E-portfolio and semantic web to support informal learning in social network environment

The informal learning opportunities created by the Web 2.0 applications and theincreasingly use of social networks, allow users to interact and collaborate in newways. Students use new learning environments which are structurally different fromtraditional e-learning environments, in which the boundaries between the learningcontexts and social spheres disappear. In these informal unstructured learningcontexts, the definition of the students' competences plays a central role. The use of software environment to model learner profiles using semantic technologies appearsmore and more important. In this paper we propose to extend the FOAF ontology,used to describe people and their personal relationship, with an ontology related tostudent portfolio used to model competencies. In particular, we integrate FOAF withthe IMS Learning Portfolio model in order to support the creation of new Web 2.0learning environment based on social networks and competencies. This type of environment is useful to manage the evolution of student educational experiences inthe informal learning activities carried on in social network.