Advances in Educational Technologies

‘edil-learning’ Living Lab

F. Longo, S. Santoro, A. Esposito, L. Tarricone, M. Zappatore

Training area of Building sector is a useful example to Abstract—This paper presents a user-centered, open source and piloting this kind of experimentation because is characterized social learning web platform specifically designed for the building by a great variety of teaching, coaching, mentoring activities sector. The proposed web-based platform integrates the most up-to- and student profiles, with specific learning needs and date technological components in terms of Content Management interaction patterns. In this context, the proposed on-line System (!), Learning Management System (), and Web Conferencing System (BigBlueButton). The web platform was collaborative e-learning platform, named edil-learning, is a implemented by customizing a general-purpose framework for the rewarding answer to educational needs in the construction area construction sector. Functional specifications was defined and provides a wide variety of transversal reusable services at considering specific needs of training schools from the construction the same time. area. The validation of the web platform was endorsed by feedbacks The platform is supported by “Living Labs - Apulia from both learners and content managers because it facilitates Innovation in Progress” [1], a project promoted by the Apulia knowledge aggregation and social cooperation. Region (Italy) to increase technological advancements and Keywords—Building sector, Content Management System, innovation wich involved educational institutes, ICT Small and Learning Management System, Social learning, Training school. Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and research laboratories. The project partners adopted a co-modeling strategy to work I. INTRODUCTION together in an efficient way. Design and development of the EOPLE interaction was facilitated by the Web but the platform were achieved by a requirement elicitation phase. The P Social Web is increasing and reinforcing connections validity of our approach is demonstrated by preliminary among people having similar interests and preferences. deployment results. Emerging technologies will have a great positive impact on The rest of the paper is organized in three sections. The next remote education by supporting interaction and knowledge section presents the proposed platform. In Section III user exchange: all actors involved in the learning process may have feedbacks are reported. Finally, Section IV presents some huge advantages. Students may collaborate to improve their conclusions and further works. cognitive and social skills. Teachers may consolidate their experience by sharing opinions and feedbacks on education themes. New initiatives and learning needs may spread easily II. THE “EDIL-LEARNING” PLATFORM by innovative interaction, thus paving the way to focused on- demand education proposals. These opportunities are common Edil-learning platform, (EL, from now on), was developed to the different learning sectors, but specific learning areas in the Living Lab framework composed of two training regarding other benefits and peculiar needs. This is the reason schools, Formedil Bari [2] and Formedil Foggia [3], as Final why the very recent trend towards social e-learning deserves users, the Electromagnetic Lab Lecce, at University of the design of flexible frameworks, which cover both specific Salento, as Research laboratory [5], that provided the and general needs, by exploring “vertical requirements” knowhow about enabling technologies, and Alba Project [4], coming from specific sectors, and extrapolating “horizontal as IT enterprise, that is in charge of the overall development services” common to different areas. stage. A. Requirement elicitation and design methodology F. Longo is with Alba Project Srl, Via Don Luigi Sturzo, 36, 73100 Lecce, Italy (corresponding author to provide phone: +390832318300; fax: The partners worked together in an efficient way to gather +391782224645; e-mail: [email protected]). functional specifications adopting co-modeling strategy. S. Santoro is with Alba Project Srl, Via Don Luigi Sturzo, 36, 73100 First, we design business processes of the training schools. Lecce, Italy (corresponding author to provide phone: +390832318300; fax: +391782224645; e-mail: [email protected]). Then, we find stakeholders and different end-user typologies. A. Esposito is with Dept. of Engineering for Innovation (University of Finally, we map stakeholders with both end-users and platform Salento, Via per Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy (corresponding author to modules. provide e-mail: [email protected]). L. Tarricone is with Dept. of Engineering for Innovation (University of More in detail, we identified the following stakeholders: Salento, Via per Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy (corresponding author to • Director – identifies, approves, defines course high level provide e-mail: [email protected]). features (themes, budget, location, etc.) M. Zappatore is with Dept. of Engineering for Innovation (University of • Salento, Via per Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, Italy (corresponding author to Education manager – guides and controls course provide e-mail: [email protected]). organization (identifies criteria for teacher recruitment

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and student selection, defines constraints to the course Stakeholder Goals Functional Modules calendar, etc.) - To define the educational - E-learning • Technical assistant – carries out all the required activities plan: to participate in the - Calendar provision of educational - Web Conferencing to organize the course according to education manager Technical contents - Video sharing directives (e.g.; didactic material gathering, student assistant - News admission test organization.) - To manage students: to - Social blog • Administrative assistant – works on economic and gather contacts, to tutor, - Social network to manage notices administrative aspects (e.g. cost accounting and - Forum Administrati - To manage administrative - E-commerce reporting.) ve assistant and economic aspects - Reporting • Teacher – is involved in delivering and in monitoring - To supply learning training course contents • Student – takes course lessons - To participate in the - E-learning management of learning - Calendar This kind of organization is specific of the application courses - Web Conferencing - Video sharing environment considered for our project. Therefore, in order to Teacher design a system as replicable as possible, we identified the list - To supply learning courses - News - Social blog of needed functionalities, which correspond to implemented - To control learning - Social network functional modules (Table I), and then defined a mapping activities: to manage - Forum between stakeholders, their business goals and functional examinations, to register modules (Table II). participations, to test students’ satisfaction

- To subscribe to learning TABLE I. EDIL-LEARNING MAIN FUNCTIONAL MODULES courses - E-learning

Module Description - E-commerce - To participate to courses Remote learning activities, even requiring course - Calendar E-learning credit distribution - Web Conferencing - To write up assessment Courses can be attended freely or bought as in a Student - Video sharing E-commerce questionnaires market-place - News

Both remote and local events can be programmed - Social blog Calendar - To pay fee of learning and shared across users Social network subscription - Real-time interaction amongst users thanks to - Forum Web synchronous communication tools (e.g. - To obtain certifications Conferencing text/audio/video chats, whiteboards, desktop sharing, etc.) Video publishing and sharing in a YouTube-like Video sharing approach B. Enabling Technologies Content providers can manage learning materials as The EL platform is built upon a CMS, chosen amongst News in website content publishing Wordpress [6], [7] and Joomla [8]. The latter was Social Blog Participants post comments about published contents selected as best compromise between the former ones and Social Network Tracking of peer’s activities; socialization experiences since it offers the easiest way to implement both social networks and e-commerce components. As for LMS, Moodle Forum Collaborative questioning and answering [9] was selected since it is open source (if compared to other Statistical reporting tools offered by the adopted Reporting solutions such as Docebo [10]) and offers a plethora of CMS, LMS and WCS functionalities for administration, course development, participant interaction and content personalization. In the same TABLE II. MAPPING BETWEEN STAKEHOLDERS, way, during the WCS selection many candidates were GOALS, FUNCTIONAL MODULES compared (e.g., GoToMeeting [11], Adobe Connect [12], Stakeholder Goals Functional Modules BigBlueButton [13], Blackboard Collaborate [14]). - To apply the strategic BigBlueButton was selected due to its relevant features: ease Director guidelines defined by the - Reporting of usage and configuration, high quality video/audio support, Governing Board enhanced user experience, desktop and presentation sharing, - E-learning - To design educational - E-commerce recording facilities, integrability with third-party systems, contents - Calendar resizable components, etc.

- Web Conferencing - To manage tests about Figure I shows how the supporting tools were integrated in Education - Video sharing course monitoring and Manager - News the system framework. evaluation - Social blog

- Social network - Student high-level management - Forum - Reporting

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TABLE III. MAPPING BETWEEN FUNCTIONAL MODULES AND SOFTWARE COMPONENTS

Functional modules Software components E-learning Moodle

E-commerce PayPal enrollment- Moodle Component

Calendar Moodle Calendar

Web Conferencing BigBlueButton

Video Sharing HwdMediaShare - Joomla! Component

News Joomla!

Social Blog K2 – Joomla! Component

Social Network JomSocial – Joomla! Component Figure 1. Enabling technology integration Forum Forum Kunena – Joomla! Component C. High-level Architecture EL is user-centered, web-based and open source. Moreover, Reporting Moodle, Joomla!, BigBlueButton EL is distributed as a Software as a Service (SaaS).These aspects widen the prospected user audience and make it TABLE IV. MAPPING AMONG STAKEHOLDERS, possible to embed EL within other open-source, shared FUNCTIONAL MODULES AND END-USER PROFILES environments. Stakeholder Functional Modules End User Profiles Manager of Moodle, The system covers all phases concerning the learning Director Reporting process, including “pre-course” activities, such as planning, Joomla!, BigBlueButton Courses administrator of student selection, inscription and payment, “in-course E-learning Moodle activities”, such as lesson delivery by synchronous and a- Administrator of Paypal E-commerce synchronous communication, and “post-course” activities, and Moodle such as credit distribution, feedback reporting and statistical Courses administrator of Calendar analysis. This required the definition of a modular framework Moodle Moderator of where the different modules work and cooperate to provide the Web Conferencing appropriate flux of events and data. A rigorous definition of BigBlueButton end-user profiles and roles was performed as well. Education Video sharing Publisher of Joomla! manager Figure 2 shows EL architecture. News Publisher of Joomla! Publisher and Moderator Social blog We defined a mapping between functional modules and of Joomla! software components, as shown in Table III. Consequently, a Social Network Publisher of Joomla! mapping among stakeholders, functional modules and end-user profiles of software components was defined, which is shown Forum Moderator of Joomla! Manager of Moodle, in Table IV. Reporting Joomla!, BigBlueButton E-learning Teacher of Moodle

Calendar Teacher of Moodle Moderator of Web Conferencing BigBlueButton Technical Video sharing Author of Joomla! assistant News Author of Joomla!

Social blog Author of Joomla!

Social Network Author of Joomla!

Forum Author of Joomla! Administrator of Paypal E-commerce Administrative and Moodle assistant Manager of Moodle, Reporting Joomla!, BigBlueButton Teacher E-learning Teacher of Moodle

Calendar Author of Joomla! Figure 2. System high-level architecture Moderator of Web Conferencing BigBlueButton

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Stakeholder Functional Modules End User Profiles the social network). Video sharing Author of Joomla! IV. CONCLUSIONS News Author of Joomla! In this paper we presented an on-line innovative platform Social blog Author of Joomla! for e-learning. The platform enhances cooperation by Social Network Author of Joomla! integrating several Social Network components. It was Forum Author of Joomla! implemented by customizing a general-purpose framework to the construction sector. Indeed, after a strong effort in E-learning Student of Moodle requirement elicitation, and thanks to a co-modeling strategy, a E-commerce Registered of Joomla! rigorous adaptation to rigid requirements in such a critical sector was achieved. Indeed, we are going to replicate this Calendar Registered of Joomla! experience in other critical areas, such as public administration Web Conferencing Viewer of BigBlueButton and health-care, and to extend e-learning functionalities to Student Video sharing Registered of Joomla! provide mobile access, by implementing suited “mobile apps”, and to support “just-in-time” course design and delivery. News Registered of Joomla!

Social blog Registered of Joomla! REFERENCES Social Network Registered of Joomla! [1] Living Labs Apulia. [Online]. http://livinglabs.regione.puglia.it/en/home Forum Registered of Joomla! [2] Formedil Bari. [Online]. http://www.formedilbari.it/ [3] Formedil Foggia. [Online]. http://www.formedilfoggia.it/ [4] Alba Project. [Online]. http://www.albaproject.it/alba1/ III. RESULTS AND FEEDBACKS FROM USERS [5] Electromagnetic Fields Lab Lecce (EML2) - University of Salento http://www.electromagnetics.unisalento.it. The platform is online (http://www.edil-learning.it/jmcms/). [6] WordPress - Blog Tool, Publishing Platform and CMS. [Online]. Figure 3 shows a snapshot of the user interface. http://wordpress.org/ [7] Drupal - Open Source CMS. [Online]. http://drupal.org [8] Joomla! [Online]. http://www.joomla.org [9] Moodle - Open source learning platform. [Online]. https://moodle.org/ [10] Docebo - Elearning Platform: SaaS Cloud LMS. [Online]. http://www.docebo.com [11] GoToMeeting - Online meetings and HD video conferencing. [Online]. http://www.gotomeeting.com [12] Adobe Connect - Web Conferencing Software. [Online]. http://www.adobe.com/it/products/adobeconnect.html [13] BigBlueButton - Open Source Web Conferencing. [Online]. http://bigbluebutton.org [14] Blackboard Collaborate - Online Collaboration Platform. [Online]. http://blackboardcollaborate.com

Figure 3. EL home page

The platform was validated by the training institutes and by the research laboratory. The former ones first defined roles and purposes of stakeholders (director, technicians, teachers, students, etc.), then populated the platform with learning materials and shared knowledge on the social network. The latter superintended the evaluation amongst the available technologies, ensuring its readiness in terms of security, flexibility, coverage, etc. The training phase consisted in testing platform functioning along a set of predefined navigational paths, and in collecting end-user feedbacks in terms of portability, scalability and ease of usage. At the time of writing this abstract, the available 6 learning courses had been attended by about 100 learners (who also subscribed to

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