Loading schema
Last updated
Last updated
A UDP loading schema specifies the contents of a context dataset that can be accepted by the UDP.
A UDP loading schema is derived from the and composed of UCDM entities and elements.
Consequently, a loading schema specification is in majority composed of a set of entities and their elements that are relevant to describing the context data from any particular Learning tool. These entities and elements become the basis for a dataset (presented as CSV files and pushed into a Google CloudSQL bucket) that the UDP validates and then imports.
To produce a context dataset, you must identify data points in your own system (e.g., an SIS) that align with the meaning of entities and elements in the relevant loading schema. Care must be taken to ensure the greatest semantic alignment possible.
If an element's values are enumerated by an option set, then the values provided by the learning tool for that element must be from the option set.
As long as your context data correctly aligns with the UCDM ontology and its data definitions, context data will be imported into the UDP. This enables you to start with a foundational context data footprint that can iteratively expand over time. Iterations do not require approval from Unizin – as long as your UDP loading schema is derived from the UCDM, context data that conforms with the UDP loading schema will be imported.
The contents of a UDP Loading schema reference the 's dictionary of entities and elements. In the end, a loading schema is composed of a set of particular entities and, for each entity, a set of elements that belong to that entity.
The values for every Loading schema element must conform data type. A UDP loading schema will, for every element in it, specify the data type of the element value. Data types are enforced by the UDP during the import process. Therefore, it is important to ensure that your data conforms with the required data types.
Broadly speaking, there exist two classes of data types in the UCDM.
The first is a conventional set of data types that is typical of technical systems, such as dates, numbers, strings, and booleans.
The second is an enumerated set of values, called an Option set. For example, the data type definition for the Educational level element of the is an option set called . The Degree educational level option set defines a finite set of valid values for the educational level of an academic degree that can be earned by a student.
The UCDM is both a data dictionary and a relational model.
As a relational model, the UCDM requires learning tools to provide relational data to the UDP. Consequently, all UCDM entities in a loading schema will contain either primary keys and/or foreign keys, depending on the definition of the Entity. Furthermore, particular elements of a UDP Loading schema will refer to foreign keys that express relationships between entities.
For example, all enterprise systems or Learning tools that have a concept of a Course section have a corresponding concept of a Course offering, which is the parent of a Course section. Accordingly, Course section records from a Learning tool will natively have foreign keys to the Course offering parent for each Course section record. To accept these foreign keys, the Course section entity in a loading schema will contain a Course offering ID element. That element refers to the foreign key to the Course offering entity.
UDP Loading schemas exist today for a variety of learning tools (e.g., eReaders) and key enterprise systems, such as the Student Information System and Learning Management Systems. If a UDP loading schema does not exist for your type of learning tool, then a new UDP loading schema must be defined. We strongly encourage you to work with Unizin to define a UDP loading schema for your tool, especially if your tool requires extensions to the Unizin Common Data Model (which Unizin maintains).
Identify or create a UDP loading schema of context data that is relevant to your LTI application. Once identified or created, the UDP loading schema serves as the specification for data that the LTI application pushes into a UDP instance. If a relevant UDP loading schema does not exist for your learning tool, then Unizin will work with you to create a new UDP loading schema with you.