Tag Clouds and Learning Timothy Potter Xerceo, Inc.

Example Cloud

My Story FUD: Which category does this course belong in? The training exists … did the right users know about it? ~18 months ago, I wrote my first tag framework for an enterprise LMS. Recently completed 2 nd generation tag framework …

FUD:

Which category does this course belong in?

The training exists … did the right users know about it?

~18 months ago, I wrote my first tag framework for an enterprise LMS. Recently completed 2 nd generation tag framework …

Motivation?

Typical LMS Navigation Tools

Tag Cloud to the Rescue?

Tag Cloud Properties Font size & color indicates popularity Popularity has several dimensions - Number of Tagged Objects (all time vs. timespan) - Number of clicks on a tag (hot topic) Tip: You can have your own weighting criteria!

Other ways to Sort a Tag Cloud By Popularity By Facet

By Popularity

Tag Cloud Navigation Each Tag in the Cloud is a Link

Tag Cloud Navigation Click on a tag and the cloud “pivots” around the selected tag … only tags that occur with the pivot are shown.

Tag Cloud Navigation

Benefits Can see synopsis of concepts; keywords Can see related stuff, can just browse the catalog, random walk through Don't have to think what to type into the search field Less rigid (and less work to maintain) than a hierarchy of categories

Can see synopsis of concepts; keywords

Can see related stuff, can just browse the catalog, random walk through

Don't have to think what to type into the search field

Less rigid (and less work to maintain) than a hierarchy of categories

Relevance based Sorting No benefit if clicking a tag just shows 1,000’s objects that you have to wade through … Relevance Score : Who you are and what you are doing ...

No benefit if clicking a tag just shows 1,000’s objects that you have to wade through …

Relevance Score : Who you are and what you are doing ...

Relevance based Sorting

Applications beyond Nav Recommend content based on tag subscription Find the best category in a catalog for new content – threaded discussions

Recommend content based on tag subscription

Find the best category in a catalog for new content – threaded discussions

Complements the Search Engine Improve search engine results because natural language is attached to objects

Improve search engine results because natural language is attached to objects

Common Problems

Solutions to Common Problems Solutions to common problems Solve the tag weight issue with linear scaling using logarithms Solve the synonym problem using in-house database or WordNet Solve the stems issue using Porter Stemmer Solve the mixed language issue using per language tag clouds Mis-spellings … be able replace all uses of a tag with another … also good for M&A

Solutions to common problems

Solve the tag weight issue with linear scaling using logarithms

Solve the synonym problem using in-house database or WordNet

Solve the stems issue using Porter Stemmer

Solve the mixed language issue using per language tag clouds

Mis-spellings … be able replace all uses of a tag with another … also good for M&A

Personalized tag cloud

Personalized tag cloud Interests … e.g. My Tag Subscriptions Favorites Tags I use frequently Other users like me … Your LMS should have a good idea about this!

Interests … e.g. My Tag Subscriptions

Favorites

Tags I use frequently

Other users like me … Your LMS should have a good idea about this!

Tag Data Model Display Text Language Stem Created by Created on Known synonyms (0 to many) References to objects (by who? And when?) Subscribers

Display Text

Language

Stem

Created by

Created on

Known synonyms (0 to many)

References to objects (by who? And when?)

Subscribers

How do tags get created?

Goal: End User Tagging When does a tag become useful to others? Let software do the heavy lifting …. folksonomy

When does a tag become useful to others? Let software do the heavy lifting …. folksonomy

End User Tagging in Action

Last Remarks / Advice Phased approach … roll out end user tagging slowly … start with subject matter experts Be creative … don’t just copy what you see on the Web …

Phased approach … roll out end user tagging slowly … start with subject matter experts

Be creative … don’t just copy what you see on the Web …

Questions? Hands on at our table - Xerceo Email me – [email_address]

Hands on at our table - Xerceo

Email me – [email_address]