Enterprise e-learning sites development using OMT methodology.

Rosu, Sebastian Marius ; Rosu, Luminita ; Guran, Marius 等

1. INTRODUCTION

E-learning is an efficient method to put at employees disposal needed the knowledge and information's for to keep pace with quick market changes and furnish the possibility to check their assimilated knowledge level. People, companies and countries which have the most information's, knowledge, abilities and the biggest capacity to create, to take and efficient change the information's had the biggest success chance in the new Internet economy, based on information's. E-learning begins to be use in the training departments of companies, schools and universities like an alternative or complementary to traditional training methods. This training is process assist by Internet or by means of Internet/Intranet/Extranet platform. Actually, e-learning integrate many solutions which can be used at organization level. By e-learning it is created for employees a possibility to exploit the existing knowledge resources by knowledge presentation in a more accessible format, individualized and pointed to training beneficiary. Nowadays, the enterprises manage the professionals reconversion for their people based on e-learning products or start to development properly e-learning trainings systems.

2. AN E-LEARNING SITE ARCHITECTURE

A method for developing an e-learning site is using OMT (Object Modelling Technique) methodology. Object model built is one of the biggest OMT methodology fazes. An object is an abstract concept and it is built for problem understanding before solution implementation. Generally, an object is an entity that can be distinguished among other entities and have significance in modeling application context. Each object has one specific identity even if it is similar to other objects. An object class describes a multitude of objects with similar properties, similar behaviors and similar relations regard others objects. For a site designing, OMT method can be particularized (Rosu & Guran, 2007) as well as figure 1. The Web pages modeling such as an object have proper characteristics. It is easy to observe that an object model shows us the real static system structure. The object model is represented by charts, graphs which bows are object and arches representing the relations between objects. They are also representing the relation between web pages and databases. For this site there were identified and created the following classes: index, main_page, main_theory, main_solving_problems, etc.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

After that, there were identified associations between objects, relations, attributes and there was created the database. The database development using this model requests an application server and a database server. Application servers are responsible for communications between users. Usual steps in users working process with databases are the following:

* The user makes a request for certain dates (e.g. a special form, a rapport or a situation).

* The application server receives the request, locates the files and gives request to PHP for processing.

* The PHP starts processing, makes the connection with database and sends the request.

* The Database server receives the request, processing and sent to PHP the result.

* PHP returns the result to application server.

* Server applications send the result to the user.

Regarding software, our option was to use open source software with free sources, these products having a remarkable quality because these projects often get together distinguished programmers and because everything is public, open and anybody can come. Sources access and modified possibility is a great advantage even if very rarely somebody makes these modifications. Certainly, in the actual market the price makes the rules. Enterprise software solution is influence by shrift, medium or long-term calculation. Decision can be take consequence a comparative analysis (Rosu et al., 2007).

3. SOFTWARE SUPPORT

For added, accessed and processed database information is necessary to have a database administration system and for this site was used PostgreSQL, an object-relational database management system. A Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) is a complex software program (Darie et al., 2006), which purpose is to store, manage and retrieve data as quickly and reliable as possible. PostgreSQL use the SQL language--Structured Query Language, the most prevalent standardized language for database interrogation (The PostgreSQL Global Development Group, 1996-2003). There were created beginner, medium, advanced and master tables for tests evidence (see figure 2) in the e-learning database. The corresponding files (with download tests) can be put on server in a specific folder (e.g. Pdf for files.pdf, Doc for files.doc, etc.). From the downloaded page (e.g. archieved.html) the database is accessed and after that the selected test can be downloaded.

All PostgreSQL features are support by graphical interface of PgAdmin III, interface who makes administration to be very easy.

A language that can translate the browser request, process these request, interact with software on server to satisfy the requests and to indicate to the server exactly which need to send back to user's browser is request. These languages, which work with the server and can execute these, are middleware. Such as middleware languages class was used PHP, a server-side, web scripting software. PHP is a scripting language specialized for the applications developing through code integration in the HTML document. PHP syntax derived from C, Java and Perl. The difference between PHP and other similar products, such as JavaScript is, that PHP is executing on the server when JavaScript is execute on the user computer. A HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol) server is requested for application rolling. A good choice is Apache because of its flexibility, portability, safety and extensibility.

The interfaces with users are indicating to be simply used, friendly, and attractive, without many graphical pictures or animations because they can make loading operation slower. For the forms there can be used different language as HTML (HyperText Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) or JavaScript.

[FIGURE 2 OMITTED]

Easy to used is HTML because this language can be edited in any text editor software and integrated the PHP script. The most used HTML editors are Notepad for Windows and Pico for Linux. JavaScript gives us the capability to make dynamic Web pages by integrating a script in the HTML structure. In this mode it can put the process behind the button or can make actions when users get over the mouse cursor over an HTML element or a document object. JavaScript can make Web page to be alive, more interesting, more fun and isn't very difficult to learn.

4. CONCLUSION

We present here a work method for an e-learning site realization at the enterprise level according to OMT methodology and using OSS. Our option was to use open source software with free sources, these products having a remarkable quality because these projects often get together distinguished programmers and because everything is public, open and anybody can come. In his multiple forms, e-learning offers a lot of advantages for enterprise and for employees such as: a personalized training experience, low cost (e.g. travel cost for training elimination), access from many parts (it is necessary just a Intranet connection), collaboration learning based on mutual reliance and exchange of information between participants, total accessibility to courses and complementary materials (e-library), access to all resources at the same time, learning in the proper rhythm, in a personal manner, interactive technologies utilization, better understood courses presented by means of multimedia, storage rooms and numerous training personnel elimination, the employees' ability to choose the course materials for printing and the materials for electronic format keeping, shipping low cost, courses dispensed in modules, each module having at the end an evaluating test at the beginning and the end of the course provide tests to see the employees' knowledge level, diversity learning mediums integration (liveliness, movies, sound, etc.) (Rosu et al., 2007).

The validation and development of e-learning sites using OMT methodology will be carried out based on a practical application in a university and Romanian SME partnership. In the future, we intend to apply this model for medical sites development such as support for Romanian e-Health activities.

5. REFERENCES

Darie, C.; Balanescu, E. & Bucica, M. (2006). Beginning PHP and PostgreSQL E-Commerce: From Novice to Professional, ISBN 1-59059-648-x, published by Apress, December

Rosu, S. M. & Guran, M. (2007). E-learning sites development in the enterprise using open source software, Academic Journal of Manufacturing Engineering, supplement, number 3/2007, pp. 136-142, ISSN 1583-7904

Rosu, S. M.; Guran, M. & Rosu, L. (2007). Enterprise Databases Support for Product Development Using Open Source Software, Annals of DAAAM for 2007 & Proceedings of the 18th International DAAAM Symposium, October 24th-27th, B. Katalinic (Ed.), published by DAAAM International, Vienna, Austria, pp. 649-650, ISSN 1726-9679, ISBN 3-901509-58-5

Rosu, S. M.; Guran, M. & Mateescu, L. M. (2007). E-learning sites development using Open Source Software support in the enterprise, Proceedings of the 4th Balkan Region Conference on Engineering Education, July 12th-14th, Lucian Blaga University Press, Sibiu, pp. 98-103, ISSN 1843-6730.

The PostgreSQL Global Development Group (1996-2003). PostgreSQL 7.4.2 Documentation, Download from: http://www.postgresql.org/docs/manuals