OWLearn: An open source e-learning platform supporting adaptivity and personalization

Issue title: Multimedia/Multimodal Human-Computer Interaction in Knowledge-based Environments

Guest editors: Maria Virvou and George A. Tsihrintzis

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Tsolis, Dimitrios^{a; *} | Christia, Paraskevi^a | Kampana, Soultana^a | Polychronopoulos, Eleftherios^a | Liopa, Aglaia^b | Tsakalidis, Athanasios^a

Affiliations: [a] Computer Engineering and Informatics Department, University of Patras, Patras, Greece | [b] Department of Agricultural Machinery and Irrigation, Technological Educational Institute of Messolonghi, Nea Ktiria, Messolonghi, Greece | University of Piraeus, Greece

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author. Tel.: +30 2610960422; Fax: +30 26109 60322. E-mail: dtsolis@upatras.gr

Abstract: This paper, based on an analysis of current research and relevant implementations proposes the implementation of OWLearn an adaptive and personalized e-Learning system developed with open source technologies. Adaptation and personalization received very little coverage in the most commonly used e-learning platforms. An e-learning course in these systems is usually designed without matching students' and teachers' needs and objectives as closely as possible, and without adapting during course progression. The proposed open source e-learning system offers profiling and personalization services for the teacher and student while at the same time adapts the educational content and tools in the basis of the acquired user's profile. Finally, the proposed system offers collaborative learning using social networking services and mobile learning tools for achieving ubiquitous life long learning.

Keywords: E-learning system, adaptivity, personalization, open source software, social networking, mobile-learning

DOI: 10.3233/IDT-2012-0126

Journal: Intelligent Decision Technologies, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 97-104, 2012