Design and Development of an E-Learning Management System

The trend of e-learning technologies is expanding fast. Web-based learning environments are becoming very common in the higher education institutions. Nowadays e-learning management systems are very popular. Many universities throughout the world deliver educational programs via the Internet. Developments of e-learning systems are generating great impact in the field of education services to improve the teaching and learning process, and overcome geographical displace. In recent years, various kinds of Internet technologies have become available for developers to implement such e-learning system that provide an e-learning gateway on the Internet. The rapid advancements in information and communication technologies, especially the networking and multimedia, have led to the development of many advanced e-learning systems these days. A user-friendly interface and a sophisticated data model are the essential design consideration to make the e-learning system easy-to-use for the instructors and learners. The need for such architecture is critical for designing the system and standards development. The system is developed under Computer Supported Cooperative Work framework and web portal technology. The system integrates all the critical and valuable communication tools that effectively improve the collaboration in an e-learning environment

Teaching Construction in the Virtual University: the WINDS project

This paper introduces some of the Information Technology solutions adopted in Web based INtelligent Design Support (WINDS) to support education in A/E/C design. The WINDS project WINDS is an EC-funded project in the 5th Framework, Information Society Technologies programme, Flexible University key action. WINDS is divided into two actions: ·The research technology action is going to implement a learning environment integrating an intelligent tutoring system, a computer instruction management system and a set of co-operative supporting tools. ·The development action is going to build a large knowledge base supporting Architecture and Civil Engineering Design Courses and to experiment a comprehensive Virtual School of Architecture and Engineering Design. During the third year of the project, more than 400 students all over Europe will attend the Virtual School. During the next three years the WINDS project will span a total effort of about 150 man-years from 28 partners of 10 European countries. The missions of the WINDS project are: Advanced Methodologies in Design Education. WINDS drives a breakdown with conventional models in design education, i.e. classroom or distance education. WINDS implements a problem oriented knowledge transfer methodology following Roger Schank's Goal Based Scenario (GBS) pedagogical methodology. GBS encourages the learning of both skills and cases, and fosters creative problem solving. Multidisciplinary Design Education. Design requires creative synthesis and open-end problem definition at the intersection of several disciplines. WINDS experiments a valuable integration of multidisciplinary design knowledge and expertise to produce a high level standard of education. Innovative Representation, Delivery and Access to Construction Education. WINDS delivers individual education customisation by allowing the learner access through the Internet to a wide range of on-line courses and structured learning objects by means of personally tailored learning strategies. WINDS promotes the 3W paradigm: learn What you need, Where you want, When you require. Construction Practice. Construction industry is a repository of ""best practices"" and knowledge that the WINDS will profit. WINDS system benefits the ISO10303 and IFC standards to acquire knowledge of the construction process directly in digital format. On the other hand, WINDS reengineers the knowledge in up-to-date courses, educational services, which the industries can use to provide just-in-time rather than in-advance learning. WINDS IT Solutions The missions of the WINDS project state many challenging requirements both in knowledge and system architecture. Many of the solutions adopted in these fields are innovative; others are evolution of existing technologies. This paper focuses on the integration of this set of state-of-the-art technologies in an advanced and functionally sound Computer Aided Instruction system for A/E/C Design. In particular the paper deals with the following aspects: Standard Learning Technology Architecture The WINDS system relies on the in progress IEEE 1484.1 Learning Technology Standard Architecture. According to this standard the system consists of two data stores, the Knowledge Library and the Record Database, and four process: System Coach, Delivery, Evaluation and the Learner. WINDS implements the Knowledge Library into a three-tier architecture: 1.Learning Objects: ·Learning Units are collections of text and multimedia data. ·Models are represented in either IFC or STEP formats. ·Cases are sets of Learning Units and Models. Cases are noteworthy stories, which describes solutions, integrate technical detail, contain relevant design failures etc. 2.Indexes refer to the process in which the identification of relevant topics in design cases and learning units takes place. Indexing process creates structures of Learning Objects for course management, profile planning procedures and reasoning processes. 3.Courses are taxonomies of either Learning Units or a design task and Course Units. Knowledge Representation WINDS demonstrates that it is possible and valuable to integrate a widespread design expertise so that it can be effectively used to produce a high level standard of education. To this aim WINDS gathers area knowledge, design skills and expertise under the umbrellas of common knowledge representation structures and unambiguous semantics. Cases are one of the most valuable means for the representation of design expertise. A Case is a set of Learning Units and Product Models. Cases are noteworthy stories, which describe solutions, integrate technical details, contain relevant design failures, etc. Knowledge Integration Indexes are a medium among different kind of knowledge: they implement networks for navigation and access to disparate documents: HTML, video, images, CAD and product models (STEP or IFC). Concept indexes link learning topics to learning objects and group them into competencies. Index relationships are the base of the WINDS reasoning processes, and provide the foundation for system coaching functions, which proactively suggest strategies, solutions, examples and avoids students' design deadlock. Knowledge Distribution To support the data stores and the process among the partners in 10 countries efficiently, WINDS implements an object oriented client/server as COM objects. Behind the DCOM components there is the Dynamic Kernel, which dynamically embodies and maintains data stores and process. Components of the Knowledge Library can reside on several servers across the Internet. This provides for distributed transactions, e.g. a change in one Learning Object affects the Knowledge Library spread across several servers in different countries. Learning objects implemented as COM objects can wrap ownership data. Clear and univocal definition of ownerships rights enables Universities, in collaboration with telecommunication and publisher companies, to act as "education brokers". Brokerage in education and training is an innovative paradigm to provide just-in-time and personally customised value added learning knowledg

Electronic Publishing in academic contexts: quality control and usage scenarios

Ziel der Arbeit ist die Entwicklung eines qualitätsorientierten Beschreibungsmodells für Nutzungsszenarien in E-Publishing und E-Learning. Wichtige Trends wie die Transparenz und Offenheit von Formaten, Strukturen und Prozessen werden einbezogen (Open...-Bewegung), ebenso die Frage nach kollaborativen Ansätzen in der Wissenschafts- und Bildungskommunikation (Web 2.0 und Community-basierte Ansätze). Zentral ist dabei neben der qualitätsorientierten Herangehensweise vor allem die Erarbeitung eines integrierten Ansatzes für deren Unterstützung und qualitätsorientierte Entwicklung und die Identifikation verschiedenener Nutzungsszenarien. Zunächst wird ein detaillierter Blick auf das elektronische Publizieren und Lernen im wissenschaftlichen – vorwiegend universitären – Umfeld geworfen. Der Markt der Bildungsökonomie wird untersucht, Produktion, Distribution, Evaluation und Nutzung werden kritisch beleuchtet. Nach einer aktuellen Darstellung des Qualitätsbegriffs folgt die Entwicklung eines umfassenden und konsistenten Modells zur qualitätsorientierten Beschreibung und Bewertung von internetbasierten Publishing- und Learning-Services und -Produkten. Dieses wird dann angewandt auf diverse Nutzungsszenarien wie z.B. Blended Learning, Print-on-Demand, Collaborative Publishing, Digitalisierungsprojekte oder Sicherstellung der Langzeitverfügbarkeit. Dabei bettet die Arbeit das Thema breit in einen Rahmen aus Informationswirtschaft, Informatik, E-Business, Wissensmanagement, E-Learning, Wirtschaft und Qualitätsmanagement ein. Zentrales Ergebnis ist ein sehr breit anwendbares Beschreibungs- und Bewertungsmodell für digitale Content-Angebote und -Dienstleistungen. Ein abschließendes Kapitel entwickelt eine Typologie der Geschäftsmodelle einschlägiger Service-Anbieter und wirft einen Blick auf zukunfts- und konfliktträchtige Themen wie eScience und Grid, Plagiate oder mandatorische Open Access-Policies.The work's main purpose is the development of a quality-centered description model for usage scenarios in E-publishing and E-Learning. Important trends like transparency and openness of formats, structures and processes are integrated (Open...-Movement) as well as aspects of collaborative attempts in scientific and educational communication (Web 2.0 and community-based scenarios). Beside the quality-oriented approach, the central idea is the development of an integrated model for description and evaluation of digital content products and services, for their support and development, and the identification of different usage scenarios. At first a detailed look is directed at electronic publishing and learning in the scientific - mainly academic - sphere. The market and economic circumstances of higher education are examined, production, distribution, evaluation and reception are critically analyzed. A topical representation of the concepts of quality is followed by the development of a comprehensive and consistent model for quality-oriented description and assessment of internet-based publishing and learning services and products. This model then is applied to various usage scenarios such as blended learning, print-on-demand, collaborative publishing, digitization projects or long term preservation. The subject is examined on a broad basis, covering e-business, information business, knowledge management, e-learning and quality management, information technology and computer science. Central result is a very broadly applicable description and assessment model for digital content products, services and service providers. A final chapter draws a typology system of appropriate business models and looks at promising or controversial subjects like eScience and Grid, plagiarism or mandatory Open Access policies

INSPIRAL: investigating portals for information resources and learning. Final project report

INSPIRAL's aims were to identify and analyse, from the perspective of the UK HE learner, the nontechnical, institutional and end-user issues with regard to linking VLEs and digital libraries, and to make recommendations for JISC strategic planning and investment. INSPIRAL's objectives -To identify key stakeholders with regard to the linkage of VLEs, MLEs and digital libraries -To identify key stakeholder forum points and dissemination routes -To identify the relevant issues, according to the stakeholders and to previous research, pertaining to the interaction (both possible and potential) between VLEs/MLEs and digital libraries -To critically analyse identified issues, based on stakeholder experience and practice; output of previous and current projects; and prior and current research -To report back to JISC and to the stakeholder communities, with results situated firmly within the context of JISC's strategic aims and objectives

The e-revolution and post-compulsory education: using e-business models to deliver quality education

The best practices of e-business are revolutionising not just technology itself but the whole process through which services are provided; and from which important lessons can be learnt by post-compulsory educational institutions. This book aims to move debates about ICT and higher education beyond a simple focus on e-learning by considering the provision of post-compulsory education as a whole. It considers what we mean by e-business, why e-business approaches are relevant to universities and colleges and the key issues this raises for post-secondary education

Managing evolution and change in web-based teaching and learning environments

The state of the art in information technology and educational technologies is evolving constantly. Courses taught are subject to constant change from organisational and subject-specific reasons. Evolution and change affect educators and developers of computer-based teaching and learning environments alike – both often being unprepared to respond effectively. A large number of educational systems are designed and developed without change and evolution in mind. We will present our approach to the design and maintenance of these systems in rapidly evolving environments and illustrate the consequences of evolution and change for these systems and for the educators and developers responsible for their implementation and deployment. We discuss various factors of change, illustrated by a Web-based virtual course, with the objective of raising an awareness of this issue of evolution and change in computer-supported teaching and learning environments. This discussion leads towards the establishment of a development and management framework for teaching and learning systems

Enhancing choice? The role of technology in the career support market

This report explores the role that technology has played in the development of the career support market. This market is conceived broadly to include all possible resources that individuals might draw upon to support them in their career development. A key element is the role that is played by public-sector career services and by careers professionals; though these resources are supplemented by services paid for in a wide range of ways and delivered by a range of professionals and non-professionals.UKCE

Evaluation of e-learning web sites using fuzzy axiomatic design based approach

High quality web site has been generally recognized as a critical enabler to conduct online business. Numerous studies exist in the literature to measure the business performance in relation to web site quality. In this paper, an axiomatic design based approach for fuzzy group decision making is adopted to evaluate the quality of e-learning web sites. Another multi-criteria decision making technique, namely fuzzy TOPSIS, is applied in order to validate the outcome. The methodology proposed in this paper has the advantage of incorporating requirements and enabling reductions in the problem size, as compared to fuzzy TOPSIS. A case study focusing on Turkish e-learning websites is presented, and based on the empirical findings, managerial implications and recommendations for future research are offered