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 (Joomla!), Learning Management System (Moodle), 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 ISBN: 978-1-61804-238-5 128 Advances in Educational Technologies 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], Drupal [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