Thomas Demuth, Dagmar Sommer, Andreas Rieke Conception and Realization of the Offline-Navigator in the Virtual University Thomas Demuth, Dagmar Sommer, Andreas Rieke

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Distributed Servers Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

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

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

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

Functional Areas Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

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

Course Materials Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

Course Materials Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

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

Tutoring and Communication Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

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

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

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

Situation Student at home Virtual University 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

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

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

Solution Conception of a tool, which and further 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

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

Topology Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

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

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

Phases of communication Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen

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

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

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

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

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

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

Offline Navigator Summary 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

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

Technical Background Offline Navigator Server Offline Navigator Client 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

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

Virtual University FernUniversität - Online persons to contact 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 Thomas Demuth, FernUniversität Hagen