A Knowledge Base on the Integration of Audio-Visual and Data Technologies in Distance Learning

This paper presents the project AVD-Merge: An Educational Network Infrastructure for Dissemination of Real Time Audio-Visual/Data for Higher Education in the Natural Sciences, being funded by the European Union under the Socrates-Minerva 2004-06 action. The challenges of integrating Audio-Visual and Data (AVD) technologies in teaching are first outlined and the contribution of AVD-Merge project is presented. The paper includes a description of the project objectives and outputs, and an overview of the underlying system architecture, aiming at the creation of a community for the exchange of independent information in the area. Emphasis is placed on the main project output: a knowledge base of organized expert and collective end-user knowledge on best practices, standards, technical advice, and pedagogical frameworks regarding the effective integration of AVD technologies in distance learning programs.