Multimedia Environment Support by WWW in a Computer Assisted Learning System João Rafael Galvão* José Magno Lopes* Mário Rui Gomes** *Polytechnic Institute of Leiria **IST-INESC Escola Superior Tecnologia e Gestão Technical University of Lisbon Morro do Lena - Alto do Vieiro Rua Alves Redol 9, 1000 Lisboa 2400-Leiria-Portugal Portugal
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Abstract The innovative exploitation of information technologies and communication promises to improve the quality, flexibility and effectiveness of engineering education. The present application SEACom is a bilingue system and it is divided into two main versions: one portuguese other in english whose mane is TeSA - Teaching System Architecture for the production of Printing Circuit Boards - PCB wants to do the integration of newtechnology based media with existing teaching methods and the impact this will have in the student learning. The most important phases in the project and manufacturing of electronic components - PCB are presented to the student and this has nine stages of production and three levels of interfaces: basic, intermediate and advanced that represent an ergonomic interface. Meanwhile, you can navigate among this levels and stages in a friendly way via a tele-learning scenario. Also severals evaluation questionnaires are suggested and one intelligent agent help option is at your disposition, where you have a detailed information about a real production CIM line of PCB with animated images, all of this developed in a multimedia environment, supported by the World Wide Web (WWW).
1. Introduction - Motivation The development of telematics based training environments have an enormous influence on the teaching/learning process, to reach high levels of quality and induce in the appearance of the independent learners and the satisfaction of their specific necessities [1]. Also in the distance-education setting based on learningmaterials model, the student may be able to access to an internet site that supports the course he is studying and
through this site interact with some simulation system that reinforces concepts in that course. The overall pedagogic profile of the course in terms of balance among instructional components may remain the same, but the richness of component is increased via Tele-learning. We developed a system for the ordinary students and for training people in an industrial environment whose name is TeSA as a way to implement this process of learning by through the WWW. When the trainee uses TeSA, he enthusiastically manipulates it, discovering a sort of simulated game that proportionates an extremely motivated person's training, through the opportunity of learning, the productive process simulation by stages, in the present case PCB.
1.1 Tele-learning concept and scenarios A formal definition of tele-learning consists on making connections among people and resources through communication technologies for learning related purpose [2]. But, the action of learning through connecting to resources (both human and stored) through communication technologies is an act of tele-learning. Then if we amplify this definition by "making connections" implies interactivity and deliberateness, is an action of intellectual engagement. The tele-learner is purpose-fully engaged in learning. When a multiplicity of areas is retaliated with the teaching and learning activities, different scenarios appear such as: distance education television type model and learning materials model; creativity on the WWW model; course delivery via the WWW; learning by networking. These scenarios can range in complexity from "neat examples" for teaching a certain lesson, to metaphors for an "underlying information space in which communicate and learn" [3]. The action of tele-learning can take place
in different ways; in different settings; with or without a teacher being involved; within different sorts of instructional organization, including within a course a multi-faceted phenomenon and a multi-player phenomenon. These main goals are the actions as identifying different tools, instruments and environments for tele-learning such as video-conferencing systems with computers being involved, on line network services, WWW sites, broadcast television, the Internet, audiographics systems, audio-conferencing and desktop multimedia systems. Different citizens learning about current issues in there various activities; trainees in industry and other vocational settings. The "learning" part of tele-learning is in many cases closely related to an instructional or teaching aspect.
system, it is possible to create an application that, in a multimedia environment teach to the student different knowledge, that catch the interest of the student as other methodologies. In an output perspective, the ways of presenting information, may be chosen from a wide functions set which proportionates realism and captures the user's attention [7]. According to the interfaces development or the information's increasing between the system and the user, is sometimes characterized as a multimedia effect [8].
The tele-learning is a pedagogical phenomenon. A way of analyzing one's pedagogical approach based on thinking of an overall learning experience (such a course). The teacher may wish to maintain the pedagogical profile of a course, but to enrich what goes on within, one or more, of the components within the course via telelearning. The learner during self-study may take different locations via the use of WWW search engine as a telelearning tool, instead of only studying pre-set materials in the prescribed textbook. We succinctly expressed the impact of tele-learning in the pedagogical enrichment and pedagogical re-engineering saying: tele-learning allows us to do the same things, but differently [4].
The conjugation of these two technologies to construct the teaching model in a multimedia environment supported by WWW, intends to be a new alternative to the conception of products for Computer Assisted Learning environments. By using simulation of virtual objects through computers and an interface between a developed application and the user, we want to create a product which favorably satisfies the items for which it was created, despite of some differences between the essences of a Virtual Reality and a Hypermedia System.
1.2 Multimedia concept on WWW Different authors of this area have several theories about how to define a multimedia system, but to synthesize the discussion of the theme, a multimedia system presents itself as the one that is characterized as a computational control of integrated processing, storage, presentation, communication, creativity and, manipulation of information, independently of the various media systems origin, dependent or independent of time [5]. Multimedia is also the combination of three or more items: text, graphics, animation, sound, images, video, that with the crescent integration of communication systems will cause the existence of multimedia information system that, supported by a network, will proportionate even far off [6]. The utilization of the Internet begins to satisfy both trainees and authors, when they feel the need to be teacher far off, through multimedia means or, it prepares other information. In some cases, the format of media data objects is not obtained through captures but through other data derived from 3D (three-dimensional) graphics and from display and animation data. By recurring to interfaces and peripheral integration of a computational
1.3 Virtual reality and hypermedia education and training human resources
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Also a hypermedia concept can be defined as a good combination between hypertext with multimedia, and what is hypertext? Usually, allowing situating different topics that are inter-related one with the others in several levels makes possible to personalize the learning process letting the student find his rhythm, level and style [9]. Virtual Reality consists on the creation of new environments representation of a reality of the physical world, but in a way, that is much more to participate on the part of the user in the manipulation of those virtual objects, where the multimedia techniques are part of those means >10@. Educational systems have been suffering frequent reforms in the past and this is a result of the transformations inherent to the countries development, where psycho-pedagogical tendencies valorize more the trainee, with his different training rhythm, adjustments of contents to the various age groups, the development of cognition aspects that transmit mental capacities to the trainees, so that they may conceive the various aspects of knowledge [11]. By disposing of a virtual world, the trainee may explore, enthusiastically manipulate it, discovering a sort of simulated game, that proportionates an extremely motivated person's training, through the opportunity of learning by stages, the productive process simulation, in this case: the electronic printed circuits boards.
It is necessary to have human resources adequate to the organization’s needs especially in industry, once they assure a good equipment functioning and make possible to optimize the efficiency and the accurateness, under minimum costs. So possessing human resources adequate to the organization’s purposes, correctly developed, motivated and with the appropriated training to the tasks yet to be performed, represents the main purpose of any productive sector, that really wants to keep itself competitive in the market, to achieve a quality improvement. So it has been tried to create an assistance model to the maintenance and to that training production, by using the multimedia environment through the WWW.
2. Developed system - Purpose of work The use of multimedia and WWW environment for the conception of PCB in an efficient and tutorial way, of easy manipulation, makes the developed application be extremely well accepted by the trainees, when one analyses the different complexity stages towards the user, presenting itself with its option menus with graphic visual. This application may be used individually and in a remote geographic place by using a portable PC or by accessing to an organization’s internal net - Intranet, which leads to an increasing of work yet to be performed. The developed model is an application, destined to the industrial environment, for the practical application in the packing productive sector and in the human resources training in these concepts of PCB. This model associates theoretical concepts to the selected stage with animated 3D images and text information in order to facilitate the comprehension and perception of the production process. The main function of the created model is to solve difficulties, which are mainly: Easy accesses to technical information; Traditional training systems little attractive to the trainee; Lack of self-training motivation. The functions inherent to the manipulation of this model are: Centralization the information regarding to a certain theme, since the theoretical concepts to conception procedures; Motivation made possible through 3D graphic environment; Visual memory assistant; Characteristics of equipment.
2.1. Animation on the Web, advantages and images conception The WWW was developed in the early 1990s and initially; it was created as a way to serve hypertext
documents on client-server networks, with documents viewed by as Web browsers supported GIF graphics and digital audio files. Animated graphics are one of the additions to the media types supported by Web browsers. There are several ways to add animated graphics to Web pages. Inline animations are movements of 3D geometry that appear directly in the Web page in your browser, much like image files. You can also display animations by launching client-server helper applications that will display animations within separate window [12]. One factor that inhibits the use of animation on the Web is the bandwidth limitations, the asynchronous nature of the Internet and the differences in platforms and browser support. Another problem with the Web animation is that once the animation has been delivered to the user, this must have the proper helper application or plug-in to display the animation or their browser must natively support the particular animation format. The Teaching System that uses animation elements can be a powerful tool for training, instruction and sharing of information. But the Web enables information providers to serve rich multimedia "just-intime" content that can communicate more effectively than other delivery methods. As bandwidth increases Web animation will become more practical. In the meantime, it's probably best to be kind to the net bandwidth and be judicious in the use of Web animation. The 3D objects conception of the real world passes through a modeling process, of the entity to be represented, being used basically, the module 3DEditor of the 3DStudio-program [13], being created appropriated 3D volumes of components. The 3D geometry manipulation demands for a good notion of space and a good orientation of the work plans. In order to fulfil surface layers with the desired materials, one has recurred to a module Materials. Being the movement and animation of the graphical scene, by means of the module Keyframer one of the created components.
2.2. Application’s Architecture This learning system was developed by the conjugation of six programs, that permitted the creation of an integrated and multimedia environment in the WWW. Having each one of the programs performed the following tasks: creation of models and animation [14] animated GIF's of image models, buttons of the pages for the navigation among the menus create the Internet pages and navigation [15] to be visualized in the WWW browser we also use a PHP [16] tool to create dynamic Web pages to databases link's. It enables the Web pages to be treated just like regular
HTML pages and you can create and edit them the same way you normally create regular HTML pages. Actually, this teaching system is a support material in one discipline module us name is Computer Aided Engineering of an electrotechnical bachelor course of a Polytechnic Institute. In this application the main menu contains icons that give access to several large areas of the conception PCB designated as figure 1. Each one has different subdivisions. The ergonomic levels: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced have 9 main stages: Project; Cutting; Lamination, figure 2; UVLamp; Developing tank; Erosion tank; Scouring; Tinning tank; Drilling machine of the conception PCB with text, animated images and buttons to navigate in the 9 pages of each level. A set of buttons, in the main page containing all this levels: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and the Production module, the Help button and Evaluation module, which use an interface resource between the student and the application of PHP dynamic questionnaire pages, all of this making possible a detail of PCB display to the trainee in a perceptible and efficient way.
other easy option emerged from an analysis of true necessities felt by learners. This fact has to do with the interpretation easiness made by all the users of the displayed image. The Evaluation stage is of an extreme importance because, the trainee has at his disposal a set of several questions of multiple choice, according to each one of the schemes already presented, to do the knowledge evaluation. After he answers the questions, he will be able to make sure of his comprehension degree of each stage, the global functioning and the interpretation of a certain task performance, in each level in the production of PCB by computer integrated manufacturing - CIM principles.
Figures 2 - Basic level, 3rd stage Lamination, evaluation, control buttons, animated image
Figure 1 - Main areas diagram Using the developed graphical system and by interacting with it, through the peripheral mouse and option icons and also, the navigation among the different parts of application TeSA. Let's see an example of how the learner uses TeSA. If the user hasn't any knowledge about this PCB he is a basic user, so if you want to know more about the details of the PCB manufacturing, you should choose the basic level, that begins in 1 stage - Project to 9 stage Drilling machine. You should carefully read the text and see the animated images. Also you have information about a real production environment, if you access to the production CIM of the main page, figure 3 and others manufacture PCB options. The creation of a help icon with one agent' s interface and
The trainees will be invited to see again certain levels, depending on the number of correct answers. To be evaluated in this basic level, the user should, at first respond to an identification page and next to a questionnaire, correspondent to his level and then send it to the teacher, to be evaluated in all the application the user should respond to a global questionnaire, similar to the previous. This pedagogic aspect should be detached, once not all the trainees assimilate this system functioning in the same way. To the selfevaluation of his answers, the solution is made available. The information about the answers in global questionnaire of the trainees is saved in a database, so that the teacher may appreciate the learning progress of the trainees. In the productive area, the lack of knowledge of this or that detail is rather onerous and it can cause serious security problems. Therefore, it becomes essential a complete knowledge of the components functioning, to achieve the quality success, where the TeSA application is expected to be a means to that end.
Modeling Language [17] for the conception of other elements of production, use the JavaScript [18] to improve the interaction of this application and finally complete the creation of one intelligent interface information agent's [19] for the help button, with sound and visual information. To make the TeSA application available in the Internet with more details for the remote teaching in different languages and to complete the evaluation module according to the introduction of production particularities, as well as to look over the didactic and pedagogical aspects, to make possible a better assimilation of these concepts by the trainee.
4. REFERENCES Figure 3 - Virtual animation view of production CIM line - Drilling phase Actually more than seventeen students used the application and the statistic results of learning progress are done by exploratory statistics equations treatment, but the first results induce more the students interests and the learning ahead best levels than the traditional methodologies by explaining this manufacturing techniques of PCB using transparencies.
3. CONCLUSION Once this is an application that contains a great diversity of concepts and components, whether we speak of technique documentation gathering, translation, images and sound display, software development or operational tests, the final performance has been considered pretty good, having in mind the analysis of the results obtained near the students or trainees. Having as a starting point a model execution that transmits with simplicity the knowledge to the trainees and that gives them assistance in the project procedures of PCB, the work performed seems to be of an extreme usefulness and opportunity, where the complexity and variety of components and machines are real, and where traditional acting methods show themselves obsolete, due to the process slowness and little credibility. But, with adequate computer applications to the assistance of the training and maintenance work in production lines, that involve a great number operations more than sixty in a PCB, there will be an improvement of the involved resources and a bigger motivation to those who use it. The nearest future improvement of this system will comprehend the continuity on the detail of production line and using more components conception with Virtual Reality
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