ABSTRACT
In the last few years, education
training has seen advances in computerized technologies involving computer
aided learning that vows to radically change the methods and techniques of
education and learning in the educational sector. The World Wide Web has been a
key player in major roles in information storage and dissemination in the
educational community. The Conventional classroom teaching method involves the
conveyance of course materials by the tutor in a particular spot at a defined
time. This method imposes a constraint of time and place on both the lecturer
and the students. A lot of human factor arising from the traditional classroom
method, the instructor may not always be able to take the students, or to put
in ideal efforts towards preparing and delivering student course materials.
There may also be irregularities in the learning style due to repetitive nature
of teaching/learning. The research objective is to develop a virtual classroom
system for UNICAF University to enhance Virtual learning environment and also distance
learning. The system was designed and developed using HTML, PHP and MySQL as
server side programming and database respectively for data storage. The Virtual
Learning system will be a web-based virtual classroom providing an interactive
model for e-learning in which the course material is presented using multimedia
and hypermedia.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
With the expanding utilization of the internet and
computers, the Internet advances in telecommunication and a vital channel for
sharing information at a fast pace.
E-Learning has been generally perceived as an important tool for modern
day education and learning (Firouz Anaraki, 2004). The traditional method of
teaching in tertiary institutions has remained dominant in schools in some
developing countries. With the significant development of e-learning,
instructors and students normally explore new ways of constructing, and gaining
knowledge. The current technology being intensely researched as an educational
stage is the World Wide Web (WWW). The WWW which speaks as a platform for
information storage and sharing and is a means that can be accessed in minimum
time, and this is very important to the growth of the educational community.
The fact is that the change from digital divide society to a global village
information society causes the traditional methods of learning to be unable to
cover the instructional needs of 21st century societies. The globe
is confronted with a gradual transition from a static economy to a new
information driven economy. Population growth and increasing admission request
into schools in each region of the world brought greater constraints on the
resources of several schools. For example, there is an issue of deficient
number of human and material assets to provide for higher institutions with a
large population. The number of students’ age citizen in most countries in the
world has grown tremendously to the extent that only a little rate can be
offered admission. Another convenient learning environment needs to be created
which will provide independence, flexibility, adaptability and ease learning
and easy communication between centers of learning and information, and
encourage easy access for all residents of an information based society. Conventional
classroom teaching and learning involves the delivery of course work by the
lectures in a particular place at a specific time, most time referred to as the
lecture hall. Subsequently, it imposes a lot of time on both the instructor and
the student. Due to human factors, the lecturer may not be generally able to
put the ideal exertion or efforts towards planning and delivering course
materials. Direct association with the student is difficult because of the
enormous number of students requiring attention. The solution to this
circumstance seems to be the learning methods that depend on present
technologies advancements such as the Internet and WWW joined with traditional
classroom techniques. One of the ways in which this can be accomplished is
using virtual study systems. A virtual classroom is a learning environment
conducive for learning, which takes place over the internet. It gives an
approach which brings educators and learners to share information and ideas.
The virtual study hall is a special form of e-learning that finds pertinent
applications in enriching the conventional learning techniques, Cervino, J.
(2007) opined that e-learning can be deployed using a wide range of various
technologies channels and media.
The aim objective of the project is to design and
implement a virtual learning environment for UNICAF University on the World
Wide Web that will enable interactive model of e-learning in which the course
material is introduced and information is shared using the advancements in
multimedia and hypermedia.
1.2
STATEMENT OF THR PROBLEM
The
Conventional classroom teaching method involves the conveyance of course
materials by the tutor in a particular spot at a defined time. This method
imposes a constraint of time and place on both the lecturer and the students. A
lot of human factor arising from the traditional classroom method, the
instructor may not always be able to take the students, or to put in ideal
efforts towards preparing and delivering student course materials. There may
also be irregularities in the learning style due to repetitive nature of
teaching/learning. The Virtual Learning system will be a web-based virtual
classroom providing an interactive model for e-learning in which the course
material is presented using multimedia and hypermedia via the internet.
1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVE OF
THE STUDY
The
main aim of this research is to Design and Implement a virtual learning
environment system for UNICAF University, this will solve the problem of students having to
visit lecture halls to take classes and help improve distance learning education
among universities across the world with the following
objectives:
1. To
help implement e-Learning as a widely recognized and valuable tool for learning
and training in UNICAF University.
2. Enroll
more students and increase the growth of education in our countries.
3. When
fully implemented, the will be a significant growth of e-learning, tutors and
students will explore new channels of gaining knowledge and information.
4. Increasing
accountability in the educational sector in Nigeria, students’ records and
course materials can easily be shared seamlessly.