Virtual learning spaces in distance education: tools for the EVA project

The EVA (espacios virtuales de aprendizaje, or virtual learning spaces) pro ject applies artificial intelligence tools to teleteaching methods, in a wa y that eliminates or mitigates the need for synchronous and in situ educati on. (A) A taxonomy of the space of knowledge (also called 'Learning Space'; currently our prototype teaches M.Sc. courses in Computer Science) is form ed and discretized. (B) EVA finds each student's initial knowledge state (t hrough a computer examination:) and final (desired) knowledge state, and fr om these, a particular learning trajectory is designed for that student. (C ) Personalized books (called polybooks, because they are formed by modules (chapters) written in a variety of media) are armed by concatenating - alon g the learning trajectory - modules from a large pool, and sent to the stud ent through the net in a store-and-forward fashion. (D) EVA searches the ne t for teaching material which has not been indexed in the discretized learn ing space, using a tool (Clasitex) inside an agent that finds the main them es or topics that an article (written in natural language) covers. (E) EVA also schedules for each student synchronous activities (lectures in TV, tel econferences, on-line question and answering sessions, chats). (F) EVA sugg ests for each student suitable 'classmates' (students having similar learni ng trajectories) in her town, as well as possible advisers (students or alu mni having knowledge that the student is acquiring). The present status, pr oblems, models and tools of EVA are presented. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Lt d. All rights reserved.