Linking Between Versions

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Linking Between Versions
One of the powers of the Web is the ability to interlink content between sites to facilitate discovery. In addition, many OERs have licenses/terms of use that permit users to create derivative works by modifying the content. As users (or organizations) translate content and create derivative works it becomes much more interesting to be able to link between the various versions, perhaps to find a version that better fits the user's needs (such as in the right language, or to fit a particular teaching/learning style). Incorporating the "why" of multiple versions, including users comments, recommendations for suitable use, reasons for modifications, and history of adaptations, allows for a rich knowledge base over time.

Examples:
 * MIT OCW links to content from translation partners, see the "*Translations" in the right hand navigation on this Sample Course
 * Benjamin Mako Hill, and Debian Hacker has recently developed a prototype for history sensitive branching and synchronizing of mediawiki content. Drawing on the experience of branching and synchronizing of code in the open source arena, this technology shows considerable potential.
 * Connexions provides online tools for authors to version materials and for anyone to create derivative works. All versions and derivatives are preserved and linked to each other. All versions can be viewed starting with any one version. Derivatives can be traced from an author's works, and originals can be traced from derivatives.
 * OER Commons attaches user-created metadata about reuse to the OER item as well as author-supplied metadata to track relationships to parent materials, language translation, etc.

Challenges:
 * Display of linked content (readily viewable, bi-directional, easily discoverable), discovery of derivative works (e.g., translations or customizations/adaptations)
 * Dependence on human tracking/data entry re: parent materials and derivatives
 * Maintenance could be a significant issue to keep links up to date and also a user deterrent if dead links become prevalent
 * One of the challenges OpenLearn is facing is in the granularity of reversioning - an entire course, or a single section/page/image.

Enablers:
 * Metadata entries (DC.relation), service to identify derivative works, TrackBacks
 * OER Commons metadata schema, Parent Materials-related fields.