Domain Ontology Based Support to Navigation in Distance Study Course Structure

We explore the possibility to improve typical Learning management system (LMS) by integrating modern achievements in the fields of semantic web, and especially, ontology engineering. Ontologies gain its popularity due to ability 1) to implement reuse on knowledge level; and 2) to enhance information retrieval processes. Automatically conducted information retrieval allows to increase effectiveness of human-computer interaction processes, which is also important in e-Learning processes. In this article, we analyse the possibilities and types of reasoning over different ontology elements. Then we explore a theoretically proposed framework for conceptual linking of educational resources, which is intended to support learners' navigation in Distance Study Course (DSC). We demonstrate the application of the proposed framework by the means of a designed scenario with real domain ontology and concrete pedagogical goals in mind: to automatically form a dynamical navigational menu in order to foster predictable learning paths.