ISO/IEC 19788-2:2011

Overview

ISO/IEC 19788-2:2011 - part of the Metadata for Learning Resources (MLR) family - defines a base-level set of metadata data element specifications derived from the Dublin Core (ISO 15836:2009) element set and expressed within the ISO/IEC 19788 framework. Its purpose is to enable consistent, standards-based description of learning resources to improve discovery, exchange and automated processing across learning repositories, LMSs and digital libraries.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Dublin Core elements cast into MLR: Title, Creator, Subject, Description, Publisher, Contributor, Date, Type, Format, Identifier, Source, Language, Relation, Coverage and Rights are specified as Data Element Specifications (DES0100…DES1500).
• Framework compliance: Data elements use the structural model and attribute rules defined in ISO/IEC 19788‑1:2011 (framework), including domains (Resource / Learning Resource) and ranges (e.g., MLR String).
• Content value rules and predefined rule sets: Elements reference rule sets such as PRS0001 (MLR String) and PRS0002 (Date) to standardize representation and encoding of values.
• Resource classes and vocabularies: Defines the resource classes (“Resource”, “Learning Resource”) and normative vocabularies to promote consistency and controlled terminology.
• Interoperability focus: Intended to permit existing Dublin Core records to be expressed as MLR records so they can be combined with other ISO/IEC 19788 data elements or domain-specific extensions.

Practical applications

• Improve metadata interoperability across learning repositories and institutional collections by mapping Dublin Core records into the MLR framework.
• Enhance search, discovery and automated filtering of learning objects in LMSs, digital libraries and educational content marketplaces.
• Provide a baseline for building application profiles (see ISO/IEC 19788‑3) tailored to specific communities (education level, technical constraints, rights management).
• Support metadata architects, catalogers and developers in harmonizing metadata for content migration, aggregation and APIs.

Who would use this standard

• Metadata specialists, librarians and catalogers managing educational content
• LMS and repository vendors implementing metadata export/import and search
• Instructional designers and content publishers seeking consistent resource description
• Standards implementers creating application profiles or interoperability layers

Related standards

• ISO/IEC 19788-1:2011 - MLR framework
• ISO/IEC 19788-3 - Basic application profile (recommended approach)
• ISO 15836:2009 - Dublin Core metadata element set
• ISO 8601 (dates), ISO 639-2 (language codes), ISO/IEC 10646 (character set)
• IEEE 1484.12.1-2002 (Lom mapping and refinements)

Keywords: ISO/IEC 19788-2, metadata for learning resources, Dublin Core elements, MLR, learning resource metadata, metadata interoperability, data element specification.