A Web Portal for Open-Source Synchronous Distance Education

J.M. Pullen and P.M. McAndrews

Keywords

Web portal, synchronous distance education, multimedia, open source software

Abstract

Network EducationWare (NEW) is an integrated collection of open- source software for synchronous Internet communication, where a class is simultaneously taught to local students and distributed over the Internet. In order to scale use of NEW to multiple courses, the authors have developed a web portal that provides coordinated access to each major function. They describe the way this portal works with the NEW client and server software to reduce effort and enhance effectiveness of online course management. The resulting system provides a simple, low-cost means of extending teaching and learning over the Internet. The portal webpages and other NEW software are available at no cost for any academic activity.

Important Links:

Go Back