Metadata is defined as ‘information about information’. From a practical perspective it is used to facilitate the understanding, characteristics, and management usage of data. Metadata required for effective management of its referenced data varies with the type of data and context of use. For example, in a library, where the data can be considered as the content of the titles stocked, metadata about a title would typically include a description of the content, the author, the publication date and the physical location.
In the context of eLearning, metadata is especially useful as it has the potential to protect content – aka eLearning assets from a perspective of copyright.
Dapper offers a way of turning any Web Site into a special kind of Web Service - a Data Service. The difference between a general Web Service and a Data Service is that the latter offers passive, read-only access to information.