1. Revitalizing Small Remote Schools for LifeLong Distance e-Learning Design development and use of the Distance Learning Services System REVIT Conference 23-24 September 2010 Ios Island, Greece George Zagouras, Ioannis Katsenos RA CTI

2. Introduction Project Aim E-Courses Design and Development E-Courses Delivery The Revit DLSS is the core means for delivering the e- courses and also enabling remote collaboration of Revit teams Revit DLSS Design -> Collection of integrated heterogeneous ICT tools

3. Requirements Can be grouped into three main categories: To provide information about the project and/or publishing trainees’ work that has been emerged during educational procedure to anyone who is interested in (Portal Engine) To facilitate collaboration (Collaboration System) for all people involved in the project (trainers, trainees, partners, staff etc) To provide to trainees and trainers the appropriate tools in order them to participate to a successful educational process (E-learning tools)

4. Requirements a.Portal Engine

5. Requirements – Collaboration system

6. Requirements Web based Open-Source

7. DL System Architecture

8. Portal Means for publishing information, Not a separate tool, Serves as the mechanism for user access to all tools (single sign on) Selected CMS  Joomla Powerful, Award winning From simple websites to complex corporate applications, Easy to install, Simple to manage, Reliable Consists of many different parts, which allow modular extensions and integrations to be made

9. Collaboration System - Forum Forum – phpBB Most widely used Open Source forum solution Supports an enhanced e-mail notification functionality Advantages: E-mail client use provides all the needed information for the exchanged messages All communication between partners are stored in a central database in a structured and searchable way.

10. Collaboration System – Collaborative Document Editing System Needed to support the production of documents through individual contributions A website that allows the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor Collaborative Document Editing System Selected- MediaWiki MediaWiki is a web-based wiki software application originally developed to serve the needs of the free content Wikipedia encyclopaedia

11. Collaboration System - Document Management system Needed for managing documents across multiple categories and subcategories and give users permission to upload, download or edit these documents Document Management system selected– DocMan (Joomla extension) Custom user rights, custom email notification functionality 'Double' View Structure Project work plan view Thematic view Librarian

12. A collection of software systems which emphasize on Web 2.0 technology, used for distant learning Web 2.0 – associated with web applications which facilitate Interactive information sharing, interoperability, user generated content and collaboration over the internet Web 2.0 is NOT a new version of the Web, no updates, no new specifications Web 2.0 refers to changes in the ways end-users use the Web Revit E-Learning 2.0 system consists of regular asynchronous and synchronous e-learning systems enhanced by a set of tools that facilitate the collaboration between the trainees, the user-generated content and users’ mobility E- Learning 2.0 System

13. An Asynchronous e-learning system refers to a learning management system (LMS), which is a software application for delivering, tracking and managing training. LMSs range from simple systems for managing training records to software for distributing courses over the Internet and offering features for online collaboration Tool selected: Moodle (Open source) Designed using sound pedagogical principles Helps educators create on-line rich content courses Designed modular, allowing extensions for specific new functionalities Asynchronous e-learning system

14. A Synchronous e-learning system refers to a Web conferencing which is used to conduct live meetings, training, or presentations via the Internet Tools selected: proprietary software ‘Elluminate Live!’ Project partner owned the proprietary system Robustness, capability of dealing with several concurrent web meetings sessions Asynchronous e-learning system

15. Collaborative Document editing system Collaborative Document Editing System (Wikis) enhances the collaborative document writing. Trainers may ask from a group of trainees to create a common document as a part of an activity for a specific course Tool selected: Media Wiki – The same as on the Collaboration System

16. Article publishing System As an article publishing system, a blog software was adopted. A blog is usually maintained by a user with regular entries of articles, commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video Tool selected: Wordpress Ability to assign nested, multiple categories to articles multiple author capability and support for tagging of posts and articles, where the reasons for selecting this particular tool

17. Podcasts Pod cast refers to digital media files (video or audio) that can be downloaded from a web site and can be viewed from trainees’ personal computer or even from popular mobile devices like mp3 players, mp4 players and mobile phones. Tool Selected: Podcasts don't need special software Delivery via web syndication, which refers to making web feeds available from a site in order to provide other people with a summary of the website's recently added content.

18. Virtual Worlds Computer-based multi-user simulated environment intended for its users to interact, exchanging information and collaborating via avatars Tool selected: Open source server platform called OpenSimulator Compatible with SecondLife (Leading Software) Capable of hosting alternative worlds Easily expandable through the use of plugin modules Multiple servers can be integrated into a 'grid' which allows larger more complex areas to be simulated

19. DL services system’s improvement After 3 rd project meeting in Cyprus, there was a project decision to collect experiences from the use of the DL services system and propose improvements. Among findings were e.g. that web 2.0 tools were not visible enough and that it was quite difficult to locate the needed information All involved partner personnel was invited to propose improvements.

20. DL services system’s improvement The proposals were processed by the development team, presented to the partners and gradually implemented. Improvements were made into two directions: Addition of new functionality Increase user friendliness of the front page and promotion of web 2.0 tools

21. DL services system’s improvement New functionality added was: Connection to social networks REVIT account was created to Tweeter and a Tweeter module was integrated to the system’s frontpage Facebook module was integrated into front page Bookmarks’ sharing Delicious account was created and connected to the system. Relevant process to share bookmarks was proposed to partners. Connection to Skype Skype status visible through the DL system. Immediate call or message

22. DL services system’s improvement Increase of user friendliness Elements rearrangement and a new right column was added E-learning 2.0 tools menu moved to the right column and higher to immediately draw attention A new Search menu was created to facilitate search into articles, forum and library New modules presenting the last five uploaded documents and five most recent posts were created on the front page.

23. DL services system’s improvement Twitter and facebook modules added on the front page Logged in Skype status visible (If they allow it) Help files grouped together under a new button to release space.

24. DL services system’s improvement (After) Search Menu e-learning 2.0 menu Twitter module Recent Posts Recent Documents Facebook fanbox Skype status and call Help button Delicious connection

25. Use of the DL services system Statistics of use were gathered using the built in statistics engines of the tools Data gathered on end of June 2010, as there was not expected activity during Summer. Actual figures should be now higher

26. Use of the DL services system REVIT Portal Registered users = 235 Peak in portal use occurs between November 2009 and March 2010 which reflects the design/development and delivery of several courses.

27. Use of the DL services system Wiki 129 registered users 975 posts (whatever editing on any page) Most edited page: Design of the Introductory Course Peak use of the Wiki in June 2009 (during IC development)

28. Use of the DL services system Forum Users: 222 Topics: > 170 Posts: >600 Use in terms of # of posts/month and # of posting users/month is fluctuating but clearly there is a positive trend in use

29. Use of the DL services system Library > 500 documents uploaded on average ≈ 30 uploaded documents per month Blog 35 posts, (not counting Moodle blog use). Podcasts 44 podcasts published Other material (no data available) was uploaded to youtube either due to technical reasons or due to educational reasons

30. Use of the DL services system Moodle (June 2010) 20 e-courses 8 courses in English 13 courses localized in partner languages 159 users (137 learners + 27 tutors etc) registered > 3800 hours of Moodle time (design +development +delivery), i.e. ≈ 24 Moodle hours/user

31. Future Work Possible future work on the DL system could be the integration of a virtual community of practice. A virtual Community of Practice describes a network of individuals, who share a domain of interest about which they communicate online. The practitioners share resources (for example experiences, problems and solutions, tools, methodologies). The interaction results in the improvement of the knowledge of each participant in the community and contributes to the development of the knowledge within the domain.

32. Future Work The DL system could be evolved into a virtual community of practice via a facebook like system allowing the users to Post thoughts and ideas Comment on own or other people postings Upload videos, photos or other multimedia material Comment on own or other people uploads

33. Revitalizing Small Remote Schools for LifeLong Distance e-Learning http://revit.cti.gr Thank you!!!