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Computer Science (COMP) 492

The Semantic Web (Revision 2)

COMP 492 Course Web site

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Delivery Mode:Individualized study online.

Credits:3

Area of Study:Science

Prerequisite:COMP 272, or COMP 308, or COMP 466, or permission of the course professor.

Note: Students who are concerned about not meeting the prerequisites for this course are encouraged to contact the course coordinator before registering.

Students in this course are required to contact their tutor using email or the course (Moodle) forums. Please see the Tutor and Coordinator Support page for more information.

Centre:School of Computing and Information Systems

SCIS Orientation

COMP 492 is not available for challenge.

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Overview

Computer Science 492 introduces the core concepts of the Semantic Web that promises to dramatically improve the current World Wide Web (WWW) and its use. The Semantic Web technology aims at removing main obstacles which prevent Web users from better support because the meaning of Web content is not machine-accessible. The key idea of the Semantic Web is the use of machine-processable Web information. Its key technologies include explicit metadata, ontologies, logic and inferencing, and intelligent agents. The Semantic Web will gradually evolve out of the existing Web. Huge potential and advantages of the Semantic Web technology have driven heavy investment from industry and governments.

COMP 492 is an introductory course about the Semantic Web for senior undergraduate students in computer science major. Facing fast developing in the area, this course focuses on fundamental aspects that can be expected to remain relative some time into the future. The course assumes that students are familiar with Java programming, data structure programming, or website programming. The course emphasizes on learning by doing through available software tools and development environment. This course can be used as an elective course for the students in B.Sc. (Computer Information Systems), BA (Information Systems) and B.Sc. (Computer Information Systems-Post Diploma).

Objectives

This course is designed to:

  • explain the features, rationale, and advantages of Semantic Web technology.
  • describe the XML (Extensible Markup Language) language structure and XML document model.
  • explain how to validate XML documents using DTDs (Document Type Definitions) and XML Schema.
  • explain the concepts of graph-based RDF model, XML syntax-based RDF model, and RDF Schema.
  • use Java APIs to parse XML document and manipulate XML data.
  • analyze the requirements and features of web ontology language (OWL).
  • define properties and property restrictions, and Boolean combinations of the OWL classes.
  • build and analyze ontologies using an ontology editor.
  • use Java API to manipulate RDF data model and ontology
  • describe the syntax and semantics of Horn logic and nonmonotonic rules in XML-like languages.
  • describe rule-based reasoner to implement both RDFS and OWL reasoners
  • analyze application cases in data integration, data exchange, knowledge management, e-learning, and web services
  • discuss the methodologies in ontology engineering and research issues in Semantic Web technology.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

  • understand the concept structure of the semantic web technology and how this technology revolutionizes the World Wide Web and its uses.
  • understand the concepts of metadata, semantics of knowledge and resource, ontology, and their descriptions in XML-based syntax and web ontology language (OWL).
  • describe logic semantics and inference with OWL.
  • use ontology engineering approaches in semantic applications
  • program semantic applications with Java API.

Outline

Unit 1: Introduction to the Semantic Web

Unit 2: Structured Web Documents and Resource Description Framework

Unit 3: Programming with RDF/XML

Unit 4: Web Ontology Language: OWL

Unit 5: Logic Reasoning for the Semantic Web

Unit 6: Programming with Ontology

Unit 7: Semantic Web Applications

Evaluation

To receive credit for COMP 492, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least “D” (50 percent), with an average grade of at least 50 percent on all assignments and a grade of at least 50 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

TME 1 TME 2 TME 3 TME 4 Final Exam Total
10% 15% 15% 15% 45% 100%

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.

Course Materials

Textbook

Grigoris Antoniou and Frank van Harmelen, A Semantic Web Primer, 2nd Edition, 2008 The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, ISBN: 978-0-262-01242-3 (hardcover: alk. paper)

Other materials

The remainder of the learning materials in COMP 492 is distributed in electronic format. At this time, those materials include:

  • Study guide in electronic format
  • Online tutor marked assignments
  • Downloadable software tool packages
  • Supplementary reading materials in electronic format may be available upon student's request and tutor's teaching strategy

Special Course Features

COMP 492 is offered by computer mediated communications (CMC) mode, and can be completed at the student's workplace or home. It is a core course in the BA Information Systems and the BSc Computer Information Systems. This course is recommended for the students in senior-level Computer Science program or other relevant programs.

Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.

Opened in Revision 2, May 17, 2011

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Last updated by SAS  04/30/2012 10:20:59