Title: Distant tutoring using flexible workflow design: an application to product management courses

Authors: Latifa Mahdaoui, Zaia Alimazighi

Addresses: LSI-Computer Science Department, Faculty of Electronic and Computer Science, USTHB, BP 32 El Alia, Bab Ezzouar, Algiers 16111, Algeria. ' LSI-Computer Science Department, Faculty of Electronic and Computer Science, USTHB, BP 32 El Alia, Bab Ezzouar, Algiers 16111, Algeria

Abstract: The technological developments in information and communication led to a new perception of teaching. The Information and Communication Technologies offer many cooperation possibilities between the different actors of electronic learning (e-learning) systems who are teachers, learners and managers. Today, e-learning can be seen as a means to build virtual teaching/formation organisation, where three groups of actors interact and cooperate through several processes. In this work, we define a basic model for the |tutoring process| called |individual learning plan| (ILP). It is based on the analysis of learners| and teachers| needs and uses unified modelling language (UML). Both teachers and learners can have different roles in the platform and can collaborate to execute activities and share some pedagogical resources. Then, the interest is particularly focused on |learner–tutor| relationship and the administrator is assumed to be the software system in order to make the problem easier. Therefore, we can describe this as a workflow process using an object oriented meta-model. The general architecture of the implementation is first detailed, followed by the presentation of the tool |e-Tutoring 1.0| that is necessary to the tutor to elaborate the work plans (ILP(s)) corresponding to the tutoring or training process and traduced to BPEL4WS.

Keywords: individual learning plan; distant tutoring; UML; e-learning; electronic learning; pedagogical resources; product management courses; roles; tasks; training; work plans; workflow design; online learning; flexible workflow; distance learning; object oriented modelling; metamodelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPLM.2008.021449

International Journal of Product Lifecycle Management, 2008 Vol.3 No.2/3, pp.229 - 259

Published online: 27 Nov 2008 *

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