IMoD: Semantic web-based instructional module development system

To ensure that future generations of engineering, science, and other technological practitioners are equipped with the required knowledge and skills to continue to innovate solutions to solve societal challenges, effective courses or instructional modules that incorporate best pedagogical and assessment practices must be designed and delivered. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educators typically come from STEM backgrounds and have little or no formal STEM education training. An information technology (IT) tool that can guide STEM educators through the complex task of course design and development, ensure tight alignment between various components of an instructional module, and provide relevant information about research-based pedagogical and assessment strategies will be of great value. This paper presents a framework and prototype implementation of a semantic web-based software system called the Instructional Module Development (IMoD) system that guides instructors, step-by-step, through an outcome-based education process as they define learning objectives, select content to be covered, and define the learning environment and context for their course(s). The IMoD software system uses Semantic Web technologies to provide intelligent interactions with users; dictate a course design process in conformance with the underlying framework and provides feedback to the user on their course design.