LMS vs Remote experiments

Integrating Learning Management Systems and Practical Learning Activities: The case of Computer

and Network ExperimentsAmine Bouabid, Philippe Vidal, Julien Broisin

IRIT, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse

Amine Bouabid, Philippe Vidal, Julien Broisin, ICALT 09, July 17, 2009, Riga, Latvia 2

Context

Computer Engineering EducationPractical learning activities based on remote

hands-on lab worksNot reinventing the wheel: reuse of existing

systemsLearning Management Systems to deliver activitiesTest bed systems based on virtualization technologies

(vmware, xen, …)Synchronous and asynchronous tutoringCollaborative learning


Objectives

Integrate test bed systems into learning management systems :Practical activities as others types of learning activitiesRemote labs as others pedagogical resources

Allow an efficient (distant) synchronous / asynchronous tutoring

Allow collaborative learning around practical activities

Transparently offer practical activitiesEnsure Learning Effectiveness of this type of

learning activities


Issues to solve [IEEE09]Ensure transparent communication

between learning environments and remote labs

Collect tracking information about learners’ activities, but also data related to remote labs

Retrieve/Share this tracking information between heterogeneous tools to allow their reuse by teachers, learners, etc..


Outline

Test bed environments: the state of the art Communication between learning environments

and remote experimentation environmentsCollecting learners’ activities and monitoring

evolution of remote experimentsA distributed architecture to gather, retrieve and

share tracking informationConclusion and future work


Existing Test Bed environments

Internet Internet

Physical server (Test Bed System)

Remote users Remote

users


Existing control tools for remote experiments

≠ Learning tools


Outline

Test bed environments: the state of the art Communication between learning

environments and remote experimentation environments

Collecting learners’ activities and monitoring evolution of remote experiments

A distributed architecture to gather, retrieve and share tracking information

Conclusion and future work


Communication between Learning Environments and Remote experiments

Proposal: Introducing an intermediate layer

OF

EXP.

INTERFACE

INTERMEDIATE LAYER

MiddleWare

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

LEARNING

MANAGEMENT

SYSTEM

VIRTUALISATION SYSTEM

EXPERIMENTATION ENVIRONMENT

TEST BED


Outline

Test bed environments: the state of the art Communication between learning environments

and remote experimentation environments





A Model Driven Approach to monitor learners’ activities AND experiments

Modeling based on the DMTF's WBEM standard offering:The CIM meta model (Common Information

Model): representation of entities to monitor (experiments + learners activities)

The CQL language to interact with the modelA distributed architecture and communication

protocols to ensure interoperability between heterogeneous components


Reuse of the existing DMTF's models:

Computer Systems modeling (Operating System, hardware, Software, configuration, etc.)

Networking modeling (interfaces, protocols, etc.)

Network topology and architecture modeling

Modeling of Experiments


Modeling of learners’ activities

Based on previous works of our research team, related to the observation of learners' activities in a Technology Enhanced Learning environment

Extension that takes into account specific activities operated on computer and network experiments:“Command line” activities“Graphical User Interface” activities


Learners activities modeling

DMTF

Broisin & Vidal, 07

Our extension


Outline

Test bed environments: the stat of the art Communication between learning







A centralized system (WBEM Server) to store classes and instances of the models: tracking repository

A component integrated into the test bed environment responsible for extraction and sending of traces to the tracking repository

A component part of the learning environment able to capture and forward learners’ activities


AGENT


OF

EXP.

INTERFACE

INTERFACE

EXPERI

MENT

INTERFACE

VIRTUAL

INTERMEDIAITE LAYER EXPERIMENTATION ENVIRONEMENT

VIRTUALISATIONSYSTEM

TEST BED

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

LERNING

MANAGEMENT

SYSTEM

TRACKING REPOSITORY

TRACKING

MANAGER

BOARD

DASH

CIM PROVIDER

WBEM

SERVICE

OBSERVATION

WBEM

INTERFACE

MLN

OpenPegasus

C++ based WEB SERVICES


Outline

Test bed environments: the state of the art Communication between learning






ConclusionStandardized approach for transparent integration

of Learning Environment and Test bed Environment

Enhancement of learning and tutoring processes:Abstract modelling of experimentAbstract modelling of activities on experiments

Architecture validated through an open source based prototype

A three-tier architecture scalable to N-tiers architecture to ensure scalability and high availability


Future Works

Dashboard implementationExperimentation with a group of students in

computer science curriculum (ex. configuring network's components)

Reuse and share of experiments' models through a learning knowledge pool

Supporting GUI mode based activitiesApplying this approach to other disciplines

(Physics, Chemistry, etc.)


Questions ?Contacts:

{bouabid,vidal,broisin}@irit.fr

LMS vs Remote experiments

Technology

Transcript of LMS vs Remote experiments