Query expansion based on domain ontology for Learning Objects search

This paper presents some research results which assesses the problem of query expansion in search activities. We propose the use of domain ontologies, linguistic processing and validation based on a general dictionary. The work is focused on Learning Object´s search in specialized repositories. It includes a review of query expansion methods that can be used in e-learning and a description of a prototype that implement this approach. The results obtained so far allow us to state that the terms added to the query as result of the expansion process provide more specificity in the retrieved elements. Future research aims to demonstrate that with new terms, it is possible to improve relevance in retrieved Learning Objects.