and effectiveness of the music information retrieval process. In this paper, the authors propose their ontology-based metadata scheme to address such requirements of a music VLE, based on the Dublin Core with modifications according to specific nature of the music learning materials. The metadata design of music resources aims to support students' daily music learning by providing instant and appropriate learning materials which enables cross-collection searching and enhances the sustainability of the contents over time.