MINISTRY OF EDUCATION & TRAINING UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES
CHI MINH scold OPEN UNIVERSITY Solvay pURINESS seHoo1,
'MBISPROGRAM
Nguyễn Huỳnh Anh Vũ Trần Thị Xuân Hang
Vũ Thị Lan Anh
X¿
_BUSINESS TMPROVEMENT PROJECT OF E — LEARNING SYSTEM
_AT HOCHIMINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY
FINAL PROJECT
MASTER IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT & INFORMATION SYSTEM
Supervisors: 1 Prof Jean-Pierre Thiébaut
2 Prof Michel Allé 3 Prof Pierre Motyl
~ Ho Chi Minh City 2006
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Table of Contents
m
Part I: Business Case
Page
I INTRODUCTION OF OPEN UNIVERSITY (OU) 19
1 OU’s establishment and development history, OU's missions and 19 visions
2, OU's current situation as a business — brand image, “market” share 20
3 OU's management structure & SWOT analysis 23
H = INTRODUCTION OF E-LEARNING SYSTEM 26
1 Introduction of E-learning system 26
1.1 Definitions 26
1.2 Application areas and end-users of an E-learning system 26 1.3 Types / forms of E-learning system and its technology platforms 29 14 The most common components of an E-learning system 31
2 5C’s of eLearning 37
3 Advantages / disadvantages of an E-learning system 38
3.1 Benefits from E-learning 38
3.2 The difference between e - learning and conventional 40 classrooms
3.3 Should we apply e - learning model? 4)
44 E-learning and other teaching model 44
4, Application of E-learning system 44
4.) Current implementation of E-learning systems in the world, 44
especially at universities
4.2 Future implementation of E-learning systems in the world 45 43 Typical cases of a successful E-learning system in the world 50 $ Current situation of E-learning system development in Vietnam 5]
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Il OU’S E-LEARNING SYSTEM 52
1 Introduction of the system - development history 52
2 System analysis 52
_ 2 objectives and target users 52
2.2 SWOT analysis 54
2.3 ~ Technical platform 55
2.4 Contents structure / areas of application 55
2.5 Moodle System, Features and utilities 56
3 User's survey and key findings 60
3.1 The survey - methodology of interviewing and data 60 processing
3.2 Key findings : él
3.3 Areas that need improvement 62
IV OU’S E-LEARNING SYSTEM — IMPROVEMENT PROJECT 63
4.1 Improvement project objectives 63
42 Improvement process 66
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Part II: Project Specifications Page l PROJECT OVERVIEW 72 11 Background/ Reasons 72 1.2 Objectives 72 1.3 Constraints 72 1.4 Exclusions 72 1.5 Assumptions 73 1.6 Related projects 73 17 Phases/Timeline 73 1.8 Project budget 74 II PROJECT REQUIREMENTS 75 ll PROJECT ORGANIZATION 80 3.1 Project Organization 80
3.2 Roles and Responsibilities 81
3:3 Project Management Team Commitment 85
3.4 Reporting and Communications 85
IV STAKEHOLDERS ANALYSIS 86 Vv DEPENDENCIES AND IMPACTS ON OTHER PROJECTS 87 VỊ FACILITIES AND RESOURCES 87
Vil RISKS ANALYSIS , 88
Vill COST SAVING ANALYSIS 94
IX DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION 96
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X PROJECT DELIVERABLES 110 Xl PROJECT SCHEDULE 1 xi RESULTS 114 CONCLUSION 131 REFERENCE 132 ANNEX
Users’ survey and key findings
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Abbreviation Abbreviation | Definition
“; ADO ActiveX Data Objects
- | ADSL Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
AICC Aviation (All Emcompassing) Industry CBT (Computer-Based Training) Committee
BTA Business Technology Association CBT Computer-Based Training
CDROM Compact Disc Read-Only Memory
CISM Center of Information System Management CMC Computer-Mediated Communication
CMS Course Management System DBMS DataBase Management System FAQ Frequently Asked Question
FTP File Transfer Protocol GNU GNU's Not Unix GPL General Public License HCMC Ho Chi Minh City
HCMCOU Ho Chi Minh City Open University
ICT Information and Communications Technology IM Instant Messaging
IMAP Internet Message Access Protocol
IMS QTI IMS Question and Test Interoperability Specification IP Internet Protocol
ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network IT Information Technology
iTV Interactive television
TVLE Interactive Virtual Learning Environment LAMP Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP
LCMS Learning Content Management System LDAP Lightweight Directory Access Protocol LMS Learning Management System
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LO Learning Object
Moodle Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment NCLB No Child Left Behind Act
NFS Network File System
, | NNTP Network News Transfer Protocol NUS National University of Singapore ODBC Open Database Connectivity
Os Operating system
ou Open University
“| OUELS Open University E-Learning System PDA Personal digital assistant
PDF Portable Document Format
PHP Hypertext Preprocessor
POP3 Post Office Protocol version 3
Q&A Questions & Answers ROI Return on Investment RSS Really Simple Syndication RTF Rich Text Format
SCORM Shareable Content Resource Modei SMB System Management Bus
SQL Structured Query Language
TV Television
VLE Virtual Learning Environments VoIP Voice over IP
WAN Wide Area Networks WBT Web-based training
WebCT Web Course Tools
WebDAV Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning WLAN Wireless Local Area Network
WTO World Trade Organization XML eXtensible Markup Language
$
Trang 8List of tables and charts
Market Share among Non — public universities 2006 No Of students from 2001 to 2006
No Of students participating distance learning from 1998 to 2006 OQU’s management structure
The existing information system in HCMCOU Ichikawa diagram for E-learning
E-learning’s system structure 5C’s of elearning
Moodle course screenshot with Firefox Survey's key findings
OU’s management structure - Suggestion Scope statement Project budget Project schedule 0 8 8 8 8 6 8G 8 86 6 8 8 8 8 8
November 15th 2006: First review and evaluation
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| Chapters of the Thesis
| BEGINNING CHAPTER
‘I, Why we choose this Project? &
Ệ As a matter of facts, E-learning is not a totally new concept in Vietnam Nowadays, more and
# “wow
© more people are talking about “distant learning’, “online studying” or “online course”
ote!
& However, it is very hard to find a proper E-learning system in Vietnam, even in the university i community, where an E-learning system should reveal its high level of application
Open University of Ho Chi Minh City (OU) is one of the leading universities in the Southern
ẹ
‘Vietnam, also one of the leading ones nationwide OU has been among the very first
universities to realize the actual demand for an E-learning system, knowing that such great would not only deliver a brand new, exciting teaching and learning experience to its students
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219g
200/0
; and teachers, but also make great contribution to the university's brand value in the ; education market
: Deciding that developing an E-learning system is a smart strategy to win competitive ị advantage against other competing universities in the South of Vietnam, OU actually put this idea into reality in 2004 The first version of OU’s E-learning system took the university 5 months to build, and finally came into operation in December 2004
~ Although the idea was great, the first version of the system revealed many weaknesses Its structure was poorly developed with just a few sections, which covered studying topics for ‘only 3 classes Its contents included only old, out-of-date materials The interface was unfriendly The supporting infrastructure was weak and unstable, allowing maximum only 300 _ connections at a time
As a result, the application of the system was not as successful as expected Both the teacher and the student did not find the system attractive and interesting as they thought it would be After two years of testing the first version, it is obviously that the system needs an intensive improvement
As we have witnessed so many successful E-learning sites in the world, we have been wishing to have a similar system here in Vietnam We strongly believe that a well-designed, well- managed E-learning system will be an exciting and effective learning experience for Vietnamese students at OU Therefore, with guidance from our guiding professors and strong
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support from OU’s Management, we started to develop a project to improve the existing OU's - Elearning system
IL Objectives of the Thesis
- The Thesis will present in details our project of improving the existing OU’s E-learning system Our initial objective is to improve the system to make it a better one — an E-learning system that is useful and helpful to both OU’s teacher and student, providing a new teaching / - learning experience, which makes the task of teaching and learning easier and more
interesting
In order to achieve that objective, we have to complete a set of targets, such as:
> Better structure of contents, with updated information and materials, covering various courses and topics that are necessary to the teachers and students;
> Better supporting infrastructure which facilitates smooth operation of the system and more connections of a time The infrastructure will also have to assure that the system it is really easy to access the system for both high-speed and low-speed
connection;
> More friendly and easy-to-use interface;
> More features and functions, including Q&A section, test and examination section,
discussion forum, and general news update;
~ Taking in consideration of the current situation of OU, we don’t aim at developing a perfect E- * learning system Our general objective is to effectively improve the existing one to upgrade it
to an obviously higher level : TH The structure of the thesis
"The Thesis consists of 18 chapters, grouping in two main parts: BEGINNING CHAPTER
PART I: BUSINESS CASE
Chapter 1: Introduction of Hochiminh City Open University Chapter 2: Introduction of E-learning system
Chapter 3: HCMCOU’s E-learning system Chapter 4: Business improvement project
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PART II: PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS
Chapter 1: Project overview Chapter 2: Project Requirements Chapter 3: Project Organization Chapter 4: Stakeholders Analysis
Chapter 5: Dependencies and Impacts on Other Projects Chapter 6: Facilities and Resources
Chapter 7: Risks Analysis Chapter 8: Cost Saving Analysis
Chapter 9: Detailed Specifications for the Implementation Chapter 10: Project Deliverables
Chapter 11: Project Schedule Chapetr 12: Results CONCLUSION CHAPTER i #
Trang 12Part I: Business Case
1 N HIMINH CITY‘ N UNIVERSITY
1 OU’s establishment and development history, OU’s missions and visions
e Ho Chi Minh City’s Open University (HCMCOU) was founded on July 26, 1993 It is the first university that is managed by the semi - public regulations and it offers the open way of training to activate the justified directions of the Communist Party and Government in socializing education and multiplying the types of training HCMCOU is an institution of higher education offering a variety of programs from undergraduate to postgraduate ranging from distance learning, on — site, learning at satellite academic centers, aiming at meeting various learning needs of society and contributing to the enlargement of the human resources for the country
e 27,500 students are following the courses at HCMOU daytime and night-time or at distance So far the school has offered 512 graduates the 3-year Bachelor degrees, 27,164 graduates the 4-year Bachelor degrees (including 2,750 graduates following distance programs) and 539 graduates the Master degrees
* QU is currently the leading one among non — public universities And it has received the Government decision to become a public one at early June Therefore, to enhance its positioning, the board of management clearly define its vision and mission as follows:
* HCMCOU VISION
* To become one of the top among public universities in South Vietnam %* To continue the jeadership for distance education training for 70,000
students in South Vietnam
* To expand the collaboration with many other domestic and foreign
institutes, universities
%* HCMCOU MISSION
* To foster and train qualified teachers for the sake of management and teaching
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* To build up new and maintain the existing infrastructures to enhance the quality for on-site and distance teaching and learning
* To undertake in order to promote the knowledge level of people through forms of distance learning, on-site, learning at satellite academic centers, and the ability of self - learning to organize many kinds of training programs such as:
e Postgraduate programs (Master degree) e Undergraduate programs (Bachelor degree) © Diploma programs (Diploma)
e Fostering courses (Certificate)
* To organize science research and hand over industry activities, popularize information about science and technology, propagate and preserve the national cultures, etc
* To associate with and help many local training centers, and to organize training collaboration activities with many companies, science research organizations, and educational institute (domestic and foreign)
2 OU's current situation as a business — brand image & “market” share % Positioning
Compared to public universities, OU, in learners’ viewpoint is still of secondary alternative although it is the leading among non — public ones Take, for example, the number of students applying for entrance exam is only 11,000 compared to Economics University of 40,000 and in case students can pass 2 entrance exams: one is OU and one public university, their first choice is still a public university
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*% Market Share among Non — public universities 2006
Market Share —
| Open University
O Lotus coliege m Lac Hong University
1 University of Technology
w Huflit
@ Marketing University
* WNo of students from 2001 to 2006
@ Students - in service training
@ Students - college level
(G Students - university level |
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* No of students participating distance learning from 1998 to 2006 DISTANCE LEARNING B No of studenis 199W 16999 20002 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Trang 163 OU’s management structure & SWOT analysis a Management structure [ Board of Management | [ Rector and Vice Rector (TT ¬ ¬
Office of Personnel & (— Faculty of Economics and
L General Administration J L Business Administration J
“ ¬ `
Office of (_ Faculty of Accounting -
L Acedamic Affairs | \ Finance - Banking J
(~ ) (TT ¬
Office of Planning - Finance Faculty of Computer Science
\ J \ -/
^ ` yếm
Office of Foreign Cooperation Facutty of Foreign Languages
L ~ Postgraduate J L J
(~ ¬ (TT `
Center of Distance Training Faculty of Bio-Technology
C _ _ a
f ¬ ' N
Center of Study Assessment Faculty of Engineering
L J L 8 Technology J
đã | r `
Center of Student Support Faculty of Southeast
LŨ Services J L Asian Studies J
~~ i x
Center of Information | Faculty of Sociology
L System Management J L
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b SWOT analysis
* HCMC OU’s brand was rather famous in South Vietnam
*' Public relation activities are well supported by a strong nation-wide network
* Competitive Tuition fee among non — public universities
* Long — term relationship with domestic & foreign cooperation
* The experience on distance training for 10
_ years up to now
* The number of qualified teachers/ lecturers are very few
* Existing infrastructures do not sufficiently support teaching and learning especially distance learning
* The transitional period from non — public to public university requires the board of Management to make significant reform on the existing structure (teaching method, - administrative structure, etc)
Opportunities
* Huge demand for higher education especially distance learning
* It becomes 100% public university which can attract more learners’ attention
* New launching study programs with other
institutes
* The appearance of more and more foreign institutes and cooperation study programs among domestic universities with overseas universities
* The quality of teaching and learning needs to be
university
improved once becoming a_ public
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As mentioned above, the existing infrastructures do not meet the demand of the teachers and learners to enhance the educational quality while the set target for distance training requires the management to upgrade the existing educational system This situation, therefore, queries to the management to review and reform their existing structures through not only _onsite study but also distance learning Therefore, building an E — LEARNING SYSTEM which can support the teachers and learners should be considered one of the priorities for OU's board of management
Below is the existing information system in HCMCOU:
HCMCOU built a decentralized information system includes: 4 HCMCOU website
- s Mail system
#& E — learning system
% Education management system % Accounting System
4 Library system % Secure system
4
+ LAN - Local Network Area has been upgrading with CISCO’s latest equipment
4 HCMCOU currently has 10 servers but most of them are old — fashioned and limited processing capacity
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4 HCMCOU has been using leased-line 128Kb, 4 ADSL (4x2Mb) and possesses more than S00 computers used for management and study The existing software system mostly uses Microsoft Windows as MS Windows 2003, MS Windows XP, MS Windows 2000; however, the software license issue is still of minor consideration
I N E:L NIN TEM
1 Introduction of E-learning system
11 Definitions
As opposed to the computer-based training of the 1980s, the term e-learning refers to computer-enhanced training E-learning is usually delivered via a personal computer It includes learning delivered by other communications technologies Methods include online lectures, tutorials, performance support systems, simulations, job aids, games, and more Effective e-learning is often a blend of methods
E-learming, therefore, is an approach to facilitate and enhance learning through both computer and communications technology Such devices can include personal
computers, CDROMs, Television, PDAs, MP3 Players, and Mobile Phones
Communications technology enables the use of the Internet, email, discussion forums, WIKIs, collaborative software, classroom management software and team learning
systems _ Environment | | Process Courseware Internet development s) < Regist
Studio Study asset egister
—>
room
3p!
Computer Teacher „
Handheld Student <———— Technician
, Officer
Ichikawa diagram for eLearning
Trang 20E-learning may also be used to suit distance learning through the use of WANs (Wide Area Networks), and may also be considered to be a form of flexible learning where just-in-time learning is possible Courses can be tailored to specific needs and asynchronous learning is possible Where learning occurs exclusively online, this is
called online education
Distance education provided the base for e-learning’s development E-learning can be “on demand” It overcomes timing, attendance and travel difficulties
hae
* Application areas
4 Communications
e E— mail, Phone technologies, IM Technologies, Shared Desktops 4 Publishing
e Web resources, Blogging technology, Collaborative Publishing A Interaction
e Quizzes, Testing, Simulation
4 Managing
e Resources, Students, Assessment * End - users
= Front-End Users
Citizens of the knowledge society, interested in accessing learning material and/or e-learning applications and services, from internal (to their organisation, community, etc) and external knowledge repositories, within different contexts of use Front-end users include:
> Formal learners, accessing learning material within formal learning settings (schools, universities, etc), usually curricular-based and learning institution-
mediated;
Trang 21> Vocational learners or workers with a strong motivation to improve their career development opportunities within a highly competitive environment, mainly interested in accessing knowledge and real-time assistance from their workplace, at the time and place that it is needed to complete certain tasks;
> Life-long learners, who access knowledge repositories mainly in non-formal settings (e.g., learning at home);
and,
> Occasional learners, who access learning material "on the fly", usually without a clear learning plan and objective
Front-end users require efficient, effective, just-in-time and context-sensitive access to learning material and/or e-learning applications and services, anytime and anywhere, in a personalised way, according to their individual (and continuously changing) needs, requirements, preferences, skills, background, and
so on
Individuals or organisations interested in publishing learning material, or providing e-learning applications and services Back-end users may have different roles, business interests, and so on:
>» Authors and publishers, aiming to publish their learning material so that it can be easily searched and retrieved by individual front-end users through e- learning applications and services;
> E-learning platform providers, mainly interested in developing and providing applications which exploit available learning material, such as jearning Management systems, assessment systems, knowledge management
systems, performance support systems, etc; and,
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>» E-learning service providers, using their own or third party learning material and platforms, to provide e-learning broker services
Back-end users require tools that can enable them to meet the requirements of front-end users for on-demand, personalised learning within different e-learning and e-working settings Moreover, they require tools which can enable them to author and publish learning material and provide e-learning applications and services in an interoperable and re-usable way
1.3.1 Types/ forms of E - learning system
4 Knowledge databases
o While not necessarily seen as actual training, these databases are the most basic form of e-learning You've probably seen knowledge databases on software sites offering indexed explanations and guidance for software
questions, along with step-by-step instructions for performing specific tasks
These are usually moderately interactive, meaning that you can either type in
a key word or phrase to search the database, or make a selection from an alphabetical list
4 Online support
© Online support is also a form of e-learning and functions in a similar manner to
knowledge databases, Online support comes in the form of forums, chat rooms, online bulletin boards, e-mail, or live instant-messaging support Slightly more interactive than knowledge databases, online support offers the opportunity for more specific questions and answers, as well as more immediate answers
4 Synchronous
o Synchronous training is done in real-time with a live instructor facilitating the training Everyone logs in at a set time and can communicate directly with the instructor and with each other You can raise your cyber hand and even view the cyber whiteboard It lasts for a set amount of time from a single session to several weeks, months or even years This type of training usually takes place via Internet Web sites, audio- or video-conferencing, Internet telephony, or even two-way live broadcasts to students in a classroom
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4 Asynchronous
o This is e-learning in the more traditional sense of the word It involves self-
paced learning, either CD-ROM-based, Network-based, Intranet-based or Internet-based It may include access to instructors through online bulletin boards, online discussion groups and e-mail Or, it may be totally self-
contained with links to reference materials in place of a live instructor
1.3.2 E - learning system: Technological Platform * Before 1983: Teacher — Centered Learning Era
Before computer commonly used, “Teacher centered” method is mostly used in universitites/schools where learners can exchange information among teachers and others The typical character is low cost training
* From 1984 — 1993: Multimedia Era
Microsoft Windows 3.1, Macintosh, Powerpoint are basic technology in this era which intergrate sounds and photos using CBT (Computer — based training) via CD — ROMs or floppy disks 24/7 at anytime and anywhere However, teachers; guidance is still very limited
* From 1994 — 2005: E-learning Era x From 1994 — 1999; First wave
Once Web was invented, educational service provider initially made research in order to apply Web — based training via e — mail, CBT through intranet with text and simple pictures, slow motion pictures on large extent, using web browser Web-based training frequently includes interactive methods, such as bulletin boards, chat rooms, instant messaging, videoconferencing, and discussion threads WBT is usually a self-paced learning medium, however some systems allow for online testing and evaluation at specific times
x From 2000 — 2005: Second wave
Together with high techonology including JAVA (2 Aigh-level computer programming language that allows small application programs to be downloaded from a server to 2 Chent along with the data that each program processes), IP (Internet Protocol), Internet connectivity, Network Access Technology and high bandwith connection,
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Web design technology becomes a revolution in education Teachers, through
webcast, can online deliver a single content source (sounds, photos, slideshows)
and distribute it to many simultaneous listeners/viewers Web technology, day by day, has proven its effective impact on diversifying learning environment
Learning Objects Students ! User’s portal Courseware ' development team , ' > Quality assessment process | SYSTEM STRUCTURE
- Similar to traditional education method, a basic e learning system includes 3 main
components:
* Learning Objects
+ LO — Learning Object is an aggregation of one or more digital assets incorporating metadata which constitute an educationally meaningful stand- alone unit
+ Alearning object typically includes three components: a performance goal (what the learner will understand or be able to accomplish upon completion of the learning), the necessary learning content to reach that goal (such as text, video,
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illustration, bulleted slide, demo, task simulation), and some form of evaluation to measure whether or not the goal was achieved
+ Using eLearning objects you can create small 'building-blocks'’ of learning content The main advantage of producing learning content in this way is the flexibility it offers Once a collection of objects has been produced these can be re-used in different combinations to construct different learning experiences
+ The processes of creating learning material can, at times, involve some technical knowledge, Re-using existing learning objects can eliminate this requirement and allow everyone to develop professional material with little effort
+ eLearning objects conform to international specifications and can contain resources including audio and video clips, images, Microsoft PowerPoint
presentations, Macromedia Flash and Director movies, Adobe Acrobat
documents and Qarbon Viewlets or SCORM (Shareable Content Resource Model)
+ With eLearning objects you can easily add glossaries, further information sections and indexes Once an object has been made, eLearning objects provides a browser based off-line viewer for testing To be reusable a learning object must be easily identified This process of describing an object is often called ‘tagging’ or adding 'meta-data’ eLearning objects allows the incorporation of a range of 'meta-data’, at the object, page and individual resource level
+ Furthermore, the building of the contents of learning objects can be done with professional — Authoring or Courseware LO also contains megadata providing descriptive information and setting different level of permission to “sensitive” information (answer sheet, etc.)
* Learning Content Management System (LCMS)
% The focus of an LCMS is on learning content It gives authors, instructional designers, and subject matter experts the means to create e-learning content more efficiently The primary business problem an LCMS solves is to create just
Trang 26enough content just in time to meet the needs of individual learners or groups of learners Rather than developing entire courses and adapting them to multiple audiences, instructional designers create reusable content chunks and make them available to course developers throughout the organization This eliminates duplicate development efforts and allows for the rapid assembly of customized content
* LCMSs (Learning Content Management System) and LMSs (Learning Management System) are not only distinct from one another, they also complement each other well When tightly integrated, information from the two systems can be exchanged, ultimately resulting in a richer learning experience for the user and a more comprehensive tool for the learning administrator An LMS can manage communities of users, allowing each of them to launch the appropriate objects stored and managed by the LCMS In delivering the content, the LCMS also bookmarks the individual learner’s progress, records test scores, and passes them back to the LMS for reporting purposes.”
Internet Explorer
So how are learning objects used to create content? An LCMS stores learning objects in a central repository for instructional designers to retrieve and assemble into personalized courses This benefits developers and learners because traditional courses tend to contain more content than any single learner can absorb or needs to absorb about a topic By breaking course content into learning objects and serving them up on an as needed basis, content developers can deliver just-in-time and just-enough learning The end result is increased productivity because employees aren‘t wasting time wading through irrelevant material
Trang 27While LCMS capabilities vary, key components include
> Learning object repository The learning object repository is a central database in which learning content is stored and managed It’s from this point that individual learning objects are either dispensed to users individually or used as components to assemble larger learning modules or full courses, depending on individual learning needs The instructional output may be delivered via the Web, CD-ROM, or printed materials The same object may be used as many times and for as many purposes as is appropriate The integrity of the content is preserved regardless of the delivery platform XML serves this function by separating content from programming logic and code
Vv Automated authoring application This application is used to create the reusable learning objects that are accessible in the repository The application automates development by providing authors with templates and storyboarding capabilities that incorporate instructional design principles Using these templates, authors may develop an entire course by using existing learning objects in the repository, creating new learning objects, or using a combination of old and new objects Authors may be subject matter experts, instructional designers, media production artists, a community of practice leaders, and so forth The tool may also be used to rapidly convert libraries of an organization’s existing content, typically by adding media, customized interfaces, and instructional methodologies An author may reside within an organization or at an outsourced provider
>» Dynamic delivery interface To serve up a learning object based on learner
profiles, pretests, and/or user queries, a dynamic delivery interface is required This component also provides user tracking, links to related sources of
information, and multiple assessment types with user feedback This interface
may be customized for the organization using the LCMS For example, content
may be presented on Webpages emblazoned with the company logo and a look and feel designed to reflect the desired corporate image The look and feel may also be localized to the user's region
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>» Administrative application This application is used to manage learners’ records, launch e-learning courses from course catalogs, track and report the progress of learners, and provide other basic administrative functions This information can be fed into an LMS designed with more robust administrative functionality
The downside of the LCMS proposition is that it takes a great deal of foresight, planning, and skill to design effective learning objects even when templates and examples are provided Designers must think in a non-linear fashion and have a fair
understanding of all the contexts in which an object might be needed or used For
example, if a learning object is taken out of context or presented with insufficient supporting information, it can do more harm than good Some courses, such as
those required for safety or certification programs, are required to cover a specific
set of topics in a certain order and should not be broken apart
To be sure, learning objects and LCMSs are a fixed part of the future, but they will likely always coexist with other forms of learning, such as mentoring, learning by doing, and instructor-led training
* Virtual classroom
Virtual classroom is considered and developed as an advanced form of distance
learning Published lectures, course materials, assignments for homework, online
conferencing or consultation and live chats as resources of a classroom Model of a classroom must include these resources At the same time, virtual classroom is demanded to offer the same services as a conventional classroom However, browseable teaching materials, links inserted for background information and other possibilities of an Internet based system facilitates introduction of much more services as a conventional classroom It includes:
o VoIP (Voice over IP) o Video conference
o Shared desktop and direct response
o Classes under the combination of learning objects o Hyberlinks with LMS & LCMS
> End — users interact with the virtual classes through users’ portal and services
Trang 29In e — learning model, the training structure includes 4 components of which total or partial contents remitted to the learners through technology communications as follows:
1, CONTENT f¢raining content, lectures, learning objects are in the form of multimedia technology (e.g CBT lectures are written by ToolbooklL, etc)
2 DISTRIBUTION /s made through efectronic means (e.g materials sent to learners via mails, learners studying on website, CD - ROMs, etc.)
3 MANAGEMENT /s completed through electronic means (e.g online registration,
SMS attendants through Internet cannection.etc.)
4 CO-OPERATION information is exchanged through electronic means (é.g forum for discussion, chat,etc.)
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2 5C’s of eLearning
There are five critical factors - or the five C's - that can make the difference between success and failure of an eLearning initiative
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3 Advantages / disadvantages of an E-learning system
3.1 Benefits from E - learning
* Learner Access - determining the best time to schedule a class and lure the student into the "brick and mortar" classroom is one of the major difficulties that besets traditional training programs Busy schedules and increased travel cause many people to cancel at the last minute - even if they desperately need the dass eLearning provides access to training for students when and where they need it
* Emphasizes Solutions and Learning Results - @ transformation is under way in today's workplaces, one in which "training" is giving way to "learning solutions." This transformation is based on the fact that in an eLearning environment, access to just-in-time information, advice and performance support are central to learning The eLearning experience integrates learning with work in order to enhance performance in a dynamic, interactive and measurable way
* Cost Savings - a much-touted benefit of online learning is cost savings Thousands of dollars can be saved in travel and downtime alone by using eLearning Training materials can be updated for a fraction of the cost of revising materials distributed by other means Payback can be seen clearly over the near and long term
* Is Learner Focused - fechnology can personalize content and anticipate learner's future information learning needs It also can match content with each individual's tearning style, experience and skills Moreover, ‘earning is geared to the needs and interests of the individual learner and is integrated into virtually all aspects of the individual's work and life Finally, control of the learning process can shift from institutions to individuals, who assume greater responsibility for developing their skills and knowledge
* Is Measurable - powerful Learning Management System (LMS) features make the implementation, hosting, tracking, testing, auditing and administration of online courses a seamless process New means of assessing and certifying learning results replace traditional, clock-hour measures, providing secure and
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reliable systems for recording and capturing what an individual knows and is
able to do
* Same or Better Learning Outcomes - research has shown that training via online learning results in similar, if not better, learning outcomes Research from around the world has proven that online education methods achieve similar - if not superior - results when compared with traditional methods of teaching
* Faster Response Time - time sensitive training can be delivered faster than through traditional classroom methods By using communication technology to deliver training to multiple sites at the same time, elearning becomes a competitive advantage This helps accelerate development of new products, especially through a dispersed audience
* Better Use of "Experts" - an expert presenter or trainer can be used more cost effectively with elearning than through traditional classrooms Programs that require the presence of an expert (non-facilitative education) can send the expert's message to multiple sites simultaneously - saving time and money And the message is consistent for every delivery of the course
* Remediation and Practice - Participants who want more practice with a concept learned in a traditional training class can use a computer to simulate or perform exercises to improve their skills This model is also useful for remediation, helping correct deficiencies Using eLearning for these purposes promotes the concept of the learning organization of the future where employees will practice skills in "managerial practice fields" - as described in Peter Senge’s book, The Fifth Discipline - before actual application on the job
Trang 33The difference between e - learning and conventional classrooms reporting
E - LEARNING CONVENTIONAL CLASSROOMS
* Reduced travel expenses x Travel expenses (airfare, meals, lodging, parking, mileage, etc.) * Time savings Lost time from office or customer
Printing and shipping costs for * Electronically delivered support handouts and support materials
materials
* 24/7/365 * Scheduled
* Continuous access for one full year * Qne-time course
* Convenient * Difficult to schedule conveniently * Self-paced, at students own speed * Specific timeframe according to * Consistent each delivery instructors schedule
* Varying quality based on instructor * Long-term retention style, mood and skill
* 10% retention over 2-3 days * Remediation and practice available beyond instruction
any time * May have hard copy materials to * Focus on and learn what is important review
to student and skip unnecessary * Student taught all information and information at the same level as rest of the
class
favironment %* Controllable physical factors don't * Physical environment critical to the |
exist success of the program (issues of |
lighting, comfort, acoustics, group size, trainer competence, and learner preparedness)
* Technology is key environmental * Location is key environmental
success factor success factor
easures * Can track progress, report and * Not available
measure course effectiveness
* Testing with automatic grading and * Not available or done manuall
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gn * Get the design right, and you'll
engage learners Get it wrong, and you'll alienate them
More opportunities for learners to communicate
More opportunities to empower
learners
eLearners manage their own
environment
* Structured classroom course around learning mades (lectures,
exercises, discussions, role-plays, group sessions, tests)
* Less opportunities for learners to
communicate
* Learners cannot learn in their preferred styles
* Classroom is controllable by instructor
Registration, payment, management,
technical support, and customer
* Same factors are typically in slow- response, offline environment
service in real-time
3.3 Should we apply e - learning model?
Before making final decision on cost and benefits of applying the system, we should take into considerations the viewpoints from 2 involving parties: the training centers or organizations and the learners/students If both sides agreed that e — learning gets more advantages than its disadvantages, we should apply this effective model
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FTo training centers or training organizations
Advantages Disadvantages -
Reduced overall cost is the single most influential factor in adopting e-learning The elimination of costs associated with
instructor's salaries, meeting room rentals,
and student travel, lodging, and meals are
directly quantifiable The reduction of time
spent away from the job by employees may
be the most positive offshoot
Per-student equipment costs are affordable Almost any computer today equipped with a modem and free browser software can access the Internet or a private Intranet The cost of setup is
relatively low
Learning times reduced ~ an average of
40% to 60%
Increased retention and application to the
job averages an increase of 25% over
traditional methods
Consistent delivery of content is possible
with asynchronous, self-paced e-learning
Expert knowledge is communicated, but
more importantly captured, with good e-
learning and knowledge management
systems
Proof of completion and certification, essential elements of training initiatives, can
be automated
Up-front investment required of an e-
learning solution is larger due to
will need to be negotiated
| |
development costs Budgets and cash flows |
|
Technology issues that play a factor |
include whether the existing technology | infrastructure can accomplish the training | goals, whether additional tech expenditures | can be justified, and whether compatibility Ì
of all software and hardware can be] achieved
Inappropriate content for e-learning may
exist according to some experts, though are
limited in number Even the acquisition of 4
skills that involve complex physical/motor or emotional components (for example, juggling or mediation) can be augmented with e-learning
Cultural acceptance is an issue in
organizations where student demographics
and psychographics may predispose them against using computers at all, tet alone for
e-learning
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«Ằ To students/learners
Advantages
On-demand availability enables students to complete training conveniently at off-
hours or from home
x Access is available anytime, anywhere, around the globe
Students always have access to a potentially huge library of training and information whether they are working from home, in the office, or from a hotel room As cellular modems become more popular, students will even be able to access training in a place that doesn't have a traditional phone line or network connection
x Selfpacing for slow or quick learners
reduces stress and increases satisfaction
x Interactivity engages users, pushing them rather than pulling them through training x Confidence that refresher or quick
reference materials are available reduces burden of responsibility of mastery
LEE a Disadvantages
Technology issues of the leamers are | most commonly technophobia and| unavailability of required technologies Portability of training has become a| strength of e-learning with the proliferation of network linking points, § notebook computers, PDAs, and mobile phones, but still does not rival that of printed workbooks or reference material
Reduced social and cultural interaction can be a drawback The impersonality, suppression mechanisms such as body language, and Ï of communication
elimination of peer-to-peer learning that § are part of this potential disadvantage are } lessening with advances ing
communications technologies
The advantages and disadvantages of e-learning vary depending on program goals, target audience and organizational infrastructure and culture But it is unarguable that e-learning is rapidly growing as form of training delivery and most are finding that the clear benefits to e- learning will guarantee it a role in their overall learning strategy
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3.4 E-learning and other teaching model
The teaching model in 21* centry has been predicted to include 3 following approaches: Traditional training, Distance Training with ISDN/IP & & Distance Training via E — learning It depends on the content of the training model and financial capacity that organizations will implement appropriate approaches
Teaching model Contents Participants
Traditional High requirements, Few & face to face learning
complexity, practices, direct at schools/ universities information exchange
Distance learning via | Moderate Many & at remote areas
| Satellite/ISDN/IP
Distance learning with E -|Low and average through | Numorous at any time and
‘| learning electronic means anywhere
4 Application of E-learning system
4.1 Current implementation of E-learning systems in the world, especially at universities
Nearly 3 million students are believed to be taking online classes at institutions of higher education in the United States this year, according to a report from the Sloan Consortium, an authoritative source of information about online higher education The explosive rate of growth now about 25 percent a year has made hard numbers a moving target But according to Sloan, virtually all public higher education institutions, as well as a vast majority of private, for-profit institutions, now offer online classes (By contrast, only about half of private,
nonprofit schools offer them.) Sloan tracks degree-granting institutions, but no
one's keeping tabs on the thousands of corporate and vocational e-learning
programs
Because there exists an ever-increasing range of information and communications technologies (ICT) the range of options that facilitate learning is likewise increasing Participants in learning already have many choices in terms of how
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they engage with ICT, and encounter ICT across a full range of activities in work and leisure
An increasing proportion of learners are ‘digital natives’ whose thought processes, socialization and engagement with ICT differs radically from that of previous generations Google queries; ad hoc surfing of the Web; numerous messaging and interaction technologies (email, web-forums, and real-time chat); personal weblogs; collaborative websites such as wikis; research tools that enable the classification and clustering of queried results on the fiy; purchase of goods and services, sophisticated virtual reality and simulation environments; gaming and role-play applications are not only the daily experience and key methods of interaction for the digital native, but they are both the normal expectation and historical experience
Moreover, there is an increasing range of user interfaces, physical devices and supporting infrastructure that facilitate this engagement
Rarely are technologies used in e-learning developed specifically for the learning community ICT developments are harnessed to support learning E-learning applications vary in scale and purpose and encompass a full range of engagement
points from purpose built ‘learning management systems’ or ‘virtual learning environments’ that are structured around course delivery to short, just in time targeted, single purpose learning experiences, delivered in context and developed for example in Flash or Java
4,2, Future implementation of E - learning systems in the world
History shows that the role of new technology is often overestimated When the motion picture was a “new technology”, there were also great expectations for how it could be used in education In 1922 Thomas Edison declared:
'T believe that the motion picture is destined to revolutionize our educational system and in a few years the motion picture will supplant largely, if not entirely, the use of textbooks.” What will actually happen in the future
Porter (1997) predicts that full time students in the future will study much like they do today, on location on the campus But the traditional academic institutions will change There will be a bigger competition between the educational institutions as a lot of courses will be available for everyone, regardless of where the students
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are geographically This competition will create more cooperation between schools,
universities, and companies to make the courses better, more innovative, and
more competitive
Even though it is possible today to offer online courses where everything is
available for the students on the Internet, the role of the teacher is still important
Technology is still only a channel for distributing content and communication The
content still needs to be created by a teacher and a teacher still needs to tutor the
students during the course and evaluate their results Good teachers are still
needed in online and distance courses now and in the future (Burnett, 1999)
Fontaine and Fuchs (2000) claim that a lot of the distance online courses offered
today still copy the settings and methods in traditional courses Today the students often read lectures from the computer screen and get the same types of tasks as in traditional courses A lot of the new possibilities offered by technology are still only used for creating colourful and playful textbooks on the web
* Mobility
Along with the introduction of new mobile devices, ideas for how they can be used for learning have also been developed Mobile learning (m-learning) was introduced as a concept a few years ago, and the expectations were great M- learning was going to revolutionise learning, as it would make it possible to study anywhere at any time M-learning is however no big hit yet, but it will probably be an important complement in the future PDAs or smart phones are perfect for
reference information and for learning small chunks of content For example,
medical students can use PDAs to get medical information during their practice period, instead of consulting bulky, printed books that might not be accessible at the location
According to Savill-Smith and Kent (2003) research shows that the main reasons given for using PDAs for learning, are that they assist students’ motivation, help organisational skills, encourage a sense of responsibility, help both independent and collaborative learning, act as reference tools, and can be used to help track students’ progress and for assessment The relatively low cost of PDAs makes it
Trang 40feasible to provide every student with a personal machine A disadvantage of PDAs is that they have less functionality than laptop computers
Wireless broadband Internet access is becoming more common via WLAN
networks Today these can be found in hotels, airports and even city-wide in many cities These networks make it possible to get a broadband Internet connection (currently up to 54 Mbps) anywhere in range of the network This enables people to use their extra waiting time at the airport for learning with the help of a laptop computer and a subscription for the available WLAN network WLAN is now being integrated into a wider range of laptop computers and PDAs, which will increase the possibilities for m-learning
* Interactive television
The arrival of interactive television has the potential to expand the power of the medium by delivering interactive learning into the homes (Masthoff & Pemberton, 2003) Many people think that interactive TV will be the next big e-learning trend and a new term has also been introduced for this; t-learning The term t-learning stands for televisual learning, which according to Antwere and Bates (2003) is: “earning with interactive TV or similar screen based device with video-rich content delivered via one or a number of different platforms (satellite, cable, digital terrestrial) but not primarily learning with a personal computer as it is recognised today.” T-learning depends on reliable, easy-to-use consumer devices using standard hardware, software and networking infrastructures
Interactive television (iTV) is a two-way interactive service provided through digital television, giving audiences greater choice and control of their viewing experience With iTV the viewer will (or can) become an active user, who can interact with TV and do tasks we are used to doing on computers by using different software applications that can be downloaded through the TV network [www] Interactive digital TV is basically a hybrid between television and a computer Most countries have already started digitalising their TV networks, but the introduction of the technology among consumers has been a lot slower than expected Most
governments have already set dates for when the analogue TV networks will be