Научная статья на тему 'Use of triple h-avatars as the training technology in service-oriented virtual space'

Use of triple h-avatars as the training technology in service-oriented virtual space Текст научной статьи по специальности «Компьютерные и информационные науки»

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Ключевые слова
ВИРТУАЛЬНАЯ ОБУЧАЮЩАЯ СРЕДА / СЕРВИС-ОРИЕНТИРОВАННАЯ АРХИТЕКТУРА / ПЕРСОНАЛЬНАЯ ОБУЧАЮЩАЯ СРЕДА / СКОЛЬЗЯЩИЙ РЕЖИМ УПРАВЛЕНИЯ / ИНДИКАТОР СКОЛЬЗЯЩЕГО РЕЖИМА / ПАРАДИГМА ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ / ВИРТУАЛЬНАЯ РЕАЛЬНОСТЬ И АВАТАР / VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS / SERVICE-ORIENTED ARCHITECTURE / PERSONAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS / SLIDING MODE CONTROL / INDICATOR OF SLIDING MODE / CLOUD SERVICED BUS / EDUCATION PARADIGM / VIRTUAL REALITY AND AVATAR

Аннотация научной статьи по компьютерным и информационным наукам, автор научной работы — Mkrttchian Vardan Surenovich, Shmid Klaus, Ponomariova Ol'ga Nikolaevna

Background. Assessment of optimizing the content of training courses in the transition to E-learning, this study made of system considerations, taking the learning process as the sum of certain discrete processes internetwork into an integrated system of the course. The division of some portions of the course material is sent to the student uptake, with constant self-monitoring and correction of gaps in learning, learning this technology successfully since 2001, is used in the mana­gement of the Internet University of the Control and ICT (HHH University) and is known as TRIPLE H-AVATAR, where the course material is divided into portions and sent to the assimilation. The purpose of this article is to show the possibility of using plugavatars «hhh» technology education as a service-oriented virtual lear­ning environment in the sliding mode. This allows teachers to create an integrated learning environment using tools that have been selected to best meet their academic requirements and individual abilities of each student's full training in the system of distance education. The purpose of this article is to show the possibility of using plug-avatars «hhh» technology education as a service-oriented virtual learning environment in the sliding mode. This allows teachers to create an integrated learning environment using tools that have been selected to best meet their academic requirements and individual abilities of each student's full training in the system of distance education. Materials and methods. This task, in turn, allows us to take advantage of sliding modes and consider the process of assimilation of the course as some closed feedback system, subject to an external uncontrolled, hindering the process of assimilation, perturbations. Since the control action in the form of discontinuous transmission portion is inherently discrete, then on the face of all the signs of a learning management system in the course of sliding modes. Management in the sliding mode allows you to get a number of benefits that without the usual management. From the standpoint of education, in a sliding mode, the training system is invariant to external disturbances, thereby learning value, the absorption material is generally caused only by trained dynamics, its static characteristics and feedback corrected by adapting the material, and portions of the trainee is solved for each student individually, which is an advantage of the process of distance learning. Results. Created software of plug-avatars «hhh» technology education for SOLVE applicable for using in DE process and in virtual research collaboration works at the Astrakhan State University, Institute of regional development of the Penza region (Russian Federation), at HHH University (Australian Federation and the Republic of Armenia), at Hildesheim University (Germany). Conclusions. We have presented a pluggable (non-monolithic) service-oriented virtual learning environment based on the microkernel and enterprise service bus design patterns. Promoting peer learning or interaction in the SOLVE should be valued during mathematical problem-solving activities. Providing hands-on peer learning tools in education problem solving activities is indispensable for students to construct solid knowledge and to develop rich problem-solving strategies.

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Текст научной работы на тему «Use of triple h-avatars as the training technology in service-oriented virtual space»

ПЕДАГОГИКА

УДК 37

V. S. Mkrttchian, K. Shmid, О. N. Ponomariova

USE OF TRIPLE H-AVATARS AS THE TRAINING TECHNOLOGY IN SERVICE-ORIENTED VIRTUAL SPACE

Abstract.

Background. Assessment of optimizing the content of training courses in the transition to E-learning, this study made of system considerations, taking the learning process as the sum of certain discrete processes internetwork into an integrated system of the course. The division of some portions of the course material is sent to the student uptake, with constant self-monitoring and correction of gaps in learning, learning this technology successfully since 2001, is used in the management of the Internet University of the Control and ICT (HHH University) and is known as TRIPLE H-AVATAR, where the course material is divided into portions and sent to the assimilation. The purpose of this article is to show the possibility of using plug- avatars «hhh» technology education as a service-oriented virtual learning environment in the sliding mode. This allows teachers to create an integrated learning environment using tools that have been selected to best meet their academic requirements and individual abilities of each student's full training in the system of distance education. The purpose of this article is to show the possibility of using plug-avatars «hhh» technology education as a service-oriented virtual learning environment in the sliding mode. This allows teachers to create an integrated learning environment using tools that have been selected to best meet their academic requirements and individual abilities of each student's full training in the system of distance education.

Materials and methods. This task, in turn, allows us to take advantage of sliding modes and consider the process of assimilation of the course as some closed feedback system, subject to an external uncontrolled, hindering the process of assimilation, perturbations. Since the control action in the form of discontinuous transmission portion is inherently discrete, then on the face of all the signs of a learning management system in the course of sliding modes. Management in the sliding mode allows you to get a number of benefits that without the usual management. From the standpoint of education, in a sliding mode, the training system is invariant to external disturbances, thereby learning value, the absorption material is generally caused only by trained dynamics, its static characteristics and feedback corrected by adapting the material, and portions of the trainee is solved for each student individually, which is an advantage of the process of distance learning.

Results. Created software of plug-avatars «hhh» technology education for SOLVE applicable for using in DE process and in virtual research collaboration works at the Astrakhan State University, Institute of regional development of the Penza region (Russian Federation), at HHH University (Australian Federation and the Republic of Armenia), at Hildesheim University (Germany).

Conclusions. We have presented a pluggable (non-monolithic) service-oriented virtual learning environment based on the microkernel and enterprise service bus design patterns. Promoting peer learning or interaction in the SOLVE should be valued during mathematical problem-solving activities. Providing hands-on peer learning

tools in education problem solving activities is indispensable for students to construct solid knowledge and to develop rich problem-solving strategies.

Key words: Virtual Learning Environments, Service-Oriented Architecture, Personal Learning Environments, Sliding Mode Control, Indicator of Sliding Mode, Cloud Serviced Bus, Education Paradigm, Virtual reality and Avatar.

В. С. Мкртчян, К. Шмид, О. Н. Пономарёва

ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ TRIPLE H-AVATAR КАК ТЕХНОЛОГИИ ОБУЧЕНИЯ В СЕРВИС-ОРИЕНТИРОВАННОЙ ВИРТУАЛЬНОЙ СРЕДЕ

Аннотация.

Актуальность и цели. Переход на дистанционное обучение требует оценки возможностей оптимизации содержания учебных курсов, включенных в единый процесс обучения. Если принять процесс обучения как сумму некоторых дискретных процессов, объединенных в целостную систему курса, то возможно представить весь материал курса, передаваемый студенту на «освоение и усвоение», в формате «порций», каждая из которых предполагает самотестирование и исправление пробелов (коррекция обнаруженных недочетов). Данная технология обучения известна как TRIPLE H-AVATAR, с 2001 г. успешно используется в Интернет-университете управления и информационно-коммуникационных технологий. Цель статьи - показать возможности использования подключаемой аватарами «М1Ъ»-технологии обучения как сервис-ориентированной виртуальной учебной среды в скользящем режиме. Это позволяет преподавателю создать интегрированную среду обучения с использованием инструментов, которые подобраны так, чтобы наилучшим образом соответствовать академическим требованиям и индивидуальным возможностям каждого студента, обеспечив полноценное обучение в системе дистанционного образования.

Материалы и методы. Такая постановка задачи в свою очередь позволяет воспользоваться скользящими режимами и рассматривать процесс усвоения курса как некоторую замкнутую систему с обратной связью, подверженной внешним неконтролируемым, мешающим процессу усвоения возмущениям.

Так как управляющее воздействие в виде передаваемых разрывных порций изначально является дискретным, то налицо все признаки возникновения в системе управления обучения данного курса скользящих режимов. Управление в скользящих режимах позволяет получить ряд преимуществ, которые отсутствуют при обычном управлении. С точки зрения обучения в скользящем режиме система обучения становится инвариантной к внешним возмущениям.

В связи с этим качество обучения, т.е. усвоение материала в целом, обусловлено только динамикой «продвижения» обучающегося, его статическими характеристиками и по обратной связи корректируется с помощью адаптации порций осваиваемого материала, решается для каждого обучающегося в индивидуальном порядке, что и является несомненным преимуществом процесса дистанционного обучения.

Результаты. Предложены теоретические основы для программирования, ориентированного на создание сервис-ориентированной виртуальной учебной среды в скользящем режиме.

Выводы. Создана сервис-ориентированная виртуальная обучающая среда. Предложено осуществить взаимодействие и обмен опытом с коллегами из разных стран. Представлены два виртуальных инструмента: «белая доска» и «облачная платформа».

Ключевые слова: виртуальная обучающая среда, сервис-ориентированная архитектура, персональная обучающая среда, скользящий режим управления, индикатор скользящего режима, парадигма образования, виртуальная реальность и Аватар.

INTRODUCTION

The education has students use knowledge within the process of problem solving to understand and explain the physical world around them. To fully appreciate the real world and other fields such as computer graphics, engineering, and architecture, exploration of 3-D including moving, positioning, orienting, constructing, building, and communicating 3-D objects) is an important topic that should be exercised by students in a learning curriculum [1].

Some researchers conceived the nature of mathematics as the outcome of social process and math knowledge, which is thus understood to be fallible and eternally open to revision both in terms of its proofs and its concepts [2].

In addition to individual exploration of multiple representations for constructing knowledge, which is urged by the development of constructivism, math reform gradually advocates that the interaction of sharing, assessing, and collaborating for discovering the solution with peers and their representations must be implemented in a student’s problem solving process [3, 4].

That is, students interact with the instructor, peers, and learning materials to share their thoughts and to verify solutions from multiple viewpoints. Obviously, communicating math concepts through mutual observation and discussion with peers often helps students identify unforeseen perceptions. Due to the lack of examination of the impacts on students’ three-dimensional (3-D) same concepts learning and problem solving caused by synchronous interaction with multiple representations among peers in the SOLVE, this chapter proposed «hhh» education technology, based on the Sliding Mode Control, to facilitate students solving education problems and afterwards to study the effect of peer learning behaviors to learning achievement [5-8].

Avatar technology is touted as the promise of providing a rich suite of innovative and highly interactive tools for educators tasked with designing and delivering university level distance education programs. Avatar technology allows for the digital representations of people, both real and artificial, on a computer. For example, a computer user may use an avatar to represent them in an online education. Their avatar responds to the user’s commands and interacts with other avatars in the education environment. Another example is the avatar that is familiar to anyone who has ever used a very popular desktop productivity application. The avatar acts as an assistive agent for the software and is designed to help a user by answering questions and fetching useful information about the software’s features. Some ideas in these research fields were find in «hhh» Virtual Learning Environment technology. Development of «hhh» education platform is underway and informal initial reports indicate the replacement of service oriented Web services by ones. The scope of is also enlarged to include data integration. For example, an external tool that provides an assessment function might be required to provide assessment results in a form that can be incorporated directly into a grade book tool database table in the central «hhh» Virtual Learning Environment. There are two approaches to solving this problem which reflect the difference between centrist and service-

oriented standpoints. The first is to agree on standard data formats for all tools of the same ilk so that an external tool can provide an Application Programming Interface (API) or Web service interface to allow data to be imported directly from the tool into central databases (or the «hhh» Virtual Learning Environment could provide an interface into which the external tool can push data).The second approach is for external tool developers to provide a Web Services Description Language document to describe a data export service. A client to the data export interface can then be created on the fly and incorporated into the «hhh» Virtual Learning Environment. The «hhh» Virtual Learning Environment can then call the data service directly. In order to transform the data from the external tool into any other required format, one XSLT transformation is required. In the first approach there is the need to establish and maintain in perpetuity a standard interface for each tool type. In the second, there is the need to write one XSLT style sheet per tool. To take this discussion a bit further, from a service-oriented point of view there is no great inclination to copy external data to a central silo. In a service oriented «hhh» Virtual Learning Environment there will be no central silo. In this Chapter we have considered various aspects of distance education in the paradigm approach «hhh». Provides an overview of international approaches to learning with the help of avatar and show the ability of this technology on the basis of our ideas is shown the possibility of development of this approach with the use of modern software and mathematical approaches. The programmable control system presented in this chapter represents one possible path leading away from VLE monolithic using a service-oriented approach. A new solution to the general perspective of the use of plug-avatars «hhh» technology education in the tools interoperability problem is presented along with a multi-faceted approach to the user interface. Cloud Serviced Bus (CSE) creates a flexible platform for the delivery of Web service teaching and learning to students. It is posited that the use of an immersive 3D user interface will create a context that facilitates the introduction of an artificial intelligence layer (avatar of the teacher) into the VLE that can serve for teaching and learning avatar of the student.

BACKGROUND

The rise of client-side and social networking technology has led to an increased interest in finding the best ways for students to create their own Personal Learning Environments (PLEs). At the same time, some criticism has been directed at the institutional Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). For example, Weller mentions the need to disaggregate monolithic VLEs to make way for custom reaggregations of sets of tools for specific purposes [4]. Reid states that VLE design reinforces prevailing teaching ideologies and speaks against the walled-garden aspects of VLEs which inhibit network-based teaching [4]. Treviranus expresses concern about the shortcomings of the VLE User Interface (UI), often lacking in accessibility, with poor and inconsistent design. The approach to SOVLE design -the «WAFFLE Bus» - involves a combination of the Wide Area Freely Federated Learning Environment (WAFFLE) and the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB). This VLE use Booth and Clark [9] for design a model for a service-oriented learning architecture with of a set of Web service tools that are deployed according to the principles of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). The scheme combines the advantages of cryptographic concept and imperceptibility feature of digital image

watermarking in spatial domain Sarabjeet S. Bedi, Shekhar Verma and Geetam Tomar [10] use for analysis and will be using for teachers and student avatars designs. The virtual reality and impacts use Wu-Yuin Hwang and Shih-Shin Hu [1] for analysis of peer learning behaviors on geometry problem solving. Web service technology allows the tools that make up the SOVLE to interoperate across a network regardless of software language, platform, operating system or hardware, unfortunately the criticism of monolithic or SOA is well-founded. Although some modern VLEs provide proprietary programming interfaces to connect to external tools, there are still major limitations to interoperability. Mkrttchian is composed of a new «hhh» technology education and use as a SOVLE in the Sliding Mode. Interoperability the «hhh» will be discussed later in this chapter.

The use of manipulates has proven helpful for assisting children in further developing of their concepts, procedures, and other aspects of knowledge education process [10]. Currently, lots of virtual manipulative referring to knowledge can be accessed via the Internet for individual use. Numerous studies have suggested constructivist learning of 3-D, which argues that students should construct and realize knowledge properties by manipulating 3-D objects [3]. Furthermore, digital learning materials using computer visualization have been advocated to facilitate 3-D knowledge learning. This suggestion has been made because digital learning materials can bridge the gap between the mental images of humankind and external representations around the world; this perception is viewed as the key to be able to successfully understand the process of solving geometric problems. Many studies have used white boards to represent 3-D knowledge as projected 2-D graphical and symbolic representations to help students understand abstract knowledge properties. Hwang et al. [1] proposed the VMW system to engage in knowledge learning problem solving with a multimedia white board that allows students to express their mathematical ideas through writing texts, drawing pictures, and making annotations. The results showed that students were satisfied with the white board for improving their multi-representations transformation. Hung articulated that the sharing mechanism, and the facility of drawing tools provided by the white board, encourage students to «talk» and «write» their mathematical perceptions. Stahl, Wee, and Looi argued that the shared white board is necessary for supporting most knowledge education problems. They adopted a chat environment incorporating the white board with the «referencing» functionality that allows students to reference specific objects or areas in the drawing. Students therefore can collaboratively reach a deeper understanding of mathematical objects and their relationships through shared textual and graphical means. A shared white board also provides a flexible area to post drawings and text boxes that serve as knowledge artifacts for the group’s memory. Cakir, Stahl, and Zemel claimed that using a white board is a representational practice that constructs shared mathematical diagrams to be interactive communications carried out for collaborative problem solving online. They also found that participants would find the solution to a problem gradually and recognize contexts through white board activities.

For example SOLVE such as Second Life have emerged as immersive and interactive learning environments for different areas in recent years. Due to the enhanced capabilities for 3-D visualization of various forms of representations, synchronous manipulation of objects and communication among multiple users, it has been suggested that SOLVEs are worthy of investigation as tools to help teach and

learn 3-D education knowledge. Besides individual representations, SOLVEs allow multiple representations created by peers for exploration. From the viewpoint of social constructivism, interpretations of mathematical meanings are shaped by experience soft social discourses among students via mutual observation, sharing, negotiation, and evaluation of education problems . Good, Mulryan, and McCaslin (2005) also claimed that interactions and communications among peers and multiple representational notions provide the internalization of a social and instructional environment. Considerable studies have stressed the importance of collaborative geometric problem solving. Yeh and Nason in 2004 used the VRMath based on virtual reality combined with a Logo-like programming language and the forum interface to facilitate 3-D knowledge learning. The forums were used to aggregate information and scaffold discourse to allow students (or learners) to contribute ideas, search for information, and ask for help from peers. Taxen and Naeve in 2002 developed Cyber Math, which was an avatar-based shared virtual environment, designed to improve learning in the area of education. Cyber Math was built like a museum, with the virtual lecture hall consisting of a virtual projector for presenting PowerPoint slides and a collection of mathematical components that could be rotated and translated along its center. The usability study of Cyber Math showed that there were positive attitudes among young people with a need to incorporate interactive problem solving activities.

Based on the above viewpoints, it is very vital to study the behavior of peers’ learning and help in geometric problem solving, particularly for peer observation, peer aids and critiques. In this study, one collaborative virtual reality learning environment called Interactive Future Virtual Classroom was designed and implemented for facilitating peers’ learning in learning problem solving. The peers learning behaviors such as peer aids and critiques were classified and investigated deeply in this study and their effects on knowledge learning problems solving were also studied [1].

MAIN FOCUS IN THE CHAPTER Issues, Controversies, Problems

Regarding the restriction of the range of pedagogic possibilities, for example, are able to accommodate most approaches to teaching and learning. No fixed structures are imposed on resources and fine-grained, hierarchical access control systems allow any teaching space within the VLE to be closed or open. This said, we would disagree with those who think that every resource in a VLE should be open. Students must be given the opportunity to make mistakes in a safe, closed environment where they know exactly who is in their audience.

The matter of pedagogic restriction seems most pertinent when it relates to Web 2.0 and the issue of locus of control. In managerial terms, the VLE is institution-centric, and the PLE is learner-centric. There is an essential incompatibility here, although ultimately probably not a serious one. One can envision some sort of rapprochement between personal and institutional identity schemes. One possibility is to use a «dead letter drop». For example, the institutional VLE, authorized by Mkrttchian, might deposit documents into a student’s account in a third party repository. The repository can then become part of a PLE through Open ID, it is interesting possibilities in this space as a means for allowing PLE services to access VLE data, and vice versa.

Using Web services combined in a SOA, teachers will be able to design custom learning environments based on tools that are most appropriate to their particular academic requirements. Service-based workflow technology will be able to orchestrate long running teaching processes and ease the administrative burden on teaching staff.

Furthermore, the emergence of superb toolkits for creating Immersive 3D (I3D) worlds provides the ability to place an I3D UI over a SOVLE. This creates a new educational context that has the potential to accommodate termini for a whole new range of information channels. These channels can then be managed by a team of software agents that act on behalf of an avatar teaching faculty. Examples of procedures for which the agents can be responsible are text mining, natural language processing and other Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods that can transform robot avatars into teaching tools.

It is in this educational and technological context that we present a prototype of SOVLE that is based on CSB Platform and SM Control.

The same education problem solving with multiple representations indicated that there were external representations in the real world and internal representations in the mind. Psychologists view the representation as the process of modeling concrete objects in the real world into abstract concepts or internal representations, which consist of mental components such as metaphorical, visual-spatial, and structural knowledge. For the mathematical context, Wu-Yuin Hwang [1] articulated five kinds of representations used in math education; the first representation is symbolic representation used in mathematical notions such as numbers, letters and symbols. The second is linguistic representation that is used every day in language such as Chinese, Russian, Hindi and English. The third one is illustrative representation that uses figures, graphs, and so on. The fourth is manipulative representation such as teaching assistant tools that teachers or students can operate to figure out concepts or find clues. The fifth is realistic representation based on actual states and objects. Wu-Yuin Hwang asserted that the diversity of representations for the same learning concepts, the connections between them, and the conversion from one representation to others were the keys to successfully knowledge learning. Experiencing and exploring the functions of multiple representations have strongly proved to help students attain a deeper understanding of math concepts and the cognitive processes in problem solving Wu-Yuin Hwang [1]. In terms of learning, much research has employed the use of manipulative representations, supported by the virtual manipulative, and symbolic and illustrative representations, supported by the white board in education problem solving activities Wu-Yuin Hwang defined the virtual manipulative as «an interactive, Web-based visual representation of a dynamic object that presents opportunities for constructing knowledge» [1].

Solutions and Recommendations

The VLE presented in this article is composed of a set of Web service tools that are deployed according to the principles of «hhh». Web service technology allows the tools that make up the SOVLE to interoperate across a network regardless of software language, Cloud platform, operating system or hardware. Using the avatars software design pattern [5] tools are easily added to and removed from the SOVLE. In other words, the VLE becomes «pluggable». Our approach to SOVLE design - the «Cloud Serviced Bus» - involves a combination of the Wide Area

Freely Federated Learning Environment (WAFFLE), the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) and principles of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) [9].

SOA is normally advocated as a means for an institution to become more agile; more able to respond rapidly in IT terms to changing external circumstances. This is in a large part due to the ability to re-use existing services and the ease with which new ones can be added to the architecture.

From a higher education perspective, the list of technical advantages of SOA might be extended as follows.

1. Web service interfaces allow application data to be made available to students for use in a PLE using their technology of choice.

2. Teaching, learning and administration tasks can be automated using Web service workflow technology. This opens up a third major approach to learning design after IMS Global Learning Consortium (GLC) Learning Design (LD) and the Learning Activity Management System (LAMS).

3. Web service data interfaces offer a solution to the data compatibility aspect of the TI problem (see TI section below).

4. The content mediation functionality of the ESB facilitates the implementation of new approaches to the User Interface (UI) (see UI section below).

5. The microkernel/ESB approach provides a means for the management, monitoring and control of all applications and services in a distributed environment.

These features will be illustrated below in the course of the description of the construction of a SOVLE that can deliver basic teaching and learning design.

The major obstacles associated with creating a SOVLE are the Tools Interoperability (TI) problem and the design of the UI.

The TI problem is how to make external tools available in a VLE so that they can be used in a manner indistinguishable from native tools. When a user first attempts to access an external tool there will often be a requirement for the tool to be passed some data that it can use to initiate a user session. A set of TI guidelines were published by the IMS GLC in which Web services are employed as a proxy communications layer between a VLE and an external Web application. Session initiation takes place using information in a deployment descriptor file.

We present an alternative approach to TI that replaces the Web service layer to «hhh» system and Cloud serviced system [6-8]. There are two approaches to solving this problem which reflect the difference between centrist and service-oriented standpoints.

The first is to agree on standard data formats for all tools of the same ilk so that an external tool can provide an Application Programming Interface (API) or Web service interface to allow data to be imported directly from the tool into central databases (or the VLE could provide an interface into which the external tool can push data).

The second approach is for external tool developers to provide a Web Services Description Language (WSDL) document to describe a data export service. A client to the data export interface can then be created on the fly and incorporated into the VLE. The VLE can then call the data service directly.

In order to transform the data from the external tool into any other required format, one XSLT transformation is required.

In the first approach there is the need to establish and maintain in perpetuity a standard interface for each tool type. In the second, there is the need to write one XSLT style sheet per tool.

To take this discussion a bit further, from a service-oriented point of view there is no great inclination to copy external data to a central silo. In a SOVLE there will be no central silo. Grade book summaries, for example, can be produced on the fly by combining data extracted from various service endpoints. Data centralization is not in sympathy with the service-based approach. It is sufficient to know that the data is safe and how to get it.

The challenge is to create a UI worthy of the power and flexibility under the SOA bonnet.

An important general point to be made clear is that the degree of the complexity of the SOA need bear no relationship to the complexity of the UI. In fact, the aim should be to use the versatility and power of the SOA to produce the simplest interface.

An underlying principle of the SOVLE is multi-channel information flow. Each different type of UI can be regarded as being the endpoint of one or more channels. A SOVLE, therefore, does not necessarily have just one universal UI. The problem is not to create one UI, but several. Users will be able to choose (or create) the UI that is best suited to their needs.

Here are just a few possibilities.

1. I3D. Perhaps the most exciting UI for the SOVLE is an I3D world. Project Wonderland [11] is an Open Source (OS) Java toolkit for creating I3D worlds. It has been donated to the OS community by Sun Microsystems which continues to sponsor the development process. In an I3D environment users control humanoid figures, or avatars, to navigate through the virtual world, communicate with other avatars and interact with shared applications that are embedded in the I3D world. The way in which a Wonderland world can be used as an interface is by placing SOVLE tools inside the I3D world as shared applications. These tools can have back end Web service management and data channels. Even though Wonderland is a Java project, applications written in any language can be shared. Web applications can be accessed through a Firefox browser shared application inside the I3D environment.

2. RSS/OPML. Links to Web application resources can be represented by RSS feeds organized using Output Processor Markup Language.

3. WSDL, RESTian service URLs and APIs. Technically, these items represent programmatic interfaces that can lead to the instantiation of one terminus of an information channel which can feed a UI, either in a VLE or PLE.

4. Widget dashboard. Widgets can be fed from Web services both inside and outside the SOVLE. One omission made here compared to earlier documents on the WAFFLE Bus is reference to federated portals as an important UI. The reason for this is that the latest client-side technology, such as widgets and AJAX, seems to be able to provide a suitable, lighter alternative. Portals and Web Services for Remote Port lets (WSRP) have, therefore, been placed in abeyance.

5. Widget injection into HTML. The traditional method for creating VLE interfaces has been to use HTML frames or “I” Frames to display tools with adjacent frames holding navigational and management links. The message mediation capability of the ESB can turn this round by injecting a navigational widget into each HTML page delivered by the SOVLE. The widget can then draw information from an appropriate navigation service.

6. Fluid? In the context of the SOVLE, the Fluid Project seems to offer another potential UI. It is interesting to note that Fluid involves a runtime transfor-

mation of the output to the Graphical User Interface (GUI) depending on user preference. This type of runtime transformation is one of the fundamental responsibilities of the ESB in a SOA, so it will be interesting to turn Fluid into an ESB «ser-vice engine». This will offer all services in the SOVLE access to Fluid output transformation and is a good example of the benefits of an ESB.

To give an example of multiple channels, in the teaching example provided in these chapter students might use a Web application interface to access a resource in the document management system, or they might access the document as an avatar in an I3D world. Or they might use a custom client to download a document to the desktop using a Web service or perhaps a Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI) interface.

Teaching and learning design is simply the automation of a series of tasks according to a set of rules that govern the order in which the tasks are carried out. Teaching and learning workflow is referred to as learning design and is best known to the educational community in two incarnations: IMS GLC LD and the LAMS, mentioned above.

This is to be contrasted with the LAMS system which uses a drag-and-drop UI that allows non-specialists to create and play LAMS learning designs easily. One drawback to using LAMS is that in order to be integrated into the LAMS system a tool must implement the LAMS programming interface. In the past it has turned out to be more efficient to write tools from scratch rather than try to LAM-Sify them. Just recently, however, adapters were announced that enable tools in the Sakai and Moodle VLEs to be made available in LAMS learning designs.

Rather than start with a shopping list of desirable services for a SOVLE, the decision was made to investigate «hhh» and introduce the requisite services that would enable the implementation of a simple learning design.

In every software system that uses both Web applications and Web services there are now two types of access control points: the browser-accessed Web application and the Web service (a machine to machine technology), «hhh» can be used for access control to the Web applications in the Cloud Serviced Bus.

The SOLVE is a 3-D, which includes several functionalities implemented as «modules» based on the architecture of the Open Wonderland platform. Open Wonderland is a pure Java-based open source toolkit developed by Sun Micro System for creating a collaborative 3-D virtual world. Hence, with the interactive capabilities and simultaneous communication tools provided by the SOLVE, students are free to create, express, and share their ideas individually or collaboratively via different types of representations such as manipulative and verbal representations in the virtual world. The white board is transparent and rendered as the symbolic and illustrative representation instance in the IFMC. It allows multiple users to collaboratively write symbols, draw figures, and make annotations. Employing white boards in the virtual reality is helpful so that users can insert transparent white boards wherever deemed necessary. The white board will be put in front of the user, like a mirror, without obstructing their exploratory geometric shape behind the board. Therefore, users can insert several white boards at different views of angles and input math symbols, figures, and annotations from multiple viewpoints. Another useful feature is the functionality of folding and unfolding the white board to regain control of manipulating 3-D geometric objects on the table. The white

board offers buttons such as an arrow, a straight line, a rectangle, and an oval to draw 2-D shapes. The text button can be used to make annotations, and the selection button can move figures and texts on the white board. Once the students use symbols or text to solve geometry problems on the transparent white board above the table, peers can review and understand their math problem-solving processes. The view-adjusting tool is rendered as the view-adjusting panel instance in the SOLVE that can be employed to explore 3-D geometric objects from different angles. The text-chatting tool is rendered as the linguistic representation communication instance, which includes two windows to display text messages and names of online users in the SOLVE. This tool can be used to «talk» about our ideas with peers [1].

We suggest the concept of e-learning as a student in the learning process creates its own icon that represents it in the virtual learning space (halls, laboratories, etc.). Apprentice manages Text with the appropriate commands that mimic the action, familiar to the usual situation in training (lifting arms - pay attention, ask a question, or any other actions, nodding his head in agreement, etc.). It is obvious that modern students with experience in computer games will soon find an opportunity to understand the principle of learning and to acquire knowledge, gain experience in testing and control of the knowledge gained. Everyone want that his avatar was not like the others, it's like a piece of individuality. The teacher also provides Text and serves as support for student learning material, test and control tasks. The closest to our proposed the idea came up during the drafting Virtual Academy (http://vacademia.com).

The developers see in the resource alternative webinars, interactive voice modules in the electronic courses, presentations, immersion training in a real environment. However, in this wonderful resource no student-teacher interaction and avatar is a nice tool that allows the student to accompany the resource according to the set standards of the training course. The main points of our proposed the concept of e-learning with technologies is:

1. Held a joint educational activity in the virtual space through coordinated interaction of the student - an avatar;

2. The interaction (student - avatar) implies feedback on stage training, testing and control of knowledge;

3. Possible interaction in the form is a not only individual learning (student -avatar), but also a collective.

4. Actions and results of students agree (responses to the use of educational material) are discussed using online communications.

Learning environment can be an element of virtual reality is presented in the form of 2D/3D-realizatsii, and the interaction with the student is done by Text Control - an object representing a teacher in the virtual world. One of the forms is «determinate» when all options pupil predetermined. Another form is «indetermi-nate» when identified only original members of the educational material and the characteristics of the learning process are not strict and depend on many factors (such as knowledge, experience, desire, curiosity, etc.). Since the process of studying each student is unique, specify all the results of his actions or anticipate every possible combination of its errors is not possible. It is this fact pushes the idea of introducing technology in the learning feedback element [12].

FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS

SOA has become the predominant architecture for enterprise solutions in the business world. There are a few lessons that come through loud and clear. One of the most important of these is that introducing a SOA is not easy. There are few problems when the number of services is small and basically owned and managed by the same small group of people. As a SOA expands it will need institutional policies to be observed in order to extract benefits such as re-use of services and the maintenance of up-to-date information in service registries.

As the number of deployed services increases it will become necessary to decentralize their management. This will require central IT services to introduce new procedures to manage the networks. The UDDI service registry will have to be extended to create a comprehensive «system of record» for the SOA. UDDI 3.0 introduces the idea of federated service registries. These might be useful when Web service management is devolved to different institutional domains such as faculties or research institutes.

The simple username-token method being used to secure Web services will need to give way to a system based on a specification like WS-Trust. Different interfaces will throw up different security problems. Fine-grained access control systems are need for I3D worlds. And how might the access rights of an avatar in an I3D world is used to govern access to shared applications?

In the future we will develop workflows that explore teaching in immersive environments, especially that involving student collaboration.

Our efforts will also be directed at establishing information channels to the bioinformatics knowledge base, and using intelligent software agents to manage these channels to supply information to robot teaching avatars. In order to increase the flexibility of workflows based purely on BPEL, we will investigate using scripting languages such as Python and Groovy as programmatic glue to combine Web services with standard software applications.

CONCLUSION

First, we have presented a pluggable (non-monolithic) service-oriented virtual learning environment (SOLVE) based on the microkernel and enterprise service bus design patterns. Teachers can use this to create custom learning environment composed of tools that best suit their needs. A basic design aim is to provide interfaces that can be used to form multiple information channels to the user. Multiple interfaces and the message mediation capabilities of the enterprise service bus create a system in which there is no one unique user interface. Users will be able to choose the best interface is used as a mechanism for solving the tools interoperability problem. The Business Process Execution Language has been used to implement a basic learning design. The use of an immersive 3D user interface is seen as a context for creating a new layer of artificial intelligence in the virtual learning environment.

Second, promoting peer learning or interaction in the SOLVE should be valued during mathematical problem-solving activities. The immersion-based with multiple representations such as the SOLVE in this research motivates students to have fun interacting with peers and share great learning experiences about education problem solving. Through meaningful peer learning, students with different abilities can be inspired from observing peers’ manipulations; therefore, they can deepen their understanding of education problem solving.

Third, providing hands-on peer learning tools in education problem solving activities is indispensable for students to construct solid knowledge and to develop rich problem-solving strategies. The peer learning tools should be integrated into student learning to help students learn the concepts of geometry through observation and manipulation. The cloud platform that allows drawings and annotations can complement manipulation on the table. These two tools, the white board and manipulation on the table, can satisfy individual needs and preferences for solving problems using multiple methods. Hence, learning in the SOLVE can be elicited through interaction among learners and their peers.

References

1. Wu-Yuin Hwang. Analysis of peer learning behaviors using multiple representations in virtual reality and their impacts on geometry problem solving / Wu-Yuin Hwang, Shih-Shin Hu // Computers & Education. - 2013. - Vol. 2б. - P. 30S-319.

2. Ernest, P. Is mathematics discovered or invented / P. Ernest // Philosophy of Mathematics Education Journal. - 1999. - Vol. 12. - P. 9-13.

3. NCTM. Principles and standards for school mathematics. - Reston, VA : National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2000.

4. Wilkins, J. L. M. The relationship among elementary teachers’ content knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices / J. L. M. Wilkins // Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. - 200S. - Vol. 11 (2). - P. 1З9-1б4.

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5. Mkrttchian, V. Use «hhh»-technology in transformative models of online education / V. Mkrttchian // Handbook of research on transformative online education and liberation: Models for social equality / G. Kurubacak, T. Vokan Yuzer (eds). - Hershey, PA : IGI Global, 2011. - P. 340-351.

6. Mkrttchian, V. Avatar manager and student reflective conversations as the base for describing meta-communication model / V. Mkrttchian // Meta-communication for reflective online conversations: Models for distance education / U. Demiray, G. Kurubacak, T. Vokan Yuzer (eds). - Hershey, PA : IGI Global, 2012. - P. 75-101.

7. Mkrttchian, V. Training of Avatar Moderator in Sliding Mode Control / V. Mkrttchian, G. Stephanova // Project Management Approaches for Online Learning Design / G. Kurubacak, T. Vokan Yuzer (eds). - Hershey, PA : IGI Global, 2013. -P. 175-203.

S. Mkrttchian, V. Training of Avatar Moderator in Sliding Mode Control Environment for Virtual Project Management / V. Mkrttchian, G. Stephanova // Enterprise Resource Planning: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications / J. A. Romero, other (eds). - IRMA, IGI Global, 2013. - P. 1З7б-1405.

9. Booth, A. G. A Service-Oriented Virtual Learning Environment / A. G. Booth, B. Clark // On the Horizon. - 2010. - Vol. 17. - Issue 3. - P. 172-1S1.

10. Sarabjeet S. Bedi. An Adaptive Data Hiding Technique for Digital Image Authentication / Sarabjeet S. Bedi, Shekhar Verma, Geetam Tomar // International Journal of Computer Theory and Engineering. - 2010. - Vol. 2, № 3. - P. 33S-344.

11. Wood, T. Children’s mathematical thinking in different classroom cultures / T. Wood, G. Williams, B. McNeal // Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. -200б. - Vol. 37 (3). - P. 23-29.

12. Korikov, A. The concept of e-education is on the basis of the avatar technology. Vol. 2. Perspectives on Control Systems and ICT / A. Korikov, M. Kataev, V. Mkrttchian. - Tomsk State University of Control System and Radio Electronics : TUSUR of Tomsk Press, 2013. - P. 95-101.

References

1. Wu-Yuin Hwang., Shih-Shin Hu. Computers & Education. 2013, vol. 2б, pp. 30S-319.

2. Ernest P. Philosophy of Mathematics Education Journal. 1999, vol. 12, pp. 9-13.

3. NCTM. Principles and standards for school mathematics. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2000.

4. Wilkins J. L. M. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. 200S, vol. 11 (2), pp. 1З9-1б4.

5. Mkrttchian V. Handbook of research on transformative online education and liberation: Models for social equality. G. Kurubacak, T. Vokan Yuzer (eds). Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2011, pp. 340-351.

6. Mkrttchian V. Meta-communication for reflective online conversations: Models for distance education. U. Demiray, G. Kurubacak, T. Vokan Yuzer (eds). Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2012, pp. 75-101.

7. Mkrttchian V., Stephanova G. Project Management Approaches for Online Learning Design. G. Kurubacak, T. Vokan Yuzer (eds). Hershey, pA: IGI Global, 2013, pp. 175-203.

S. Mkrttchian V., Stephanova G. Enterprise Resource Planning: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications. J. A. Romero, other (eds). IRMA, IGI Global, 2013, pp. 1З7б-1405.

9. Booth A. G., Clark B. On the Horizon. 2010, vol. 17, issue 3, pp. 172-1S1.

10. Sarabjeet S. Bedi., Shekhar Verma, Geetam Tomar International Journal of Computer Theory and Engineering. 2010, vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 33S-344.

11. Wood T., Williams G., McNeal B. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. 200б, vol. 37 (3), pp. 23-29.

12. Korikov A., Kataev M., Mkrttchian V. The concept of e-education is on the basis of the avatar technology. Vol. 2. Perspectives on Control Systems and ICT. Tomsk State University of Control System and Radio Electronics: TUSUR of Tomsk Press, 2013, pp. 95-101.

Мкртчян Вардан Суренович доктор технических наук, профессор, главный управляющий - ректор, Университет управления и информационно -коммуникационных технологий (P.O.Box 759, Lane Cove, NSW,

1595, Australia)

E-mail: [email protected] Шмид Клаус

доктор наук, профессор, директор, Институт информатики Университета Хильдесхейм

(Samelsonplatz 1, 31141 Hildesheim, Germany)

E-mail: [email protected]

Пономарёва Ольга Николаевна

доктор педагогических наук, профессор, заведующая кафедрой естественноматематического образования,

Институт регионального развития

Пензенской области

(Россия, г. Пенза, ул. Попова, 40)

E-mail: [email protected]

Mkrttchian Vardan Surenovich Doctor of engineering sciences, professor, general manager - rector, University of Management and Information-Communication Technologies (P.O.Box 759, Lane Cove, NSW,

1595, Australia)

Shmid Klaus

Doctor of sciences, professor, director of the Institute of Computer Science, University of Hildesheim (Samelsonplatz 1, 31141 Hildesheim, Germany)

Ponomariova Ol'ga Nikolaevna

Doctor of pedagogical sciences, professor, head of sub-department of natural-mathematical education, Institute of regional development of Penza region

(40 Popova street, Penza, Russia)

УДК 37 Mkrttchian, V. S.

Use of triple h-avatars as the training technology in service-oriented virtual space / V. S. Mkrttchian, K. Shmid, О. N. Ponomariova // Известия высших учебных заведений. Поволжский регион. Гуманитарные науки. - 2014. -№ 1 (29). - С. 200-214.

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