HAMLET - Hypermedia Academic Multicultural Learning Technology

Community program

First contractor

Nettuno - Network per l’Università Ovunque

Objectives

The Hamlet - Hypermedia Academic Multicultural Learning Technology – Project envisages the development and realization of open and flexible learning environments based on both synchronic and diachronic distance teaching such as the Orientation Portal, the Videotheque, the Virtual Library, the Virtual Laboratory and the Didactic Cyberspace.
More specifically, the project envisages the implementation of an intelligent system capable of hosting the student and guiding him within the educational offer (Orientation Portal). The Orientation Portal, from a first analysis of starting skill-levels, allows the student to assess his own basic skills guiding him to the path that best meets his needs.

In the Videotheque the student, being guided by the Orientation Portal, can benefit in a customized way of the digitised video courses thanks to contents modularity, subjects indexing and bookmarks connecting to the other learning environments.

In the Virtual Library the student, thanks to an intelligent query system, can consult, download and navigate texts linked to the issue being dealt with; in the Virtual Laboratory student can put into practice the acquired knowledge based on "learning by doing" approach; in the Didactic Cyberspace, the student is welcome by a teacher-tutor, he can use interactive tools such as a videoconferencing system with a telematic teacher-tutor, videochats, chats, discussion forums, e-mails, links and be able to start a collaborative and cooperative learning process.

The cognitive interface, a crucial feature of HAMLET designing, allows for customized use paths and facilitates navigation by intelligently reproducing the structure, processes and priorities of the educational contents.
The course being tested is aimed at training new professional profiles linked to the world of the net-economy and in particular Web-technology experts, "Web designers"; the course aims at supplying the tools and techniques for communication design and usability check applicable to the design of Internet-based cognitive interfaces as well as supplying basic computer skills for developing, implementing and managing Internet sites.
In order to supply effective learning services, HAMLET uses the Skyplex NET interactive multimedia satellite platform allowing for an unconditioned access to satellite resources at low cost and for using an real-time interactive service.
At the project conclusion, the HAMLET learning platform will be fully tested through an extensive program of educational experiments on individual and collaborative learning which will involve some universities of Naples, Rome, Florence, Bologna, Parma and Turin.

NETTUNO role

The project started in September 2000 and it is currently running; it was structured into three macro-phases:

Phase 1 or Executive Design Phase:
The project first phase (which ended on the 31 January 2001) envisaged the preparation of executive documents of analysis and design of the system technical architecture and of design of the reference psycho-pedagogic model, of the educational contents and of the graphical interface. These project documents, approved during the BDR by ESA, represented the starting-point for implementing the following Phase 2.

Products realized during Phase 1:

"Strategic Plan Report" (with the contribution of Prof. Sacco);
"General Service Platform Requirements Report" (with the contribution of ITS, of Prof. De Menna and of Semeion Research Center);
"Pilot System Architecture Report" (with the contribution of ALENIA);
"Pilot Utilization Plan" (with the contribution of ITS);
"Psycho-Pedagogical Model Description" (Prof. M.A. Garito);
"Guidelines on Psycho-Pedagogical Model Interface" (Prof. M. A. Garito);
"Educational Contents and Multimedia Course" (Prof. Mezzalama)
"Hyperspace Pre-analysis Report" (with the contribution of ITS);

Phase 2 (Realization Phase):

The project implementation phase (still going on) saw the executive realization of the activities of development of the HAMLET learning platform, of the multimedia contents and of the graphical interface as well as the development and implementation of the Skyplex_net technical architecture and of the integration of the multimedia environments to the technological platform.
More specifically, during the second phase the following activities were implemented:

Setting-up of dish and indoor and outdoor equipments for Skyplex_net streaming

Realizastion of the learning environments

Products realized during phase 2:

Definition of the system technical requirements

List of Interactive Services
Video Server Comparison

Definition of the infrastructural requirements

Technical-economic assessment of the implementation of an integration between Service Scheduler and NOC for satellite capacity requirements
Skyplex_net up link earth station - technical data
Technical sheet for Skyplex streaming station
Infrastructural requirements for the implementation of Skyplex_net service center streaming station
Hamlet hw & sw platform architecture
Materials for the up-link SkyplexNet station
Bureaucratic authorization and procedures for the installation of the Skyplex_net up-link at Consorzio NETTUNO;

Definition of the graphical interface of the learning platform

Graphical layout
Graphic Interface_Layout;

Definition of the software architecture of the Orientation Portal and of the Virtual Library

Skills operation chart
The Orientation Portal based on an Intelligent Educational Orientation System
Software Architecture for the Neural Networks System for the Orientation Portal and for the Virtual Library
Sample Sheet for an Intelligent Library System
Remarks on specific skills
Skills Medating for each didactic unit

Definition of the educational contents, of specific skills and bibliographical references

Web design Books and Research Centers
First selection of NETTUNO modules
Web design checklist (+ integration of bibliographical references)
Educational contents
Web-design courses programs (comparative research)
Web-design Curriculum
36 hours of videos produced and related graphical materials
Identification of the different learning objects for each videolessons
Metadating of the learning objects

Phase 3 (Experimentation phase):

The validation and integration of the Internet via satellite platform and of the network model (Service Centre and Receiving Centers), start-up of experimental operational phases and validation of the system of involvement of universities is foreseen soon after the final testing phase of the system functioning that will have to be approved by ESA during the MTR.

Duration
15 September 2000 - 2005

Partners

Alenia Spazio S.p.A
ITS S.p.A.

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