A language for developing collaborative learning activities on World Wide Web

Abstract

The World Wide Web (WWW) is in widespread use. People in different places can read hypermedia information through a computer network. Therefore, many educators have tried to develop a distance learning system on WWW so that people in different places can learn. However, some learning activities, such as discussion, collaboration, and conference, are difficult to implement on WWW for teachers who are not computer science majors. We propose a methodology by which teachers can build their collaborative learning activities on WWW effortlessly. The specification language, called Learning Activities Description (LAD), is devised for teachers to specify their learning activities and styles. Our system can generate the required programs according to the LAD specification. Therefore, designing learning activities using LAD can be as easy as designing courseware using HTML.