Multimedia and e-Learning integration for supporting training programs in agriculture by MOODLE

The NODES project aims at facilitating, for adult training / lifelong training, the use of multimedia knowledge to improve competitiveness employability and mobility of handicapped adults (physical and sensorial) and of adults victims of the digital divide or of some of its components such as distance, initial level of knowledge, language, use of complex technologies. The NODES project is focused, on the wide sense, on the production and diffusion of knowledge created within public and private organizations dedicated to adult training or by individuals, through Europe. Within the project the MOODLE e-Learning system was selected and more multimedia content will be integrated into the knowledge base. The EU-Index metadatabase collects content sources for the project partners. Another target is to integrate video files into the systems. This parts are integrated by the logical and physical architectures of the NODES

E-Learning course development in Moodle

Moodle is a software package for producing internet-based courses and websites. It is an ongoing development project designed to support a social constructionist framework of education. There are several possibilities to create a new curriculum in Moodle. We use the basic activities to create a course, but we can use some complementary tools too. There are about 200 modules and blocks which are available from moodle.org website. We use for example AutoView Presenter which allows you to put video on-line with synchronized slides. A web based editing interface is used to configure the video/slide sources and to set the slide trigger times. Beside this module we test and use some modules, which can be very useful in material development

Development tools for mobile devices in market price information systems

There are already several applications on mobile devices that can be useful in agriculture. For example: GPS-enabled map software, individual cattle identification and tracking software and even complex agricultural systems. These are just beginning to spread in the Hungarian agrifood sector. The possibility of using for agribusiness of mobile internet and mobile tools is increasing. Mobile tools are really suitable for tasks like inspecting the evolution of prices of agricultural products. One of our application development is a mobile extension to access the Market Price Information System run by the Hungarian Agricultural Economics Research Institute. The accessibility of information demanded by market actors can be ensured effectively by using mobile tools. The biggest limitation for PDA is screen size. If it is getting smaller from full screen to PDA-sized and yet further to mobile phone dimensions, user performance drops. The main reason for this is that smaller screens make it more difficult for a user to make good judgements about the usefulness of any particular information. The development methods and tools help us to solve one part of these problems

Comparison of Moodle and ATutor LMSs

E-learning is a technology that plays an important role in modern education and training. Its great importance lies in the fact that it makes learning content readily available at any place at any time. This paper examines and evaluates two of current systems Moodle and ATutor. The main aim of this paper is to identify the aspects of theese LMS systems, examine their functional features, modules, standards, hardware and software requirements, and compare them

Implementing learning design by LAMS to improve teaching and learning

Learning Design has the potential to revolutionize e-learning by capturing the process of education, rather than simply content. By describing sequences of collaborative learning activities, Learning Design offers a new approach to re-use in e-learning. E-learning has a well developed approach to the creation and sequencing of content-based, single learner, self-paced learning objects. While definitions of Learning Design vary, the main elements tend to include greater focus on context dimensions of e-learning, a more activity based view of e-learning, and greater recognition of the role of multi-learner environments. While Learning Design does not exclude single learner, self-paced modes of elearning, it draws attention to a wider range of collaborative e-learning approaches in addition to single learner approaches. This paper shows an example, which is applied to speciality of economic and rural development agricultural engineer at University of Debrecen and its implementation in the Learning Activity Management System. We created a learning design was implemented at this speciality with LAMS, which is a learning design editing and play back tool that puts the learning process, rather than collections of content, at the heart of e-learnin

Implementing Learning Design by lams to improve teaching and learning

Learning Design has the potential to revolutionize e-learning by capturing the process of education, rather than simply content. By describing sequences of collaborative learning activities, Learning Design offers a new approach to re-use in e-learning. E-learning has a well developed approach to the creation and sequencing of content-based, single learner, self-paced learning objects. While definitions of Learning Design vary, the main elements tend to include greater focus on context dimensions of e-learning, a more activity based view of e-learning, and greater recognition of the role of multi-learner environments. While Learning Design does not exclude single learner, self-paced modes of e-learning, it draws attention to a wider range of collaborative e-learning approaches in addition to single learner approaches. This paper shows an example, which is applied to speciality of economic and rural development agricultural engineer at University of Debrecen and its implementation in the Learning Activity Management System. We created a learning design was implemented at this speciality with LAMS, which is a learning design editing and play back tool that puts the learning process, rather than collections of content, at the heart of e-learning

Formation of Functional Heterodimers by TREK-1 and TREK-2 Two-pore Domain Potassium Channel Subunits.

Two-pore domain (K2P) potassium channels are the major molecular correlates of the background (leak) K+ current in a wide variety of cell types. They generally play a key role in setting the resting membrane potential and regulate the response of excitable cells to various stimuli. K2P channels usually function as homodimers and only a few examples of heteromerization have been previously reported. Expression of the TREK (TWIK-related K+ channel) subfamily members of K2P channels often overlaps in neurons and in other excitable cells. Here we demonstrate that heterologous coexpression of TREK-1 and TREK-2 subunits results in the formation of functional heterodimers. Taking advantage of a tandem construct (in which the two different subunits were linked together to enforce heterodimerization) we characterized the biophysical and pharmacological properties of the TREK-1/TREK-2 current. The heteromer was inhibited by extracellular acidification and by spadin similarly to TREK-1, while its ruthenium red sensitivity was intermediate between TREK-1 and TREK-2 homodimers. The heterodimer has also been distinguished from the homodimers by its unique single channel conductance. Assembly of the two different subunits was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation of epitope tagged TREK-1 and TREK-2 subunits, coexpressed in Xenopus oocytes. Formation of TREK-1/TREK-2 channels was also demonstrated in native dorsal root ganglion neurons indicating that heterodimerization may provide greater diversity of leak K+ conductances also in native tissues