Processing and storage tools of heterogeneous data in the systems of distance learning

Introduction

      The current state of science and education in Ukraine, due to economic factors, is characterized by increasing demands for quality training and determines the constant search for new methods and means to improve the educational process. Currently, one of the ways to enhance the learning process is the development and implementation of distance learning systems or learning management systems (LMS) based on integrated information system for quality control of all work processes of the University.
      Distance learning is an informational and educational system of remote access based on modern information technologies, and is aimed at implementing the concept of advanced education, based on the conditions of human existence in the information society. Distance learning in appropriate circumstances can provide access to quality higher education to the general population, regardless of where they live and work conditions, flexibility to respond to the requests of the labor market; make fuller use of teaching, research, human resources universities; save money.

Relevance of the topic

      Increasing the number of students due to contractual forms of learning, growing popularity of the bachelor's degree and as a consequence, early placement of students pose the following problems of full-time training: a planned increase in laboratory workload, the growth of planned needs in classrooms, lowering educational activity of students.
      Information and learning environment of LMS is a system-organized set of data, information resources, interaction protocols, hardware and software, organizational and methodological support, aimed at meeting the educational needs of users of distance education. Part of the information-learning environments of LMS are heterogeneous, i having a diverse structure and content, information flows. Urgent problem is the way of storing and presenting data in heterogeneous systems of distance learning.

Aims of the work

      The purpose of master's thesis is to study and develop ways to effectively integrate software products from multiple vendors and create based on these technologies and tools for managing heterogeneous data in the LMS.

Planned scientific novelty

      Planned scientific novelty of master's work consists of the following provisions:

  1. On the basis of existing tools offered treatment and storage of heterogeneous data in a distance learning system.
  2. Defined a new approach to improving management efficiency of heterogeneous data in corporate information systems that reduce the transmission time information and improve its reliability.

The practical significance of the results

      The practical value of master's work is to improve the management efficiency of heterogeneous data in LMS due to improved methods of sharing and data integration, as well - reducing the time of their transfer of information between subsystems.

A review of research and development of the topic

      Learning Web-content - is a meaningful educational content of sites, portals, distance learning and other Internet-based systems used to transfer knowledge to users (text, graphics, multimedia). There is a question: how to choose the data model in such systems. The data model is a set of data structures and relationships between them. The following data models are used in different LMS: hierarchical, network and relational.
      Based on the formulation of the problem, and given the fact that the LMS include different types of data, there is a need to combine models of knowledge representation of different concepts. During investigations was examined the paper [3], which present a model of educational content Tree-Net as an alternative solution to existing problems. Structure of the Tree-net with one hand is hierarchical, the other has the features of the semantic network.



Figure 1. — Schematic representation of the Tree-Net model: a tree of content.



Figure 2. — Schematic representation of the Tree-Net model: the tree of thematic groups.

Mathematical formulation

      There is the disadvantage in this model, which consist of a rigid semantics within a single domain. Solve this problem by using fuzzy set theory, so that, there is a possibility to assign the content element to a particular thematic group with a certain probability.
      Thematic groups are intended to organize a variety of interdisciplinary and insidedisciplinary links between content elements. Thematic groups are used to model domains, cataloging, grouping and retrieval of associative content. Organization of thematic groups occurs in a hierarchical structure. Set of G points to the thematic or associative groups in which the content elements may be involved.

(1)

      where nG — number of thematic content groups.
      The simplest element of the content is a representation (vi), which corresponds to a single Web-page. The set of all content items

(2)

      Each content element may participate in any number of thematic groups with a probability of getting an item in a particular subject group. We apply the theory of fuzzy sets for representation of G thematic groups:

(3)

      where — membership function which assigns to each content element vj, participating in the thematic cluster gi, a real number in [0,1].

Conclusion

      Trends in the development of the world towards globalization and informatization require a radical change in university education educational paradigm of contemporary cultural studies. Modern teaching environment based on multimedia systems and telecommunication networks can contain amounts of information, provide the opportunity to work with its different types: text, graphics (static and dynamic images) and sound.
      The proposed model of knowledge representation will allow a comprehensive approach to solving the problems of learning and knowledge management in organizations and institutions of various kinds.

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      This work is not completed yet. Final completion: Dec. 1, 2011. Full text of the work and materials on the subject can be obtained from the author after that date.