Towards Integration of Learning Objects Metadata and Learner Profiles Design: Lessons Learnt from GESTALT

Within the context of learning technology environments, there is much effort on one hand, at de®ning metadata for educational content, and on the other, at specifying learner user pro®les. However, less attention has been paid to the understanding of the relationship between these two areas of research, in terms of semantic and structural correlations. Based on an implementation of learning object metadata and learner pro®les in a learning technology system undertaken in the Getting Education Systems Talking Across Leading Edge Technologies (GESTALT) project, this paper argues that the de®nition of a metadata schema and a User Pro®le should be a joint effort due to the complementary nature of these two descriptions in regard to the critical functions of the educational process.