Overview
ISO/IEC 19788-4:2014, part of the Metadata for Learning Resources (MLR) family, defines technical elements for describing learning resources. It specifies, in a rule-based manner, metadata elements and attributes used to form an MLR record - focusing on technical characteristics that affect use, location, size, duration, platform requirements and media technical details. The part is authored within the ISO/IEC 19788 framework and is intended to improve interoperability, discovery and reuse of digital and physical learning resources.
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO/IEC 19788-4:2014 covers data element specifications (DES) for technical metadata. Key topics include:
- Location (DES0100): literal values that identify where a learning resource is accessed (physical or electronic URIs or directions).
- Size (DES0200): volume expressed in appropriate units (e.g., bytes, MB, or counts for multi-part resources).
- Duration (DES0300): playback or run time when executed on the intended platform.
- IT platform requirement (DES0400): constraints or requirements for software/hardware environments.
- Optional technical features (DES0500) and media format information (DES0600): codec, bandwidth, resolution and other media specifics (metadata can reference more detailed media-file extracted data).
- Medium of recording / Medium format (DES0700 and related): capture medium and format descriptors.
- Resource classes and predefined rule sets: standardized resource class identifiers and rules to ensure consistent application and refinement of elements.
The standard is based on the MLR framework (ISO/IEC 19788-1) and includes compatibility notes (for example, alignment with IEEE 1484.12.1‑2002 LOM where applicable).
Applications and who uses it
ISO/IEC 19788-4 is practical for:
- LMS and content platform vendors implementing standardized metadata for interoperability.
- Digital repositories, libraries and archives that catalog learning resources with precise technical descriptors.
- Instructional designers and content creators who need to declare platform and format constraints (e.g., mobile/tablet compatibility).
- Metadata specialists and integrators building harvestable, searchable metadata records and federated search indexes.
- Organizations migrating from LOM to MLR or aligning multiple metadata schemas for discovery, access and reuse.
Primary uses include improving search/discovery, enabling automated filtering by platform or bandwidth, facilitating content delivery decisions, and supporting resource evaluation and reuse.
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 19788-1:2011 (MLR Framework)
- Other parts of ISO/IEC 19788 (Parts 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, etc.)
- IEEE 1484.12.1‑2002 Learning Object Metadata (LOM)
- Dublin Core (for crosswalks and basic metadata interoperability)
Keywords: ISO/IEC 19788-4:2014, metadata for learning resources, MLR technical elements, learning resource metadata, DES0100, interoperability, learning object metadata.