The purpose of establishing a common data model is to
ensure that a defined set of information can be tracked by different
learning management systems. Any information that is
likely to be a general requirment for such systems, such as student
profile information and test scores, must exist as a common element
within the data model so that such information can be exchanged
and recorded by diverse systems.
In plain English, for e-learning systems and content
to work well together, when they mean the same thing, they
must use the same names. When dealing with a student's name,
the data model element "student_name" must be used.
"Pupil_name," "learner_name" or anything else
simply won't work. Furthermore, the data must be exchanged according
to predictable rules. For example, a "student_name"
may not contain any periods. This uniformity and predictability
allows rich e-learning content to work on any compliant system.