E-learning system and a method of e-learning

Abstract

An e-learning system and method for delivering one or more learning resource to a common group of users at one or more user terminals, the system including: a learning resource server for storing the one or more learning resource for delivery to at least one of the common group of users at one or more user terminals, an administration server, arranged to serve the common group of users at the one or more user terminals, a system and method for tracking and maintaining meta data for describing the learning resource in accordance with the common group of users' requirements.

1 . An e-learning system for delivering one or more learning resource to a common group of users at one or more user terminals, the system including: 
 a learning resource server for storing the one or more learning resource for delivery to at least one of the common group of users at one or more user terminals; and    an administration server, arranged to serve the common group of users at the one or more user terminals, for tracking and maintaining a set of meta data for describing the learning resource in accordance with the common group of users' requirements.    
   
   
       2 . An e-learning system according to  claim 1 , wherein the set of meta data is a set of customizable meta data in a customizable format.  
   
   
       3 . An e-learning system according to  claim 1 , wherein the meta data is provided in a format which includes a definition with respect to a property of a field which the meta data describes.  
   
   
       4 . An e-learning system according to  claim 3 , wherein the property includes whether the field is mandatory or optional.  
   
   
       5 . An e-learning system according to  claim 2 , wherein the administration server is provided with a user interface generator for generating a user interface for interfacing with a user on behalf of the common group of users, wherein the user, via the user interface, customizes a predetermined one or more meta data as mandatory, so that the one or more learning resource enters the e-learning system with the required meta data.  
   
   
       6 . An e-learning system according to  claim 1 , wherein the administration server includes an authoring environment including a user interface for interfacing with a user on behalf of the common group of users, for authoring the one or more learning resource.  
   
   
       7 . An e-learning system according to  claim 6 , wherein the authoring environment is arranged to import one or more learning resource from a third party learning resource server and having meta data in a third party format, and transform the meta data in the third party format in to the meta data format used by the e-learning system.  
   
   
       8 . An e-learning system according to  claim 6 , wherein the authoring environment is arranged to create the one or more learning resource.  
   
   
       9 . An e-learning system according to  claim 7 , wherein the authoring environment is arranged to edit the one or more learning resource.  
   
   
       10 . An e-learning system according to  claim 7 , wherein during processing of the one or more learning resource by the authoring environment, the one or more learning resource is stored on a local computer.  
   
   
       11 . An e-learning system according to  claim 1 , wherein the meta data is maintained during an editing phase.  
   
   
       12 . An e-learning system according to  claim 6 , wherein the authoring environment is arranged to provide feedback with respect to the non-maintained meta data.  
   
   
       13 . An e-learning system according to  claim 12 , wherein the feedback includes at least one of an error and a warning.  
   
   
       14 . An e-learning system according to  claim 13 , wherein the authoring environment provides an error if meta data is not maintained in a mandatory field.  
   
   
       15 . An e-learning system according to  claim 13 , wherein the authoring environment provides a warning if meta data is not maintained in an optional field.  
   
   
       16 . An e-learning system according to  claim 6 , wherein the learning resource server is a central server, and the authoring environment comprises a check-in tool, the check-in tool being arranged so that once the user has completed one or more activities in the authoring environment, the one or more learning resource processed in the authoring environment is checked into the central server.  
   
   
       17 . An e-learning system according to  claim 16 , wherein once the one or more learning resource has been checked into the central server, it becomes available to the common group of users.  
   
   
       18 . An e-learning system according to  claim 16 , wherein the check-in tool is arranged to check-in one or more learning resource to the central server only when the mandatory meta data is maintained according to a predefined customizable profile determined in accordance with the common group of users' requirements.  
   
   
       19 . An e-learning system according to  claim 10 , wherein the authoring environment maintains the meta data, and is arranged to export the maintained meta data to the central content server where they may be searched.  
   
   
       20 . An e-learning system according to  claim 19 , wherein the maintained meta data is exported to the central content server as properties of the one or more learning resource.  
   
   
       21 . An e-learning system according to  claim 19 , wherein the meta data are directly exported to a database where they are stored as entries in a table.  
   
   
       22 . An e-learning system according to claims  20 , wherein the administration server is arranged to access the one or more learning resource using the properties.  
   
   
       23 . An e-learning system according to  claim 1 , wherein the administration server is arranged to search the one or more learning resource using the properties.  
   
   
       24 . An e-learning system according to  claim 1 , wherein a content server is arranged to search the one or more learning resource using the properties.  
   
   
       25 . An e-learning system according to  claim 1 , wherein an indexing server is arranged to search the one or more learning resource using the properties.  
   
   
       26 . An e-learning system according to  claim 6 , wherein the authoring environment is arranged to at least one of import and export meta data in a format by transforming the format into or from another meta data format in a predefined standard.  
   
   
       27 . An e-learning system according to  claim 1 , wherein the meta data is stored together with the one or more e-learning resource.  
   
   
       28 . An e-learning system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a user interface generator for generating a user interface which a user can interact with to customize the meta data in accordance with the user's or the common group of users' requirements.  
   
   
       29 . An e-learning system according to  claim 28 , wherein the user interface includes a screen displaying one or more fields wherein at least one of a meta data identification, a mandatory indication, a data type and a metadata description may be entered, respectively.  
   
   
       30 . An e-learning system according to  claim 28 , wherein the user interface includes a screen wherein which the user can edit meta data.  
   
   
       31 . An e-learning system according to  claim 30 , wherein the screen displays the mandatory fields, optional fields and additional fields.  
   
   
       32 . A method of e-learning, the method comprising:  
     delivering one or more learning resource to a common group of users at one or more user terminals; 
 storing in a learning resource server the one or more learning resource for delivery to at least one of the common group of users at one or more user terminals;  
 serving the common group of users at the one or more user terminals; and  
 tracking and maintaining meta data for describing the learning resource in accordance with the common group of users' requirements.  
 
   
   
       33 . A user terminal for receiving one or more learning resource from an e-learning system to a common group of users at one or more user terminals, the user terminal being associated with an administration server, arranged to serve the common group of users at the one or more user terminals, for tracking and maintaining a set of meta data for describing the learning resource stored in a learning resource server in accordance with the common group of users' requirements.  
   
   
       34 . A program storage device readable by a processing apparatus, the device embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to perform the steps of: 
 delivering one or more learning resource to a common group of users at one or more user terminals;    storing in a learning resource server the one or more learning resource for delivery to at least one of the common group of users at one or more user terminals;    serving the common group of users at the one or more user terminals; and    tracking and maintaining meta data for describing the learning resource in accordance with the common group of users' requirements.