How To Use GRID Technology for Building the Next Generation Learning Environments

Abstract

Grid technologies promise to improve the way we think about e-learning allowing wide-scale learning resources sharing in heterogeneous and geographically distributed environments consenting, in this way, the implementation of distributed learning spaces where different organizations and individuals are able to cooperate in pursuing similar and complementary learning and training objectives. But is the e-learning ready for this evolution? In this paper we try, starting from an existing e-learning platform named IWT, to sketch a possible migration path toward a Grid based environment. IWT was selected because it presents a flexible, service-oriented, layered architecture suitable for migration in an OGSA compliant environment. The new approach will provide more flexibility, in fact, it will possible to leverage on the resources distributed across the Grid in order to build the learning experience that best fit student requirements. A use case scenario is also provided in order to emphasize differences between the two approaches. After a brief introduction of Grid and Learning technologies (section 1), a brief summary of IWT is given and the execution scenario is shown (section 2). A possible OGSA-based deployment of IWT is then sketched together with the new version of the execution scenario (section 3). Some conclusions are, then, presented (section 4).

AstroGrid as an e-Learning Environment

“…The Salmon model helps to understand the kind of service that we would like to offer to potential e-Learners. In a more concrete scenario we can consider the implementation of the Intelligent Web Teacher Platform (IWT) as described by Capuano et al [4].…”

Towards a Domain Specific Application Development Environment for the ELeGI architecture: the Software Factories approach

“…As explained in [20], through IMS-LD we add a high-level support to educational models and with WSRP we enhance the low-level service model, allowing the creation of a service model dynamic, stateful and presentation-oriented. The reference architecture is the Semantic Grid architecture provided by Globe et al in [29] upon which we foresee a set of semantically enriched services typical of the learning domain that we have identified in our previous works [21] and we have defined as IWT Grid-Aware Services. Two sets of services are identified: the Base Services providing functionalities typical of a Learning Management System and the Learning Services providing high-level functionalities for a personalized learning experience, like learning path personalization, student's model evaluation and Driver services for management and delivery of learning experiences.…”

Case study of virtual organization learning and knowledge testing environments

“…The user performs a sequence of (either mental or concrete) operations that allow him to move from one state to another until the final (solution) state of the problem is reached. So, simpler terms this principle may be defined as mapping from the knowledge state of a student to the domain of knowledge space of the problem [1].…”

“…In order to promote an effective learning process it is necessary to individuate a suitable technological infrastructure able to support such process allowing each learner to use in a transparent and shared manner all the resources already existing on-line. In the innovative vision the learning process within a learning environment can be effective only using an approach which considers some fundamental characteristics of learning activity and learning within a contextualized environment [1,2].…”