“Learning Object Metadata (LOM) is a data model, usually encoded in XML, used to describe a learning object and similar digital resources used to support learning. The purpose of learning object metadata is to support the reusability of learning objects, to aid discoverability, and to facilitate their interoperability, usually in the context of online learning management systems (LMS).” http://wiki.cetis.org.uk/What_is_IEEE_LOM/IMS_LRM

The LOM standard is available from the IEEE store. There are also many Application Profiles of the LOM data model. One of which is the UK LOM CORE http://www.cetis.org.uk/profiles/uklomcore/uklomcore_v0p3_1204.doc

There are a number of projects in the UKOER programme which have identified themselves as using IEEE LOM, they are:

• Unicycle
  • http://unicycle-leedsmet.ning.com/
• Open Exeter
  • http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/oer/
• BERLiN
  • http://unow.nottingham.ac.uk/berlin.html
• OpenSpires
  • http://openspires.oucs.ox.ac.uk/
• OpenStaffs
  • http://www.staffs.ac.uk/about_us/projects/openstaffs/
• Evolution
  • http://www.uclan.ac.uk/lbs/about/evolution.php
• FETLAR
  • http://www.fetlar.bham.ac.uk/
• TRUE
  • http://economicsnetwork.ac.uk/projects/oer
• OERP
  • http://www.engsc.ac.uk/an/oer-project/oer-project.asp

Some of the projects use the LOM as the software they are using to manage OERs uses it or offers it as an export option. These projects are:

• Unicycle
• BERLiN
• OpenStaffs
• EVOLUTION
• FETLAR

Some projects have created mappings to the LOM to support interoperability

• Open Exeter has mapped DC:terms to LOM
• OpenSpires has the capacity and an outlined intention to create an IEEE LOM export but as yet this has not been realised. Their output/export formats are here: http://www.steeple.org.uk/wiki/Msc/E

Others using LOM natively have created a mapping from LOM to Dublin Core to support interoperability

• Unicycle (see http://repositorynews.wordpress.com/2009/08/05/musing-about-metadata-for-oer/ )

Observations

Given the prevalent use of the LOM in VLEs and Learning Object Repositories there’s surprisingly few projects using it – this could have more to do with the technology choices which projects have made for sharing OERs than with the standard as such – although the complexity and richness of the LOM may have been a factor in some project’s choices of technology and (unlike IMS Content Packaging) I suspect choices of whether or not to use the LOM have been much more deliberate.

It is notable that some projects have considered the use of LOM with the explicit intention of better interoperability with other repositories -in particular Jorum (although JorumOpen now supports Dublin Core – this feature was still under development in the early stages of the programme).

Of course this indication of use says nothing about which LOM elements where selected for use in any project or to what extent or how the selected elements were used – that’s a different question for another time.