Classification and Subject Analysis: Looking to the Future at a Distance

Abstract

SUMMARY Classic classification schemes are uni-dimensional, with few exceptions. One of the challenges of distance education and new learning strategies is that the proliferation of course work defies the traditional categorization. The rigidity of most present classification schemes does not mesh well with the burgeoning fluidity of the academic environment. One solution is a return to a largely forgotten area of study—classification theory. Some suggestions for exploration are nonmonotonic logic systems, neural network models, and non-library models.