Data Modeling and Relational Storage of XML-based Teachwar

Today, many teachware management and e-learning systems are still based on the ordinary file-system. This stands in conflict with typical requirements found in teachware applications: multiple views on and adaptivity of the course material, support of reuse, low redundancy. In this paper, we present a fragmentation-based generic approach to the loss-less storage of XML teachware documents which supports the efficient retrieval and reconstruction of teachware modules and can be adapted to the particularities of the individual application domain. The storage model is based on a general meta-modeling architecture for teachware that addresses the similarities of different domains of application while at the same time allowing to meet the specific needs of a particular domain. The teachware data model serves as a platform for the specification of fragmentation strategies suitable to the specific application domain and even the individual user profile.