System Design Aspects of an Independent European AVD-Knowledge Base

It is characteristic that, while AVD communication technology is considered mature, it has not yet been widely integrated into educational settings at a large scale. An important reason for this apparent failure is the lack of expertise on behalf of teaching and supporting technical staff regarding the capabilities of the equipment itself as well as access to good practices on the integration of the equipment into pedagogical methodologies taking into account underlying infrastructure constraints. The Audio-Video and Data (AVD) knowledge base constitutes a new independent European framework for disseminating and deploying pedagogical use of high quality real time audio, video and data communication and collaboration services into distance learning environments. It will be completed in 2006. The AVD information base solution will give access to technical advices based on expert knowledge, good practices based on collective end-user knowledge, train-the-trainer program for teaching personnel, examples of improved learning experiences, and model recommendations for the wide adoption and effective integration of visual communication into distance training programs. This paper reports the work in progress, including aspects of system design for an AVD-knowledge base aiming at the dissemination of pedagogical and technical expertise related to the integration of AV-technology within pedagogical methodologies. The proposed system aims at the creation and fostering of a community for the sharing of information that originates both from experts and peers publishing their experiences.