The progress of a project for the training of e-learning professionals in South East Asia is reported in this paper. A Web-based survey identified key areas for the professional development. The process of content design is explained as well as the enrichment of the pedagogical model. The Virtual Training Environment is underpinned by this model and the potential role of learning objects is consequently discussed.

Enriching a pedagogical model for the implementation of a virtual training environment

The task of knowledge-gathering through an Information System has become increasingly challenging, due to the multitude of activities that are being facilitated through the system. A user-centric approach is presented in this paper where various activities executed by a user, for a knowledge-gathering task, are mapped to certain cognitive states in our model and the transitions between those states are used to indicate the progress made by the user. We propose a socio-contextual filtering algorithm for discovering similar tasks that were executed by other users and claim that such a socio-contextually related task would help in reducing the cognitive load, efforts and the time required for a user, naive to a given knowledge gathering task. We demonstrate this through the fewer number of state transitions that occur in our model for a guided user.

Socio-contextual Filters for Discovering Similar Knowledge-Gathering Tasks in Generic Information Systems

The use of ICT solutions in developmental activities and the deployment of them in modern telecentres have been widely accepted phenomena. In this article, we examine the use of FOSS â€“ Free/Open source software in ICT solutions and categorize them into two types: â€˜FOSS inâ€™ and â€˜FOSS forâ€™, in order to emphasize the difference between those solutions, where FOSS play a meager or symbolic role and those solutions that are specifically developed to address a community need. We discuss about our experience in developing a FOSS-based ICT solution that is specifically built to address the needs of a community information system. We illustrate our three-tiered multi-stakeholder model of development, deployment and usage. We also describe our experience in the process of development and pilot deployment of our solution in various locations of India, and emphasize on the synergies between our model and the FOSS mode of ICT solution development.

FOSS Solutions for Community Development

Community information resource sharing is advanced stage of community informatization. The construction of sharing platform of community information resource is an effective way to promote community information resource sharing and develop community information resource deeply. This paper is based on the researches and survey data all over the world. It also combines the current status of community informatization in China. First, the paper discusses the connotation of community information resources. Then the paper analyzes the goal and the features and the basic framework of the community information resource sharing platform. Third, the paper launches the requirement analysis from two aspects of the end-user and the sharing center. Based on the previous analysis, the author puts forward the systematic structure of the community information resource sharing platform. And framework of the sharing platform is discussed from system structure and network construction, in order to provide a meaningful reference for the development of community information resource sharing platform.

Analysis and design of community information resource sharing platform

In an era of information propagation through various medias like Internet, there are many parts of the world, which are untouched by this wave. This kind of gap, known as 'digital divide' exists even within a country and even among developed nations. A solution to this problem of bridging the digital divide requires a platform for consuming, sharing, and producing information in an easy-to-use and understandable format, apart from the infrastructural requirements. This paper discusses our approach in the form of a framework called Empowering Communities through KnOwledge (ECKO). Our framework includes the processes, and deployment models apart from the software. The framework enables knowledge sharing among the community and fosters the creation of multi-dimensional knowledge repositories. We illustrate our phase-by-phase approach, which is generic enough to be replicated across countries. The feedback obtained from the stakeholders, and the effort requirements are also discussed.

K. Tandel

Papers

Establishment of Community Information Network in a Developing Nation