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Module Taxonomy

You find the module in the system administration under:
Administration > Modules > Taxonomy

What is a taxonomy?

In OpenOlat, a taxonomy is a hierarchical indexing, often with a competence approach. Taxonomy can be activated and used in several OpenOlat areas:

Overview page of the taxonomies with activation status per area, menu item Taxonomy under Administration > Modules

Directly on the overview page a new taxonomy structure can be created.

Several taxonomy structures can be created and activated for different purposes. The overview shows per taxonomy for which areas it is activated: Question bank, Document pool, ePortfolio, Learning resources / Catalog, Course Planner and Media Center.

Thus on one hand taxonomy structures can for example be built in the form of subject, sphere of activity or competence structures. On the other hand competences can be added to users which allows them access to the taxonomy.

Example of an elaborated taxonomy structure, according to subjects for the document pool:

Example taxonomy structure HFM with the subjects MINT, Sport and Sprachen (languages), Taxonomy tab

Metadata

When creating the metadata identifier, name and if desired a description can be inserted. These data can be edited in the tab "Metadata" afterward. Additionally an ID is created automatically and if an external management system has created the taxonomy, an external ID is created as well. Metadata tab of a taxonomy with the fields ID, External ID, identifier, name and description

Level types

Level types are used to give a significance to the taxonomy structure. The can for example be created for competence → sphere of activity → subject and sub types can be created underneath each other. Therefore it is not necessary that a level type is alway at the same place or on the same level of the taxonomy structure.

To the level types certain configurations can be added.

In the tab "Level types" a new type can be created with "Add new level type".

Identifier

Often an abbreviation of the corresponding level is added here. The identifier is shown in the table in the tab "Taxonomy" in the column "Level type". It is thus recommended to choose a unique and logic identifier.

Display name

This name is shown under Modules → document pool in the tab "Access permissions" in a written form and can therefore be longer than the identifier.

CSS class

If a corresponding css class is added in the theme it can be chosen here. Only icons can be added.

Visible

Here can be defined if the taxonomy level of this type should be visible.

Competences

If activated, this level type is available as a competence and can be used e.g. for competence-based keywording in ePortfolio entries.

Evidence of achievement

Taxonomy levels with this level type can be activated here for the grouping of certificates of achievement.

Description

If desired a short description of the level type can be added.

Sub types

Out of the already existing level types a sub type can be chosen. Like this it becomes possible to create a hierarchical structure. It will get visible when creating the taxonomy level.

Level types tab with the list of level types and button "Add new level type"

Create taxonomy

In this tab the single taxonomy levels are created, imported, exported and shown.

When creating the following attributes are necessary:

Path

With the path the position of the taxonomy level can be defined directly.

Identifier

With the identifier an abbreviation of the level can be defined.

Type

In the type the beforehand created level type can be chosen.

Order

Currently Beta Feature. Hereby a manual order is possible by adding a number from 1-XX. The taxonomy-tiers will get ordered ascending by the numbers ( 1,2,3,4, / 01,02,03,04,..)

Teaser image

The image is uploaded as a file. Best results with size 240x100px, maximum 2 MB.

Background image

The image is uploaded as a file. Best results with size 1324x240px, maximum 5 MB.

Display name

The display name depends on the language and is used in different places: Catalog 2.0, Document Pool, e-Portfolio.

Description

If desired a short description of the taxonomy level can be added. Displayed in the catalog below the level.

Dialog "Create new taxonomy level" with the fields Path, Identifier, Display name, Type, Order and Description

In the overview a hierarchical structure is now visible.

Expanded treetable of the taxonomy ABC with the columns Level, Level ID, Level ext. ref., Level type and Number, Taxonomy tab

Competences

In the detail view competences can be added afterwards. Like this users get "access rights" for the single taxonomy levels.

4 different competences are distinguished. Following they are outlined shortly:

  • Teach: A user with teach competence is qualified in this competence. Mostly this means he has a certain expert knowledge which he can hand over. Therefore learners will never have teach competences as the teach competence cannot be gained in OpenOlat. The teach competence is either added to a user manually or by an external management system. This competence manages the access to the document pool as well as to the question bank.
  • Manage: User can have a managing function for a certain area of the taxonomy. Therefore the must not have teach competence at the same time. This competence is mainly used in the question bank.
  • Have: This competence is not yet used in OpenOlat. In the future this competence can be gained by a learner through learning activities in OpenOlat (e.g. test). This competence has an expiry date.
  • Target: A learner has a target he wants to reach. It is the target to gain this competence.

Note on Target

This competence is not yet used in OpenOlat.

Export taxonomy

The taxonomy is downloaded as a .zip archive by clicking on the menu item (see image). This contains an EXCEL table with the hierarchical structure of the taxonomy level and a folder structure (media/level1/background;media/level1/teaser;) with teaser and background images of the taxonomy, if any are available. (more under -> Catalog 2.0) Export taxonomy menu item

Import taxonomy

Insert data

Step "Insert data" of the import wizard with the column names of the taxonomy structure (A) and the upload of the background/teaser images (B)

Here we have the choice between different options: We can import only the structure (A), add images to an existing structure (B) or import a structure including images (A+B).

Review changes

Step "Review changes" with a warning icon per row when the taxonomy level already exists and can be updated

After the import, the taxonomy and the added images are reviewed again in the second step. An icon indicates whether the taxonomy level already exists and should be completed and overwritten with the files and uploaded information.

Select update mode

Step "Select update mode" with checkbox "Update taxonomies" and the number of affected taxonomy levels

Here you can decide whether you want to overwrite the existing taxonomy levels or just add new taxonomy levels. If you want to add media, you must overwrite the changes here.

Import/add taxonomy structure only

  1. First download the current taxonomy. If you don't have one yet, use the template.

Excel template of the taxonomy structure with the columns Path, Identifier, Type, Order as well as Language, Display name and Description per language

  1. Inside the excel sheet you add new taxonomy levels or change existing ones. The path that indicates the hierarchical structure is important. If this is incorrect, certain layers cannot be imported. If you have activated different languages in OpenOlat and use the Catalog 2.0, it is advisable to make the display name and description language-dependent. Additional languages can be added by copying the columns "Language", "Display name" & "Description" and adding a new, existing language, display name + description for each taxonomy level.

  2. The modified table is now selected without the header and copied into the input field. When proceeding to the next wizard step, the cells are checked for correctness. In case of errors, error messages appear directly at the input field.

Import/add background/teaser image only

Folder structure of the unpacked taxonomy export with the subfolders "background" and "teaser" per taxonomy level

  1. If you want to add background images to an existing taxonomy, you should first export the taxonomy.
  2. Unzip the archive and place the images in the "media" folder.
  3. zip the entire archive again and insert it under paragraph B in the wizard.

Alternatively, it is also possible to download the existing templates under the respective links and adapt them accordingly.

Automatic assignment by AI

The AI assigns a detected topic to a taxonomy level on its own. It compares the meaning, not the exact wording. An English text therefore also finds a level with a German name, a synonym finds the intended level, and a related term finds the one that is closest in content.

The assignment takes effect when you upload an image in the Media Center and when you import Markdown files into the Content Editor. The result appears in the field "Subjects" of the metadata and can be changed there.

OpenOlat only searches the taxonomies that are activated for the Media Center. The overview under Administration > Modules > Taxonomy shows per taxonomy for which areas it is activated.

Requirements

The assignment via embedding model needs three settings in the AI module, see External tools: AI module:

  • The AI feature "Taxonomy Matching (Embeddings)" is activated.
  • An AI provider is selected that can create embeddings.
  • An embedding model is selected.

If one of these settings is missing, OpenOlat only assigns a level when the detected topic is identical to the display name or to the identifier of the level. Upper and lower case does not matter.

What the maintenance of the taxonomy achieves

OpenOlat compares the detected topic with three entries per taxonomy level, in German and in English:

  • the display name,
  • the display name together with the parent levels,
  • the display name, the parent levels and the description together.

The third entry is dropped when the level has no description. The display name and the description therefore determine what the AI compares. A level with a meaningful name and a description is found more reliably than a level that only carries an abbreviation. Maintain both entries in the second language as well.

Interplay of AI and subject areas

Which subject area a media item receives depends on the trigger:

Trigger What OpenOlat assigns What is needed for it
Button "Generate metadata with AI" when uploading an image the best matching level, exactly one The AI feature "Image Description Generator" creates the topic.
Import of a Markdown file into the Content Editor all matching levels, up to three per taxonomy The same AI feature. The assignment runs in the background after saving.
Enter metadata manually nothing You select the level yourself in the field "Subjects".

The AI therefore creates the topic, and the taxonomy matching looks for the level. Without the AI feature "Image Description Generator" no topic is created, and the taxonomy matching has nothing to compare. The assigned level is a suggestion and can be changed in the metadata at any time.

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Lost+Found

Last tab in the overview

All deleted elements of the tab "Taxonomy" end up here.

Note

Deleted objects cannot currently be restored.

Further information

Mentioned on this page
Document pool >
Question bank >
ePortfolio >
Catalog >
Catalog 2.0 >
Media Center: information and settings for individual media >
Content Editor >
External tools: AI module >

Further reading
Media Center >
Course Planner >

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