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BS ISO IEC 19788 — Metadata for Learning Resources (MLR) Standard Series
Information technology — Learning, education and training — Metadata for learning resources — Part 8 & Part 9
🎓 BS ISO/IEC 19788 is the British Standards Institution (BSI) adoption of the ISO/IEC 19788 series, covering metadata for learning resources (MLR) in learning, education and training (LET). Digital learning resources are numerous and dispersed; without a unified metadata description they are hard to discover, exchange, and interoperate. The series was prepared by UK technical committee IST/43 (Information technology for learning, education and training) and carries ICS classifications 03.100.30 and 35.240.99. The series currently comprises two parts: Part 8 specifies data elements for MLR records, and Part 9 specifies data elements for persons.
💡 Metadata is the “catalog system” of the digital learning ecosystem: consistent MLR data elements let learning resources from different platforms and institutions be uniformly searched, discovered, and reused, supporting open educational resources (OER) and cross-institutional credit recognition.
1. Series Overview and Positioning 📌
The ISO/IEC 19788 series defines the data elements and specifications of learning-resource metadata so that descriptions of learning resources are interoperable. The series is the basis of companion standards such as ISO/IEC 12785 (content packaging), jointly supporting the creation, storage, and exchange of digital learning resources.
The two parts currently in the BS ISO/IEC 19788 series are shown below. Part 8 addresses the “resource record”, while Part 9 addresses “persons”; the two are complementary and together form a complete metadata description capability.
| Standard | Subject | Key Content | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| BS ISO/IEC 19788-8:2015 | Data elements for MLR records | Metadata data elements and specifications needed to describe learning-resource records | First edition 2015-11-01 |
| BS ISO/IEC 19788-9:2015 | Data elements for persons | Data elements for describing persons associated with learning resources (learners, authors, etc.) | First edition 2015-11-15 |
⚠️ A distinction must be made between “resource metadata” and “resource content”: MLR describes the attributes of a resource (title, author, subject, language, etc.), not the learning content itself. The former is used for discovery and organisation; the latter is the actual learning material.
2. Data Elements for MLR Records 🏗️
BS ISO/IEC 19788-8 specifies the set of data elements for MLR records. An MLR record describes a learning resource, and its data elements cover:
- Identification and resource attributes: resource identifier, title, type, language, format, etc.
- Educational attributes: learning objectives, audience, educational level, difficulty, etc.
- Lifecycle and rights: creation/modification time, publisher, copyright, and access rights.
- Association and classification: links to courses, subjects, and competency standards.
The Standard also gives the name, definition, constraint (mandatory/optional), and data type of each data element, so different systems can generate and parse MLR records consistently.
3. Data Elements for Persons 🔧
BS ISO/IEC 19788-9 specifies data elements for persons, used to describe persons associated with learning resources, such as learners, teachers, authors, contributors, and assessors. This part clarifies:
- Scope: the objects to which this part applies and the exclusions.
- Data element definitions: specifies person attributes such as name, identifier, role, and contact information.
- Association with resource records: how person data elements relate to MLR records.
💡 Person metadata is an important dimension of “who participates in learning”: uniformly describing authors, teachers, and learners supports resource rights management as well as cross-system linking of learning achievements, competencies, and learning records.
4. Engineering Practice and Applications 🔍
The MLR standard is widely used in digital learning platforms, resource repositories, MOOCs, and online course systems. Engineering practice points include:
- Resource ingestion: generate a metadata record for each learning resource according to the MLR data elements, ensuring searchability and reusability.
- Platform interoperability: use unified MLR descriptions when exchanging learning resources between platforms, avoiding field-mapping confusion.
- Open educational resources: combine with open licences and identifiers to improve the discoverability and dissemination of OER.
- Learning-achievement association: link person metadata with learning records and competency frameworks to support personalised learning paths.
5. Frequently Asked Questions ❓
❓ Q: What is the difference between MLR metadata and resource content?
A: MLR describes resource attributes (title, subject, language, audience) for discovery and organisation; resource content is the actual learning material itself. They are complementary but at different layers.
A: MLR describes resource attributes (title, subject, language, audience) for discovery and organisation; resource content is the actual learning material itself. They are complementary but at different layers.
❓ Q: How do Part 8 and Part 9 divide the work?
A: Part 8 defines data elements for describing learning-resource records, while Part 9 defines data elements for describing persons (learners, authors, etc.); together they form a complete learning-resource metadata model.
A: Part 8 defines data elements for describing learning-resource records, while Part 9 defines data elements for describing persons (learners, authors, etc.); together they form a complete learning-resource metadata model.
❓ Q: Why is unified learning-resource metadata needed?
A: Because learning resources are scattered across platforms; if field names and meanings differ, cross-system discovery and exchange become difficult. Unified metadata is the foundation of interoperability and open sharing.
A: Because learning resources are scattered across platforms; if field names and meanings differ, cross-system discovery and exchange become difficult. Unified metadata is the foundation of interoperability and open sharing.
🔍 Q: What should be especially noted when implementing MLR?
A: Clarify mandatory/optional constraints of data elements, handle multilingual and rights information properly, and ensure person metadata is correctly associated with resource records to avoid “orphan” records.
A: Clarify mandatory/optional constraints of data elements, handle multilingual and rights information properly, and ensure person metadata is correctly associated with resource records to avoid “orphan” records.