In Connexions, a module is the smallest unit of educational material. From an instructional standpoint each module is just long enough to cover one topic (also see the Connexions philosophy). From an architectural standpoint, a module is a container of:

Default content file

This must be a single text file containing the content to be viewed by the module's reader. The content must be marked-up using XML with a DOCTYPE that is supported by the repository.

Associated files

These are optional assorted images, applets, movies, or sound clips that are contained in the module.

Modules also have associated properties:

Metadata

In addition to the common metadata fields, modules must also provide a doctype field, indicating the Public Identifier of the XML DOCTYPE used by the default file.

Links

Module authors may provide a list of links to information outside of the module that may be of interest to the module's reader. Each link must have:

• A target URL
• A category from a predefined list. Examples include "prerequisite" and "supplemental"
• A title (usually displayed as the link text)
• A strength number indicating the "relatedness" of the linked material and ranging from 1 (weakest) to 5 (strongest)

When a module is published, the system assigns an ID number and a version number to it (See version control).