The need for academic middleware to support advanced learning services

Abstract

The increased signi®cance of digital and human networks in academic institutions and the development of vocational and distance-learning methods and systems and their associated delivery services have modi®ed the organizational and information structures of academic institutions. In this new scenario, management information systems, many learning resources in printed or digital format and network-related user services compete for acceptance in a rapidly changing system. There is a growing need to provide new services in order to function in a changing international market, to prepare for the expected student mobility and the increasing diversity of educational needs. There are two main research areas that are looking at the problem, each from their own perspective: the learning technology area and the network technology area. The former is working mainly on standards and best practices for the delivery of online and distance education. Eorts include the description of learning objects with metadata, the description of learners with pro®les and the generic depiction of learning technology systems in terms of information systems architecture. In the latter research area, recent deployment issues have been of increasing concern. Inevitably, research is moving towards an area where major work is already underway. This is the part of the networking community that is working on the de®nition and deployment of middleware services. This paper argues for the introduction of academic middleware to speed up the delivery process of the new services and reduce the complexity of the managed systems. Ó

Learning Management Systems: Engineering the Education Industry to Educate the Industrial Engineer

“…However, similar paradigm shifts in these industries necessitated these systems. In promoting the need for academic middleware to integrate advanced learning systems, Konstantapoulus highlights paradigm shifts in the education industry that necessitate these systems [8]. These changes correspond with paradigm shifts in the manufacturing industry [9], as shown in Table 1.…”

“…Manufacturing Industry [9] Education Industry [8] Mass production strategy was based on the principle of economies of scale, whilst the new paradigm, flexible manufacturing, concerns economies of scope and integration.…”

Engineering The Education Industry To Educate The Industrial Engineer

“…Both LMSs and MES's were developed in the past decade, due to similar paradigm shifts in these industries. In promoting the need for academic middleware to integrate advanced learning systems, Konstantapoulus 8 highlights paradigm shifts in the education industry that necessitate these systems. These changes correspond with paradigm shifts in the manufacturing industry 9 .…”