Deliverables Consulting services for e-learning content development SLIM-VRT projects' objectives included the development of a self-learning methodology as well as the development of e-learning content, enhanced and enriched by the use of 3D-VRT, for the maritime community. Thus, during the project implementation period, all partners have developed additional expertise and know-how n the designing and developing e-learning content. Consultancy services include the development of content - for the education and training of individuals working in the maritime industry - for the education and training of multicultural teams - for the education and training on soft skills - for the education and training on-board and off-shore, as well as consultancy on how to produce this kind of content. In addition, consultancy services include the so-called maintenance services, which refer to the update and / or enrichment of the content produced and delivered to clients. The e-learning platform (software license) The resulted e-learning platform enables course tutors and learners to cooperate with one another by sharing experiences, offering personal and confidential advice on the available courses, content and allowing communication, etc. The e-learning platform comprises a set of modules where tutors can create content, administer the resulting course and create assessments for learners, while learners are provided with the ability to access courses and work with the related material. These modules are integrated in a core execution environment, also enabling the user membership, authentication (subject to security checks), course registration, workflow tracking, assessments and collaborative services that are needed to develop the competencies, skills and training objectives. The e-learning platform is entirely based on open source technologies while the provided services are developed in compliance with current e-learning standards designated by approving bodies and organisations, supporting the course of studies and quality auditing procedures. The various services offered by this e-learning platform are consolidated by a set of repositories holding information on personal data of registered members, learner's profiles, material available to support the course of studies and other unstructured information also available to learners. The platform's architecture rests on three levels, each supported by a dedicated administrator: the platform administrator, the community administrator, and the course coordinators/tutors/instructors. The community administrator is responsible for managing the directory of members registered to a course (this provides the interface between the course provider and the learner), whilst the tutor/instructor will be the course content creator, and the coordinator is responsible for distributing the course(s) to the learner and the services supporting the relating studies. The Virtual Reality Tool (VRT) sub-system The main objective of the Virtual Reality Tool developed architecture is the efficient and flexible incorporation of low-cost 3D graphics based experiences to the learning process with: - Multimedia content customisation according to user characteristics and terminal technical capabilities. - Efficient management of the interactivity allowing dynamic adaptation of the learning process in response to students' actions in the virtual environment. - Reusability of graphical models to allow the design of multiple case studies based on the same modelled virtual environment. The VRT has been built on top of a standard framework: the VRML standard in combination with a VRML browser, remotely fed by a WWW Server, which should support the execution of external JAVA code. Additionally to the basic functionalities provided by this standard framework, specific developments have been carried out to support a set of enhanced features, which allow the development of enriched 3D scenarios in terms of new metaphors for user interaction, information contained within 3D scenarios, and the consideration of immersiveness. In particular, these enhanced functionalities are: - The possibility to define guided paths or tours inside the virtual scenarios. - Mechanisms to attach multimedia explanations (in the form of video or audio clips, text, www links, etc) to objects and/or locations integrated within the 3D scenario and in a user-friendly way. - Functionality adaptation to user and terminal profiles. - Possibility to evaluate users' interaction in terms of both, his location within the virtual scenario, and his actions over specific objects. - Support of immersive capabilities via the use of enhanced of I/O devices. The ADVISOR sub-system The ADVISOR sub-system supports SLIM-VRT to identify and analyse various trainees' - employees' profiles (skills, qualifications, training needs/styles and formal / informal career development in the shipping industry, as well as the emerging job requirements in today rapidly changing environment. Its functionality is based on a methodology and prediction models for the identification of user learning needs based on user profiles, market needs and career prospects ADVISOR is consisted of two model systems: - Training Needs Module - An offline model system: that relies on advanced choice models to estimate the base parameters for different trainee's profiles - Training Advisor Module - A real time model system: that is based on the above models that can quickly estimate and customize the parameters to each individual using Bayesian Techniques, and give fast recommendations. ADVISOR is a stand-alone system that can easily operate in other platforms' environments. The SLIM-VRT integrated e-learning system SLIM-VRT is an integrated innovative e-learning system that provides a distributed, Web-based, scalable and accessible for different users' types' environment. With the support of an advanced self-learning methodology, its functionality for the identification of user learning needs based on user profiles, market needs and career prospects, and the use of 3D-VRT Graphics, the System envisages to offer advanced e-learning services to the maritime community. It consists of the e-learning platform, the Virtual Reality Tool (VRT) and the Training Advisor sub-system (ADVISOR). The System supports the education and training of multicultural teams, as well as the training on soft skills and job requirements (during the project implementation period, content for three target groups - further career developments, alternate careers and "new comers" to the shipping industry - was developed, i.e. four courses and five case studies). SLIM-VRT, as a standalone commercial product / service, will be addressed in maritime e-learning market; it will be launched either as a "turn-key" solution or via an ASP. Potential users will be able to use the system either to consume or to offer e-learning: - individuals who work in the maritime industry or wish to join it, will be educated via e-learning - shipping companies and maritime organizations will enhance the skills of their employees - universities and other similar education organizations will address a wider market - universities and other similar education organizations will join a network of RTD, expertise and know-how transfer - e-learning content providers will invest on new technologies Consultancy services for e-learning in the maritime industry The training and education needs of individuals, who either work in the maritime industry or wish to work in it, are specific and demanding. The legal framework that regulates those issues is STCW (Seafarers Training and Watch keeping Convention) regulated by IMO (International Maritime Organization). The IMO has published a series of model courses on different subjects as guidelines for seafarers training and certification. Currently IMO is examining the CBT (Computer Based Training) and e-learning approach for seafarers education. In this context SLIM-VRT has a powerful potential as a consultancy tool in maritime education The services for e-learning consultancy in the maritime sector will include: - the identification of the specific users' needs - the construction of a customized to the trainee's needs choice set of courses and alternative forms of learning - the application of bridge/engine simulation scenario through Internet - the development of courses to mainly soft skills not provided in formal maritime education - the development of case studies for collaborative training of seafarers and office personnel (in the all the 3 levels provided by STCW) - the application of evaluation framework to access maritime educational materials using new technologies Searching for OpenAIRE data... There was an error trying to search data from OpenAIRE No results available
