Distance Learning Organization for small countries on Northwest of Poland

Abstract

The development of student project DL for Northwest of Poland in frame school reform. It is examined possibility of using Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN - BreezeCom) for telecommunication maintenance between DL-Center and learning workstation in small countries (including disable person traning).

1. Problem of school reform realization on the Northwest of Poland.

At present the problem of Distance Learning (DL), as one of the way to integrate in EC, is very important for East European countries. With this aim Poland is just now going to spend reform of school. This reform has the following pedagogical and social purposes:

• To introduce the advanced forms of training and estimation of knowledge;
• To adapt the European specifications of training process for conditions of Poland;
• To ensure more high level of social protection for the teachers;
• To guarantee conditions for education of all social groups, including the disable persons.

The problem of social adaptation and employment organization of disable persons is very important in Poland where average number of disable persons consists of 80 in each 1000 inhabitants. Especially high density of disable persons is in Northwest of Poland. In conditions of a democratic community development and the introduction of school reform it is demanded wide discussion with the teachers, parents and pupils. Introduction of reform will inevitably results in significant changes of the educational programs, new textbooks, new documentation on organization of educational process are required. If for realization of these special works only traditional methods and technologies are used (publication, post dispatches, traditional way of preparation and publication of educational materials and etc.), then, it is obvious, the reform process will be long and non-uniform. The reforms in capital and large cities will be expected more quick and successful. However, the large part of Poland population lives at small cities and in the country (85 %). Polish Northwest population has the following social condition:

• Small density of population and hard natural condition ( marshy area ),
• Remote from the telephone and other kinds of telecommunication network,
• Non reasonableness of creating and using of the large and ramified electric power network.

Therefore, there is an alternative whether to unify small country schools at large ones and consequently to provide the transport services for pupils or to provide the education at existing school infrastructure by distance learning.

• It is possible to suppose, that DL is more preferable by the following reasons:
• In DL there is the possibility to use low-cost wireless lines (WLAN)
• Computer in distance learning network will be as educational so work place simultaneously.
• DL network may be used like knowledge environment for technological and commercial information for small country business and another information service.

Thus, there is problem how to create telecommunication infrastructure for DL accounting mentioned above social and natural difficulties.

2. Organization of DL-project in Institute.

Institute of Computer Science & Information Systems (Szczecin) have developed project DL for small country school and home training for children with physical lacks. This project has two main aspects: technical and methodical ones. Main idea of technical design is combined telecommunication network (ISDN and wireless line). The scheme of DL is represented on fig .

DL network includes DL-Center (Institute of Computer Science & Information Systems), Subcenters (Chojna, Pyrzyce and Gryfice), learning workstations in small countries.

Telecommunication between DL-Center and Subcenters is realized on the base of ISDN, telecommunication between Subcenters and learning workstations is realized with wireless (WLAN). DL-Center consists of the Web-server, SQL-server, computer- teacher, digital camera and sound-media. It includes the courseware and other information about educational process.

The file "Imagepup.bmp" is exists among pupil information, which is intended to confirm the identity of participant of session. A server of Subcenter is the bridge between DL-center and learning workstations. All learning workstations have got digital cameras Radio channels and digital cameras can be allowed for Subcenters only for session period, providing them by turns. Therefore, the project expenses can be reduced considerably.

3. Scenario of learning session.

Individual contact with teacher during learning session has positive influence on pupil and creates additional motivation. Internet includes high-speed software for videoconference, but at present we have not financial possibility to use the satellite telecommunications. The problem of virtual communication between teacher and pupils can be solved in the following way. Instead of simultaneous videocommunication with all participants it was used one by one video dialog between teacher and every pupil. The dialog scenario is following.

Step 1. From teacher to pupils- video "teacher" + message "begin of session".
Step 2. From teacher to all pupils simultaneously - WebPage (HTML) " The test questions".
Step 3. From each pupil to teacher - video "pupil" + message "begin of session".
Step 4. The pupils execute " The test questions" and "Close of session" (Hotkey on Webpage).
Step 5. The teacher gives " Close of session" and server is turn off.

In the framework of this project carry out individual training for schoolboys with sight defect (> +5 dp, < -8 dp). For schoolboys with such sight defect it is necessary specialized confortabl conditions of work on the computer. For this pupil-group was created training courseware "extending" of Microsoft Word 7.0. Expansion of editor consists in following:

1. Increase of window size of editor and the text in them,
2. Addition of sound signals at fulfillment of certain operations,
3. Support by a voice spelling of a typed word - a pronunciation of all letters,
4. Addition of sound for some helps.

For application it was used Borland Delphi 3.0. The sound has 22050Hz, 16 bit; stereo 86 kb/s.

Conclusion

The project performs by professors and students of Institute in form diploma works. Participation of students into this project develops professional skills, system mentality and interest in social aspects of life. Moreover we look forward financial successful.

References

1. http:// www.wlana.com The Wireless LAN Alliance
2. A.Lifshits, E.Kushtina Telelearning and networking of social support. Congress on Co-operation in Higher education Information Systems , Prague, Czech Republic, 1998

Address

49, ul. Zolnierska, 71210, Szczecin, Poland,
tel (+4891)4876577
Kushtina@ii.tuniv.szczecin.pl