A Module-Based Software Framework for E-learning over Internet Environment* Su-Jin Cho1 and Seongsoo Lee2 1
Department of Korean Language Education, Seoul National University, 151-742, Korea
[email protected] 2 School of Electronics Engineering, Soongsil University, 156-743, Korea
[email protected]
Abstract. This paper presents a novel module-based software framework for multimedia E-learning. Interface of each module is standardized based on IEEE P1484 LTSA so that it easily communicates and combines with other modules. It can be easily reconfigured to various education models with flexibility and adaptability, since it only needs to change connection status between modules. A user can search other users with same educational interests over Internet, and he can easily drag and add various modules of other users to his learning engine, saving a lot of time and money by reusing them.
1 Introduction E-learning overcomes spatial and temporal limitations of traditional education, promotes interaction between teachers and learners, and enables personalized instruction [1]. However, in many countries, E-learning is not as much popularized yet as we expect, although Internet infrastructure and number of Internet users grow rapidly. This leads to an important idea: most problems of E-learning lie in its contents, software, and human aspect, not in the Internet infrastructure. This paper discusses various problems of E-learning, and proposes a novel software framework to avoid them.
2 Problems of Conventional E-learning The quality of practical E-learning is often far from satisfactory, while it is theoretically regarded as one of the most effective teaching/learning method. In this paper, the problems of conventional E-learning are classified into three categories. Teachers: Most teachers utilize computers merely as word processors. It is difficult and time-consuming to develop high-quality multimedia contents. Acceptability of Elearning materials depends on the activeness of individual learner, but learners easily lose their concentration due to indirect interaction with teachers or other learners [2]. Learners: While searching educational material, learners are exposed to almost infinite information, and they easily get lost their sense of direction. They easily fall
* This work was supported by the Soongsil University Research Fund. J.C. Lester et al. (Eds.): ITS 2004, LNCS 3220, pp. 803–805, 2004. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2004
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into cognitive overload, because they have to judge whether it is helpful to their learning whenever they encounter searched or linked materials. They sometimes miss core information, since they have to understand and process it by themselves. Contents: Internet educational contents often lacks of systematic, well-organized and well-developed materials. Many web sites have duplicated or overlapped contents. Many educational contents on free web sites lack profundity, because in many cases, volunteers prepare them as their hobbies. Teachers hardly discover useful materials from Internet since they are widely spread over Internet without systematic connections, systematic arrangement, and mutual correlation.
3 The Proposed E-learning Software Framework This paper proposes Modular Learning Engines with Active Search (MOLEAS), an E-learning software framework over Internet environment. It overcomes some problems in Sect. 2 by employing information technologies. It has the following features: • Standardized architecture based on IEEE P1484 Learning Technology Standard Architecture (LTSA) [3] • Flexible architecture with module-based learning engine • Distributed architecture over Internet with P2P and intelligent software agent • Reconfigurable architecture covering various E-learning models • Learning inclination analyzer, enabling personalized instruction • Various communication tools between teachers and learners • Powerful authoring tools with MPEG-7 [4] multimedia search engine MOLEAS consists of five basic modules: learning module, teaching module, content module, search module, and control module. Each module has standardized LTSA interface scheme so that any two modules can communicate and combine with each other. Some modules locate in the users’ personal computers, some in the web sites, and some in the Internet. By reconfiguring connection status, this module-based approach enables flexible system architecture for various education models. Furthermore, when learners register their own interests and preferences, intelligent software agents automatically finds other learners with common interest by exploiting peer-topeer. Once they are found, he can access and utilize their modules to compose an effective learning engine. In this case, the learning engine is not stand-alone software on his personal computer, but distributed software over Internet. It has following advantages: • A user can easily find other learners and teachers with common interest or proper educational materials he really needs. • It can be easily applied to various education models with flexibility and adaptability, since it only needs to change connection status between modules. • A user can easily drag and add various modules of other users to his learning engine, meaning that it saves a lot of time and money by reusing them. • With powerful built-in tools, it can be applied to various fields of E-learning including distance learning, personalized instruction, and collaborative learning.
A Module-Based Software Framework for E-learning over Internet Environment Learner
Learner A
Learner B
Learner C
Learning Learning Module Module
Learning Learning Module Module
Learning Learning Module Module
Learning Learning Module Module
805
Learner’s PC Teaching Teaching Module Module
Control Control Module Module
Content Content Module Module
Learners’ PC
Internet
Content Content Module Module
(a) Stand-alone software on a CD-ROM
Teaching Teaching Module Module
Control Control Module Module
Content Content Module Module
Content Content Module Module
Search Search Module Module Educational Web Site
Internet
Learner A Learner A’s PC
Learner B
Learning Learning Module Module
Control Control Module Module
Search Search Module Module
Content Content Module Module
Teaching Teaching Module Module
Content Content Module Module
Other PC Other Web Site
Teacher
(b) Educational website over Internet Learner C
Internet
Learning Learning Module Module
Control Control Module Module
Control Control Module Module
Learning Learning Module Module
Content Content Module Module
Search Search Module Module
Content Content Module Module
Content Content Module Module
Learner B’s PC
Content Content Module Module
Learner C’s PC
(c) Collaborative learning among learners with common interest
Fig. 1. Reconfiguration of MOLEAS modules to implement various E-learning models
4 Conclusion In this paper, a novel E-learning software framework in the Internet environment is proposed. It is a module-based learning engine with five modules. By reconfiguring connection status, it can be adopted with flexibility for various educational applications such as distance education and collaborative learning. A user can search other users with same interests over Internet, and he can access and utilize their modules to compose an effective learning engine, saving a lot of time and money by reusing them.
References 1. Moore, M.G., Kearsley, G.: Distance Education, Wadsworth Publishing (1996) 2. Yi, D.B.: The Psychology of Learners in Multimedia Assisted Language Learning, Multimedia-Assisted Language Learning 1 (1998) 163-176 3. IEEE P1484 LTSA Draft 8: Learning technology standard architecture, http://ltsc.ieee.org/ doc/wg1/IEEE_1484_01_D08_LTSA.doc4. 4. ISO/IEC JTC1/SC29/WG1 15938: Multimedia Content Description Interface, http://www. cselt.it/mpeg/standards/mpeg-7/mpeg-7.zip
