The IEEE-LOM standard (HODGINGS et al., 2002) is recognized worldwide for facilitating the creation and search of learning objects (LOs). This standard defines nine categories for the description of LOs in the XML language. These categories are presented in Table 1. Each category is composed of a set of fields relevant to the identification of a given LO. The values assumed by each of these fields are used in the retrieval / search of the desired resource.
Table 1: Categories of the IEEE-LOM standard
Category | Description |
| Adds general information describing a LO, such as identifier, title, and keywords. |
| Describes the history of a LO from its inception to its current state using attributes such as version and contribution, which refers to the people or organizations that contributed to the creation, edition or publication of a LO. |
| Gathers metadata attributes, such as contribution, creation date, and the language in which they are described. |
| Includes the technical characteristics of a LO, such as format, size, duration and installation notes. |
| Describes the pedagogical characteristics of a LO, such as interactivity type, learning resource type, semantic density, typical age range, difficulty and typical learning time. |
| Adds the intellectual property rights and conditions of use for a LO. |
| Defines the relationship between a LO and other LOs, such as is part of, is based on, and is required by. |
| Provides feedback from people who have already used a given LO. |
| Classifies a LO within a taxonomy. |