Our design of the new instructional materials and the other components of the delivery environment (Phase 4) was based on the decisions taken in the architecture phase. Our plans and results are presented in Table 6-4.
O R I E N T A T I O N P R I N C I P L E S F O R T H E D E L I V E R Y M O D E L
• All of the learning events use an asynchronous distance education delivery model with remote communication.
• Certain telecom tools are broadband connection and narrowband modem access. Other communication tools are the phone and pub- lic mail.
• All of the learning activities are delivered at the moment chosen by the learner.
• All of the learning activities are delivered at the location selected by the learner.
• All of the learning units can accommodate groups that start up any time the minimum number of learners is reached (minimum 5, maximum 15).
• All learning units require the intervention of instructional trainers who provide assistance to many groups of learners, and require remote contributions from the administrative and technical support personnel.
• All of the LUs will be evaluated by a remote tutor for purposes of issuing training credit.
• Some of the training activities are evaluated only by the tutor; others are self-assessed by the learner himself or herself.
• All of the learning events are reevaluated at least once a year and they are revised at least every two years. They are evaluated by the learners and trainers, through forums and questionnaires integrated into the material.
R e e n g i n e e r i n g a U n i v e r s i t y C o u r s e f o r t h e We b 1 5 7
Table 6-4. Tasks Accomplished in Phase 4 of the Project “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence.”
Phase 4 Task Planned Results
Define the content Associate a knowledge submodel A draft plan based on a of the learning (which describes the content) knowledge submodel was instruments with each instrument resource completed for the three (ED 410) that appears in the LEN (ED 222) new texts.
and in the LU scenarios (ED 320).
Define the properties Describe the properties of each A text to insert on the of the learning instrument and each guide for course Web site was instruments and the LEN (ED 222) and the LU produced for each
guides (ED 420) scenarios. instrument.
List the learning List and group the learning The instruments were materials (ED 430) system (LS) materials and grouped in a series of describe their main properties. materials according to
their media.
Build the learning For each instructional material Not completed. The Web material, or media, that has to be adapted or site and the new texts were models (ED 432) produced (ED 430), build a built directly from the
graphic representation of its scenario model of each structure and contents for the LU.
authors and media team.
Describe the media Describe the properties of the Not completed (except for elements (ED 434) various media elements that the models representing
appear in each material model each LU and the model (ED 432) of the learning system. captions).
Describe the Describe, for all the LS materials, Not completed, except for source documents the properties of the source the new texts, as all of the (ED 436) documents that appear in the Web site content was
material models (ED 432). defined by the instructional model.
This phase, which aims to prepare for the media production, focused on the resources of the Explor@ environment and the Web site, which replaced the original printed guides. This Web site, a hypermedia guide, was struc- tured from the instructional model: after the welcome page, the user obtained a page similar to the LEN model (Figure 6-1), providing access to any of the modules (LUs) and to their scenarios (Figures 6-4 and 6-5). Then, from these Table 6-4. Tasks Accomplished in Phase 4 of the Project “Introduction to Artificial
Intelligence,” Cont’d.
Phase 4 Task Planned Results
Build the delivery Build graphic models that Not completed, although models (ED 440) feature the relationships between the delivery orientations
the actors and the resources (ED 240) have been upon the LS delivery. applied.
Define the actors Describe the properties of the Two series of materials and material various delivery actors in the LS were defined: one by packages (ED 442) (especially the learner groups mailing CDs or tapes with
and the main resource providers) the manual, the other and the series of materials used entirely on the Web (except to access the LS knowledge and for the manual), with activities. material downloads and
video streaming delivery. Define the telecom Describe the properties of the This is where the resources services and tools telecom services and tools of to be integrated into the (ED 444) the delivery model (ED 440). Explor@ environment were
selected.
Define the delivery Describe the properties of the Not completed, because services and services and locations of delivery the delivery orientation locations (ED 446) model use (ED 440). principles were sufficiently
scenarios, users were granted direct access to the description of the activities, the input instruments (texts, videos, courseware, tools), and production tem- plates for students’ work (formative exercises or graded assignments).
In addition, resources were listed and integrated in the five spaces of the learner’s Explor@ environment, as follows:
Self-management: personal profile, calendar, progression, course syl- labus, course evaluation
Information: Webography, text summaries and three PDFs and videos Production: tool to send graded work, text editor, MOT, six courseware (RULES, PETIT-PROLOG, Syntax, Semantics, Animals and Blocks) Collaboration: showcase window, e-mail, forum, group profile Assistance: directory, technical capsules, study guide, Explor@ guide