Towards semantic metadata for learning elements

Nowadays, in the era of the meaningful Web, the actual trend is to define pieces of information using a semantic approach rather than a syntactical one. The idea is to disconnect content and its presentation, and make it possible for machines to understand data and, therefore, perform automatic tasks and services. This will not only enhance the possibilities of e-learning environments, but also bring new challenges where semantics and standardization play a main role. This is the case of learning elements; under this new approach, they must be reusable, interoperable, manageable, durable, and accessible. With the aim to accomplish this new conception, learning technology standards have being developed. Their utilization in the instructional design for e-learning environments should be considered. In this article, we point out the importance of learning technology standards explaining how we are defining learning objects and learning designs compliant with them.