E-learning for the ECO-Serve network
Definition of an e-learning platform
An e-learning platform is a computer application specifically developed for long distance tutoring via the internet. New multimedia techniques can be used for an improved training quality. The pedagogical aspect of this education is principal. These platforms operate mainly on a coach-student relation, where the coach supplies the online courses and the student enrols to these courses by opening an account on the platform. These courses can be either public or private (authorisation of the coach needed).
Most of the e-learning platforms offer similar possibilities, like
· the publication of documents in all formats (Word, PDF, HTML, Flash, Video,…);
· the management of forums;
· the creation of user groups;
· the publication of exercises;
· the management of an agenda;
· the publication of announcements;
· the submission of tasks by users;
E-learning platforms offer applications that simplify the use, the maintenance and follow-up of the courses. The coaches can limit their involvement to the publication of their courses. In this case the pedagogical aspect is neglected.
Cost of an e-learning platform
The set up of an e-learning platform involves costs for soft- and hardware and the cost for maintaining the platform.
The software cost depends on the type of platform: some “open source” platforms are free, while others (with extended possibilities) require user licences.
The platforms need a server and a bandwidth in proportion with the number of users.
The writing of the courses and the exploitation of the platform requires personnel (teachers, tutors, ICT).
ECO-Serve PowerPoint Presentation
Most of the information, which is generated by the different clusters of the ECO-Serve Network, consists of mapping data of the use of technologies and materials in Europe and BAT reports.
This information is meant to be disseminated mainly to the industry. This can be achieved by inviting the key players of the industry to symposia and by providing the information on the internet. Here, it is not the intention to provide a profound e-learning course on the subject, but merely to give access to an online, structured, easy-to-use information centre. It follows that there isn’t any need for tutoring either, as the “learning”-experience is totally autonomous.
To achieve this, first a well-organised PowerPoint presentation should be made, containing all the results of the network. Various presentations, demonstrating results of the different clusters of the network, already exist as they were given during meetings or workshops in the course of the ECO-Serve Network. To make the ECO-Serve Presentation is therefore mainly a job of assembling the different parts into one clear presentation.
It was decided that additional, basic information (history, production, European standards) on the concerned materials (aggregates, cement, concrete) should complete the presentation to make it more attractive for people from outside the industry. As many of the Network-partners are members of the industry or research centres, the gathering of the additional information can easily be done.
E-learning software
When the well-organised ECO-Serve Presentation, with the additional information, has been finished, it should be put online. There exist many applications that create asynchronous (without tutor) e-learning courses starting from a PowerPoint presentation. Features include navigation tables and the synchronisation of slides, HTML pages, video, … with audio comments. The format of the resulting file can be Flash, HTM, Real, ….
Some examples of such applications:
· Producer (Microsoft): free PowerPoint add-on. Outcome: HTM;
· Breeze (Macromedia): very expensive PowerPoint plug-in. Outcome: Flash;
· Articulate Presenter: inexpensive, professional PowerPoint add-on. Outcome: Flash.
Other applications exist, but haven’t been tested yet.
Articulate Presenter 4.0
As Flash is currently the best technology and because it possesses the necessary features, Articulate Presenter has been chosen as converter of the ECO-Serve PowerPoint Presentation. A trial version is available on the internet and has been tested and approved.
Articulate Presenter 4.0 presents itself as an add-in for PowerPoint. It converts a PowerPoint presentation to a Flash file that can then be published on whichever server. It’s a professional application in which you can navigate through an outline table, import audio and video and add narration to the final slides. It is a fairly cheap application with a retail price of only 580 Euro.
