1.1 Introduction
Online Training Community Website is a system designed to help indigenes of a community to gain access and acquire knowledge in any university of their choice. Online refers to electronic learning, it is the acquisition of knowledge and skill using electronic technologies such as computer and internet based course ware and local and wide area networks. Distance learning is one of the most dramatic technology-based changes occurring in education today. Communication technology enables learners to receive instruction despite geographic and time disparities that would make traditional classroom instruction impossible. Distance instruction is learner-centered that is, it enables learners to tailor the instruction that they are receiving to meet their individual needs.
Some distance programs use print media, some use telecommunications, and many use both, but geographic and time separation of the student and the teacher is a fundamental characteristic of distance education. Multimedia instruction with networked computers, video systems, or television may be used to connect the local classroom to learners at a distance. Satellite, compressed video, and fiber-optic systems are increasingly used for same-time, different-place education. This approach is also called synchronous distance learning. Students can also learn at different times and in different places. This approach is called asynchronous distance learning.
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
Early electronic training community systems, based on Computer Based Learning/Training often attempted to replicate autocratic teaching styles whereby the role of the e-learning system was assumed to be for transferring knowledge, as opposed to systems developed later based on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), which encouraged the shared development of knowledge.
As early as 1993, Graziadei William described an online computer-delivered lecture, tutorial and assessment project using electronic mail, two VAX Notes conferences and Gopher/Lynx together with several software programs that allowed students and instructor to create a Virtual Instructional Classroom Environment in Science (VICES) in Research, Education, Service & Teaching (REST).
In 1997 Graziadei, W. et al, published an article entitled Building Asynchronous and Synchronous Teaching-Learning Environments: Exploring a Course/Classroom Management System Solution. They described a process at the State University of New York (SUNY) of evaluating products and developing an overall strategy for technology-based course development and management in teaching-learning. The product(s) had to be easy to use and maintain, portable, replicable, scalable, and immediately affordable, and they had to have a high probability of success with long-term cost-effectiveness. Today many technologies can be, and are, used in e-learning, from blogs to collaborative software, e-Portfolios, and virtual classrooms. Most e-learning situations use combinations of these techniques.
An Online Learning framework carries education nearer to the individuals and evacuates the pressure and imperatives, which characterize the conventional classroom learning system. The hallmarks of Online 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 Computerized Online Training Community Websites exist; namely On-line and Off-line Online Learning. On-line Online 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 Online 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 looking around indigenes in communities suffers a lot of setbacks in external exams due to the primitive nature of teaching system which they receive. They don't have access to global information hence lacks a huge knowledge of what is obtainable in the society, the library is not equipped with good books and at the same time they don't have access to internet. The rate of examination malpractice has increased and attention must be given fast to it before it ruins the education system of the country. Also, distance is a barrier to some people who seek to be educated.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to develop a Computerized Online Training Community Website using Agbarho Community in Ughelli North Local Government Area as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows to design an application that will:
- Provide course material on time and with different media types (audio, text and video);
- Provide alternative way of attaining education;
- Implement a system which reduces community examination malpractices;
- Facilitate the development of information technology;
- Reveal the use and technology of wireless network to the user; and
- Enhance examination and certification of students thereby improving the standard of education.
1.5 Significance of Study
Online Learning can provide benefits for the organizations and individuals involved.
- Improved Performance: it is interactive to the students thereby improving their productivity.
- Improves Standard of Education: it eliminates examination inadequacies like examination malpractices.
- Increased Access: It enables people from any part of the world to be educated.
- 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.
- 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 Computerized Online Training Community Website using Agbarho Community in Ughelli North Local Government Area as a case study. This project is a tutorial and measurement of performance on wireless network technology. The project is designed using PHP and MySQL.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- 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.
- Research Material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- 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:
It is an electronic device that is capable of accepting data, processing data automatically, store it, produces the result where needed.
Online Learning:
It 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 Online Learning it is an aspect of Online Learning that is concerned with sharing of knowledge electronically by use of text video, web or any other IT tools.
Computer Network:
It is connection of two or more computers using special protocol such that they share data or information inform of text, audio, messages or mail.
