XLX-a platform for graduate-level exercises

Abstract

e-learning has become an important topic, both in academia and industry. This paper reports on a newly created Web-based platform, called eXtreme e-Learning eXperience (XLX), to perform exercise work of technically oriented graduate-level university courses, in support of blended learning. In addition to providing a course portal with traditional teaching material, an e-mail list, and a discussion forum, XLX's main contribution lies in a personalized training section that allows transparent access to underlying (possibly commercial) third-party systems such as database systems, XSLT processors, or workflow management systems for hands-on experience and increased students' motivation.