Execution Environment Learner Activities LMS LRS SCORM SCORM Learning Object Learning Object Learning Object Server Client

More and more users obtain new knowledge using e-learning systems, and often assess their understanding of this new knowledge using corresponding assessment items. However, the distribution of content items and assessment items in a learning object is tightly bound. To publish assessment items, independently of the corresponding content items, it is required to wrap these assessment items into separate learning objects, which introduces a large overhead. Moreover, current learning objects are closely coupled with their execution environment. A stand-alone and lightweight format to describe assessment items is needed. This way their publication is facilitated and their discoverability can be increased. This paper proposes some important features for such a format and introduces SERIF: a Semantic ExeRcise Interchange Format, whose underlying data model is based on the QTI data model, and that can be distributed into di erent RDF serializations. SERIF was applied successfully in three proof-of-concept applications, where we assessed how SERIF is decoupled from the execution environment and extendable to other content and interaction types. In future work, we will exploit its de ned semantics for automatic discovery and combination of assessment items.