Enhancing web supported learning in higher education by adding a management layer to LMSs

There are many situations in the e-Learning experiences that can compromise the success of the courses. Many times simple reasons are great enough to motivate people to abandon them. For example, if someone does not execute a programmed activity inside the defined window of time, it can compromise the rest of the course to that person. In such situations it would be important that the teacher knew about the situation in useful time, to be able to take any corrective action. Another example could be presented, involving the professor and the learners. Let us assume that an activity A2 is programmed to be executed by the learners and that it depends on the previous knowledge of the result of the evaluation of a work submitted by the learners to the teacher (activity A1). If the teacher doesn’t inform the learners about their classification in useful time, that can compromise the execution of the activity A2. It seems to be necessary to use mechanisms of automatic management, in real time, of the envolvement of each participant in a distance learning course using LMS (Learning Management System). Such a functionality allows the detection of deviations to the scheduled activities planned for each actor. If it is the case, the referred mechanism can initiate the process of sending notifications to the relevant entities, enabling the correction of these deviations. Several organizations and consortiuns, involving the industry, governmental institutions and universities, are developing projects of standardization. It seemed important to us to see how the referred aspects were covered by those projects, and to perceive how it could be possible to articulate our work with the ones that are available from these organizations and consortiuns. This article describes the work that the authors are developing towards the specification of a layer for real-time management of user interactions with LMSs, during the operationalization of a course, and also includes a management meta-data model, related to that management layer

Learning roadmap studio : new approaches and strategies for efficient learning and training processes

Learning systems have emerged in a set of different information systems, oriented for different kinds of organizations and institutions, such as learning management systems, knowledge management systems and learning content management systems, which can be integrated or merged with others. From past experience, it has been denoted that strategies and pedagogical processes are tasks that can be created, enriched and boosted by actors who participate in learning and training processes: course managers, teachers and students. The challenge posed to the different actors involved also accelerates the changes that have been happening in education and training, empowering a society based on knowledge. Initiatives such as eLearning (EU Comission 2000), eLearningEurope, eTwinning and Education Observatories are an evidence of this challenge. Platforms, applications, tools and systems must respond to challenges that those actors face nowadays: heterogeneous target audiences, in terms of student profiles, number of participants, differentiated contents and schedules to achieve knowledge, outcomes and competences. Thus, a prototype application, named Learning Roadmap Studio (LRMS), has been developed and deployed at Aveiro Norte Polytechnic School of the University of Aveiro, in order to suppress gaps in learning processes and to power better learning and training. It represents a new challenge for the University of Aveiro for higher education and is already being tested. At its core is the concept of “learning roadmaps” that act upon two fundamental axes: education and learning. For the teachers, it aims at becoming a self-supporting tool that stimulates the organization and management of the course materials (lectures, presentations, multimedia content, and evaluation materials, amongst others). For the students, the learning roadmap aims at promoting self-study and supervised study, endowing the pupil with the capabilities to find the relevant information and to capture the concepts in the study materials. The outcome will be a stimulating learning process together with an organized management of those materials. It is not intended to create new learning management systems. Instead, it is presented as an application that enables the edition and creation of learning processes and strategies, giving primary relevance to teachers, instead of focusing on tools, features and contents

Learning objects and learning designs: an integrated system for reusable, adaptive and shareable learning content

This paper proposes a system, the Smart Learning Design Framework, designed to support the development of pedagogically sound learning material within an integrated, platform-independent data structure. The system supports sharing, reuse and adaptation of learning material via a metadata-driven philosophy that enables the technicalities of the system to be imperceptible to the author and consumer. The system proposes the use of pedagogically focused metadata to support and guide the author and to adapt and deliver the content to the targeted consumer. A prototype of the proposed system, which provides proof of concept for the novel processes involved, has been developed. The paper describes the Smart Learning Design Framework and places it within the context of alternative learning object models and frameworks to highlight similarities, differences and advantages of the proposed system

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) E-Learning and content development

. paper describes about the implementation of open source and content development in UTP ~arning. As the technology evolves and the need for open source enviromnent arises, a new digm is needed to allow E-Learning to move into this open source enviromnent. A few open ce programs were analyzed and Moodie was chose as the most suitable open source to :lop UTP's new E-Learning. Moodie appears to be one of the most user-friendly and flexible 1 source courseware products available and has excellent documentation, strong support for rity and administration, and is evolving towards IMS/SCORM standards. SCORM was :loped with the guidance of a large consortium of academic, technological and govermnental nizations. SCORM is maintained by the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative. objective of implementing open source and content development in developing UTP's Ening is mainly to help initiate an advance Information and Communication Technology ') enviromnent for student. Methodology of developing this project has already been defined probably pose much similar with traditional information-development process. Tools irement such as the Moodie software itself and other supportive software and hardware are tified to develop this project

Search and Delivery of Standardized Learning Resources Based on SOAP Messaging and Native XML Databases

With the progress of Web-based learning technologies, standardized digital repositories and learning management systems are becoming prevalent over time. The heterogeneity in underlying databases and access methods, however, makes it difficult to share and exchange the learning resources between them. In this paper, we propose an architecture for the search and delivery of learning resources. Based on the SOAP transmission protocol, the architecture seeks to improve interoperability between heterogeneous E-Learning implementations. We also present a general-purpose query language as a building block of the architecture. The language provides a unified query interface for resource repositories, thereby shielding the users from the differences in underlying databases and metadata schemas. To highlight our design, an implementation using LOM, native XML database and XPath is presented. The last part of this paper discusses technical and pedagogical issues of concern regarding the launching of contents from within standardized LMSs

The Use of SCORM Specification in Designing Reusable Learning Content

The widespread use of WWW for educational purposes creates opportunities in reusing educational materials. In the past, most of the learning materials are created for a specific purpose in a specific context such as for military training, employees’ supervisions, and training community. The way of designing this material restricted the material to be reusable in other educational purpose. Besides, the need for a standard in designing reusable learning material helps to produce quality e-learning experiences. SCORM is a set of specifications for developing, packaging, and delivering high quality educational and training materials whenever and wherever it is needed. The use of SCORM specification in designing and reusing learning material impacted the development of potential and good SCORM-compliant learning material. Therefore, this research is undertaken to produce a process model in designing reusable learning content. Existing material is redesigned based on the proposed process model in order to increase the reusability of the learning material. A Test Suite was used to determine the conformance of developed learning content to the SCORM Specification. Based on the results, a list of needed elements to develop SCORM-compliant content was outlined. The steps used in the learning content development process model can be used as a guideline in creating a quality learning material that can be shared among other LMS. Together with the use of XML technology, it opens a wide spectrum of possibilities for design and presentation of high quality materials for a particular education or training purpose and plays an important role in the exchange of wide variety of data on the Web

Issues in e-learning standards

This paper will discuss the role of e-learning standards for implementing e-learning applications. We briefly define and describe the issues related to e-learning standards to improve performance and availability of elearning content. We also describe the characteristics of standards important for maintaining high quality elearning contents. The various standards are analyzed and the degree of synergy between different standards organizations is identified. We discuss the life cycle for e-learning standards, and the main types of standards to enable the interchange of components in a learning system. The Malaysian experience is presented as a case study

Degree of Scaffolding: Learning Objective Metadata: A Prototype Leaning System Design for Integrating GIS into a Civil Engineering Curriculum

Digital media and networking offer great potential as tools for enhancing classroom learning environments, both local and distant. One concept and related technological tool that can facilitate the effective application and distribution of digital educational resources is learning objects in combination with the SCORM (sharable content objects reference model) compliance framework. Progressive scaffolding is a learning design approach for educational systems that provides flexible guidance to students. We are in the process of utilizing this approach within a SCORM framework in the form of a multi-level instructional design. The associated metadata required by SCORM will describe the degree of scaffolding. This paper will discuss progressive scaffolding as it relates to SCORM compliant learning objects, within the context of the design of an application for integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) into the civil engineering curriculum at the University of Missouri - Rolla