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Enhancing Distance Learning: Virtual University Navigator Conception and Realization

Dive into the innovative offline navigator project at FernUniversität Hagen, offering various study modes with multimedia support and interactive communication tools. Explore the advantages of new media for online learning, including video conferences and course material distribution. Discover the comprehensive Virtual University concept, its secure course units, and the involvement of different faculties in course material development and distribution. Delve into the goals, technical platform, distributed servers, and access methods like ISDN, internet, and CD-ROMs. Uncover the structure with presentation, administration, course, and communication areas, along with functional facilities and online registration features. Explore the diverse course materials, tutoring, communication tools, and networks available for a seamless learning experience.

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Enhancing Distance Learning: Virtual University Navigator Conception and Realization

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  1. Conception and Realization of theOffline-Navigatorin the Virtual University Thomas Demuth, Dagmar Sommer, Andreas Rieke

  2. General Information about the FernUniversität • Some 55,000 students • mainly employees, who have their own multimedia PCs available • Only distance teaching institution at university level in Germany • Different kinds of study are offered: • full-time study • part-time study • further education Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  3. Advantages of new Media Especially in case of networks • online communication with the lecturer • common learning in groups • video conferences / prepared video lectures • online distribution of course materials Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  4. The Virtual University • First comprehensive concepts were developed nearly three years ago • An extensive prototype has been implemented and tested in practice with nearly 2500 students • 50 courses are currently offered by the following faculties: • Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Law, Social Sciences Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  5. General Information • For security reasons, each course unit is password protected • Students can enrol either conventionally or electronically • Undergraduate and graduate study • Participating Faculties: Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Social Sciences, Law Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  6. General Information ...(cont.) • The technology team supports the development of course materials, their storage and distribution. • The faculties are responsible for course materials offered to the students. • Topics of the accompanying research: • acceptance of the technology • content of the Virtual University Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  7. Goals of the Project • To test new multimedia and communication technologies • To offer all functions of a university on screen • To evaluate and test the technical platform of the Virtual University Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  8. Technical Platform • Distributed servers • Networked by campus backbone • Based on the internet technology • Integrated databases • On user side based on standard software (web browser, news/mail client) Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  9. Distributed Servers Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  10. Access to the Virtual University ... is provided via • Broadband-ISDN • ISDN • Internet • Cable modem • CD-ROMs Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  11. Structure of the Virtual University Presentation and Administration Area provides • Information about courses, lectures, enrollment, ... • General communication: e-mail, chat, news • Shopping (software, books, CD-ROMs, ...) Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  12. Structure of the Virtual University (cont.) Course Area provides • different kinds of course materials, e.g.: • text oriented courses • highly interactive courses Communication Area provides tools for the communication • amongst the students • between the students and the lecturer Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  13. Functional Areas Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  14. Functional Areas (cont.) • Central Facilities:Library, computer center, ... • News: Admissions, campus events, ... • Information: FAQs, publications, guided tour, ... • Miscellaneous:Communication services, software, ... • Faculties:Departments, programs, courses, ... • Online Registration Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  15. Course Materials Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  16. Course Materials Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  17. Course Materials (cont.) • The course material is based on the existing teaching material of the FernUniversität that is already optimised for distance teaching • Different kinds of course materials are offered to the students: • multimedia courses, videos, computer based training, highly interactive courses with integrated working and experimental environment, animations, ... Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  18. Tutoring and Communication Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  19. Tutoring and Communication(cont.) • Communication is an important factor of education since it influences the efficiency of learning • Up to the development of the Virtual University the communication at the FernUniversität was based on mail and telephone, with mail causing a certain delay for the students and with telephone service not being available during evenings and weekend Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  20. Tutoring and Communication(cont.) • Asynchronous communication systems like e-mail, mailing lists, and newsgroups enable students to set up messages time independently and directly from their PC • The flexibility of the system supports the communication between students with very different individual learning styles Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  21. Networks • Access via internet provider implicates low bit rates • Direct access to Hagen via ISDN is usually cheaper than via Internet • Access via study centres or HSLAN of other universities also attractive • CD-ROMs with hyperlinks for large amount of data Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  22. Situation • Student at home • uses PC and modem (with analogue connection) • Virtual University distributes • learning/course units • common information • additional software in different variations (online/offline versions) Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  23. Student can work • online • with direct access to learning units, etc • offline • downloads the material (course units/software) • installs • material • software • reads common information Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  24. Student always has to • check each course he has enrolled for new learning units, • download, and • install it. • check each cource for specific/individual appointments (seminaries, examinations) • check for common information  He has to pay his provider (TelCo) for the total online/navigation time Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  25. Solution • Conception of a tool, which • automatically offers an individual and structured list of course materials • notifies about actual common information • updates older course material • shows further software which is needed • and further • compares which of the items above are already on the student‘s PC or • downloads the missing items. Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  26. Further Motivation • More comfort to the student • all the navigation he did manually is done by this tool • Reduction of online time and costs  Conception of the Offline Navigator Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  27. Topology Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  28. Topology (cont.) • Student‘s PC (at home, office, ...) • Offline Navigator client installed • Dedicated location on harddisk for course units • Internet connection (analog, ISDN, ...) • Account at the Virtual University Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  29. Topology (cont.) • Virtual University • Offline Navigator server Database system with information about • students • courses • enrolments • Web server Offering/containing the • course units • individual data for the student Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  30. Phases of communication Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  31. Preliminaries • The student configures his Offline Navigator client specifying • his username, • his password, • a directory on his local PC where the components shall be stored, and • host and port to be contacted Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  32. Phase 1: Retrieval of course list(Online) • Offline Navigator Client • searches for existing course units and installed components on the harddisk of the student‘s PC • connects to the Virtual University, authenticates itself, retrieves a list of courses and components individual for the student and disconnects • compares these two lists and presents an arranged list to the student Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  33. Phase 2: Selection of courses(Offline) • The student • clearly realises new components of each enrolled course • selects the desired items This can be done in arbitrary time without further online costs Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  34. Phase 3: Download of components(Online) • Offline Navigator Client • connects to the Virtual University a second time, • authenticates itself again, • downloads the components chosen by the student, and • stores them on the student‘s PC Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  35. Phase 4: Installation(Offline) • Offline Navigator Client • installs the components, decompressing them, without any interaction by the student Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  36. Comparison of the online time of the two modes Traditional method Offline Navigator For each enroled course • Navigation (Searching for new components) • Selection (of desired/ necessary components) • Downloading the items • Request of course units/component list • Download of chosen items Online • Navigation • Selection • Installation Installing the downloaded items Offline  Relocation of the most time/cost consuming actions from the expensive online to the offline phase which is free of charge Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  37. Offline NavigatorSummary of advantages • Individual view of the course offers • Establishes two short online sessions in contrast to one long session • Improves the download process • No online costs for navigation time • Minimises transmission costs • Further use of internet services while operation of the Offline Navigator is possible Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  38. Screenshot of the Offline Navigator client Get available list of course units for the student Course name and number Compare list with units on the student‘s PC Course units available on student‘s PC Set preferences Selected course unit for the next download Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  39. Technical Background • Offline Navigator Server • Relational Database Management System PostgreSQL 6.3.1 • Script language PHP/FI 2.0b12 • Apache web server 1.2.0 • Offline Navigator Client • Java, Microsoft Visual J++ 1.1 Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  40. Homepage of the Virtual University http:// virtuelle-uni.fernuni-hagen.de Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

  41. Prof. Dr.-Ing. F. Kaderali FB Elektrotechnik LG Kommunikationssysteme Feithstr. 140 / TGZ 58084 Hagen Tel.: 02331-987-4110 Fax: 02331-987-397 firoz.kaderali@fernuni-hagen.de Prof. Dr.-Ing. G. Schlageter FB Informatik LG Praktische Informatik I Feithstr. 140 / TGZ 58084 Hagen Tel.:02331-987-311 Fax: 02331-987-314 gunter.schlageter@fernuni-hagen.de Virtual UniversityFernUniversität - Online persons to contact Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

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