Software Implementation of a Computerized e-Learning and e-Education Web Portal

1.1 Introduction

Electronic Learning is a system designed to help students gain access and acquire knowledge in any university of their choice. It can include: Enhance face –to- face instruction (on campus, in class use of computer and the World Wide Web (WWW), enhanced distance education (on or off campus) individuals and group learning with both print and computer-based materials instruction entirely on- line (individual and group learning) because of this mix Electronic Learning and text based e- learning knowledge is moving towards every student being an e- learner at last for part of their study, whether through learning materials, e-mail for contacting teachers/ tutors or any one of their myriad other e-learning applications. Electronic Learning results to learning and other supportive resources that are available through a computer and it includes computer based training, computer based instruction and technology.

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitation of the study and Definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

E-education is the process of learning online. Whether you’re a high school student or a graduate college student, a person looking to expand technical skills or a retiree who simply wants to learn more, electronic learning provides a boundary-free way to broaden your horizons that allows the teacher to be able to communicate with its students across the web either through receiving lectures or assessment (electronic tutoring and electronic assessment) and also delivering any other information that is necessary for the student’s progress .This application is developed on the web which comprises of three tiers which are the client, the server and the database, the server and the database are the part of the system that would be used by the teacher to hold the resources to be displayed as well as editing of such resources .The server and the database can be said to work hand in hand and used by the same person, while the client tier is used by the student to view the resources as well as interacting with the lecture. These three tiers can be interacting with one another to create an online and real time application. These tiers can all work hand in hand to create an effective communication between the teacher and the student.

These have been an increased interest in the area of computer technology in Nigeria through the introduction of the internet. This has aided communication between two distant parties in the country, there by enlarging the interest of electronic learning in Nigeria. The e-learning system comprises of two main section, the electronics tutoring (e-learning) and the electronics assessment (e-assessment) .The e-tutoring aspect is concerned with the learning part where student come on line to receive lectures, take review questions and also view summary and the note key of lecture received. The e-assessment section is just where the student take tests, exercise, quiz to know how far they have learnt since the commencement of the lectures.

An Electronic Learning framework carries education nearer to the individuals and evacuates the pressure and imperatives, which characterize the conventional classroom learning system. The hallmarks of Electronic Learning are the separation of teacher and learner in space and/or time, the control of learning by the student rather than the distant instructor, and non-adjacent communication between student and teacher, mediated by print or other forms of technology. At its most essential level, distance education is a procedure where number of teachings is conducted by remotely located lecturers. Two categories of Electronic Learning systems exist; namely On-line and Off-line Electronic Learning. On-line Electronic Learning, also known as virtual classroom is a type of learning system in which students work on their own at home or at the office and communicate with personnel and different studies by means of email, electronic discussions, videoconferencing and different types of PC based correspondence.. Off-line Electronic Learning on its own is a multi-campus system where a University or Polytechnic establishes many campuses and each of these campuses may be centrally controlled or decentralized.

1.3 Statement of the Problem

Investigation revealed that the problems students find and experiences, it has never been easy for students to acquire basic and necessary education in any institution one wishes irrespective of the fact that the resources are there. This poses a lot of problems sometimes they will embrace not going to school at all. The problems that this application will try to solve are:

1. Inadequate learning resources such as lecture note and virtual classrooms for viewing lectures.
2. Shortage of experience lectures.
3. Boredom associated with long lecture hours.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to develop a computerized e-Learning and e-Education Web Portal using Computer Science Department in NOUN University as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows to design an application that will:

1. Provide course material on time and with different media types (audio, text and video).
2. Provide chat room, online exams, upcoming events and grade report.
3. Provide students easier way to acquire any of the NOUN certificates without been in the institute or with less difficulty.
4. Proffer solution to students whom because of nearness to institute and are unable to acquire knowledge that they need.

1.5 Significance of Study

Electronic Learning can provide benefits for the organizations and individuals involved. Improved performance: it is interactive to the students thereby improving their productivity.

1. Improves Standard of Education: it eliminates examination inadequacies like examination malpractices.
2. Increased Access: It enables people from any part of the world to be educated.
3. Convenience and Flexibility to Learners: learning process is structured in units; this makes the learner study at his own convenience without getting too bored with lectures.
4. Reduced cost: it reduces the cost of learning, examination and result processing institutions.

This study will be of immense benefit to researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

1.6 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on designing and implementing a web based system for Electronic Learning using innovative technology as a significance tool to drive quality of education using National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Nigeria.

1.7 Limitations of the study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this institution to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
3. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
4. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
5. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet).

1.8 Definition of Terms

Computer: an electronic device that is capable of accepting data, processing data automatically, store it, produces the result where needed.

Electronic Learning: is an act of using IT tools to distribute or share knowledge between groups of learners. It is not going to be physically but the use of electronics.

E–Learning: it is an acronym of electronic learning it is an aspect of Electronic Learning that is concerned with sharing of knowledge electronically by use of text video, web or any other IT tools.