A Multimedia Educational Blackboard System - Toward a Richer Multimedia Applications

Abstract

This paper describes a multimedia educational blackboard system MEBS. The MEBS system is based on a structural network document model. It embeds mechanism to enhance interaction capability and to enable dynamic temporal and spatial layout. It adapts blackboard convention to deliver courseware contents composed of local media objects and remote media objects. It consists of tools to support multimedia-based courseware development and delivery. Instructors use commonly available programs to create collections of educational materials and use MEBS tools to integrate and synchronize the course materials into courseware modules. The MEBS offers rich interactivity and compositional convenience with hierarchical structure. Directions toward richer multimedia applications based on MEBS experience will also be listed and discussed.