A MODULAR WEB-BASED COURSE MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENT FOR THE ACADEMIC TEACHER, FOCUSED ON USER-FRIENDLY METHODS

Emerging technologies such as Internet-based e-learning and course management systems currently being developed using web technologies, provide academic teachers with a wide variety of tools in order to support the traditional educational process. Unfortunately, many teaching staff lack the technical knowledge needed to use complex e-learning tools meant to support their conventional teaching methods. With the purpose of overcoming such difficulties, a modular user-friendly web-based course management tool has been developed utilizing simple to use technologies.
This study will be looking into the course management tool developed and used at the National Technical University of Athens’ Chemical Engineering School. Initially, the designing principles of the software are presented followed by its architecture, which is based on a modular client-server topology. The specific modules used by the software, incorporate a number of tools and technologies which aim to simplify the organizing of the elements involved in the process of developing an easier to manage educational website.
In this presentation, our aim is to analyze the content and the specific features of the tool, as well as to address a few of the challenges that have emerged while working with it so far, focusing especially on its usability and user-friendliness.