FONOFF: COMPUTER TOOL FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF

“ON LINE” AND “ON LINE-OFF” LEARNING

R. Diego Carrera, J. M. de la Horra Gutiérrez, F. Ballester Muñoz

J. C. González Galván and R. Pérez Álvarez

Construction Technology Research Group GITECO, School of Civil Engineering, University of Cantabria

Avda de los Castros, s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain

Keywords: Knowledge management, "On line", "On line- off line", Interactive 3D scenarios, FONOFF.

Abstract: On-line courses have proliferated exponentially, with growing number of enterprises using those techniques

for staff training. However, the e-learning presents a number of limitations that avoid its use from

widespreading at all. The solution adopted at this respect is the creation of a computer platform of “on line-

off line” non-face learning. This is how FONOFF (“Formación On line-Off line”/ “On line Off line

Learning”) arises, which provides the advantages of classic “on line” method, but supplying some of its

shortcomings.

1 INTRODUCTION

Non-face learning is emerging as one of the most

attractive options among the different available

training methods. Within the non-face training, “on

line” courses are the choice preferred by many

enterprises to train their employees.

However, “on line” courses have a number of

limitations, some of which are the result of the very

conception of the method of teaching and learning,

without a physical teacher who imparts a master

class about the subject matter. But there are also

other pernicious effects linked to the difficulties in

making this kind of learning attractive to pupils,

which are often reticent to get a better training.

Considering the professional area to which non-

face training is directed, it’s been observed that in

construction industry in particular, when it’s aimed

to impart some course to site-managers, they require

an Internet connection to access during working

hours. This situation, which a priori can seem trivial,

supposes one of the biggest boundaries against

which “on line” courses collide, since the

availability of computers at works is usually scarce,

connection speed is often quite limited, etc.

Those are the main reasons to develop a

computer tool that is able to manage both “on line”

and “off line” non-face training.

Therefore arises the computer platform FONOFF

“Formación On Line-Off line” (On line-Of line

training), which is the subject matter of this paper.

FONOFF is the result of two years of work of

Grupo de Investigación de Tecnología de la

Construcción (GITECO) from the University of

Cantabria, in the draft of a Singular Strategic Project

called "The Multidimensional City," funded by the

Ministry of Education and Science with a budget of

about 35 M €. As the subject matter of this project is

underground constructions, the practical operation of

FONOFF has been developed within a course of

tunnel design and construction, and underground

works. However, as expected, the computer platform

itself is completely versatile and autonomous,

allowing the edition, evaluation and control of

courses related to any kind of subject.

The “on line/off line” concept alludes to the

possibility of use in both “on line” and “off line”

modes. This duality the training platform a great

versatility, profiting from the advantages of updating

and control that “on line” mode provides, and also

from the ease to access the content associated to “off

line” mode.

The matter is to satisfy, as far as possible, all the

requirements of potential users such platforms,

allowing at any time the access to educational

content.

FONOFF is composed of a number of basic

modules, related below:

• Educational Content Module.

• Administration Panel Module.

• Tools and Utilities Module.

167

Diego Carrera R., M. de la Horra GutiÃl’rrez J., Ballester MuÃ

soz F., C. GonzÃ ˛alez GalvÃ ˛an J. and PÃl’rez Ã ˛Alvarez R.

FONOFF: COMPUTER TOOL FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF â

AIJON LINEâ

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I LEARNING.

DOI: 10.5220/0002786601670170

In Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Web Information Systems and Technology (WEBIST 2010), page

ISBN: 978-989-674-025-2

• Evaluation and Control Module.

• Audiovisual Gallery Module.

• Interactive 3D Scenery Module.

The “on line/off line” platform allows users

working without Internet connection to access to the

educational content, the repository of videos and

images and all the interactive 3D sceneries (“Off

line” mode). This circumstance is a great advantage

in order to meet the requirements of a bigger number

of users.

When the user works with Internet connection,

he’ll count with some extra educational contents,

such as the update of content, the debate forum,

tutorship, or the possibility of taking exams. These

are the main aspects of the “On line” Mode.

2 MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

The educational content forms the core around

which the non-face training course is forged.

FONOFF software includes an automatic content

edition system. This allows the application user to

edit educational content related to any kind of

subject in a fast and effective way.

It can be considered that FONOFF has a content

manager-editor implemented within its internal

structure. As it’s been said, it offers the user the

possibility to edit contents, but it also allows him/her

to manage several courses simultaneously, whose

matters can be completely different.

3 ADMINISTRATION PANEL

MODULE

The use of a tool for keeping control over all the

events in the course is absolutely essential for a

complete function of the online/offline platform.

That is the main reason for the development of an

Administration Panel that allows modifying any

field of the course, and also to keep maintenance or

generate reports.

The Administration Panel is designed with

Adobe Flash CS3 under the programming language

Action Script. While a friendly and modern design is

obtained with Flash, ActionScript allows

implementing the algorithms required for the data

management.

The panel makes use in its operation of a

MySQL database, to which it connects so as to get

the necessary information. Once that information has

been collected, it must be kept in semi-structured

XML files, in order to visualize it in the program.

Due to the complexity of managing the vast

amount of data that the system must be deal with,

the connection between Flash, ActionScript, SQL

and XML, among others, is indispensable. The

design and maintenance of the database associated to

the system are also very important, since if it broke

down, the whole programme would collapse.

Several security tools, such as logs and redundant

data copies have been implemented, in order to

prevent losses in case of software failure, and also to

allow the recovery of all the information.

The main window possesses a number of buttons

that give access to the different categories in which

the programme is divided. Each one of them gives

access to a different area of the Administration Panel

(Questions, Users Administration, Statistics,

Platform reports, Updating management, etc).

Finally, it will possible to know in real time

which users are connected, and send a warning

message to the Administration Panel whenever a

student gets into FONOFF software, being the

administrator able to send messages to those users.

4 TOOLS AND UTILITIES

MODULE

This module includes all the possibilities offered to

users (students) in terms of customization of the

platform and accesses to the rest of functionalities of

the environment. The image below shows the

interface of the Utilities Menu:

Figure 1: FONOFF Software utilities.

This Module counts with the tools referred

below: User’s Files, Management, Calculator,

Schedule, Internal Mail, Messages for the

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Administrator, Desktop Manager, Chat, Forum,

Tutorial, User’s Statistics.

5 EVALUATION AND CONTROL

MODULE

The realization of the exam is limited by several

restrictions which were set in order to confer it more

security. Following this idea, it will be possible to

take online exams only, guarantying that students

will count with the latest collection of questions to

answer in their test, and that there will be no chance

to manipulate scores.

Figure 2: Access to Exams Section.

The functionality of the system is programmed

so that the exams will be marked in real time,

showing the user all the right answers in order to let

him/her compare them with his/her ones, and

converting the tests themselves in another training

tool for the students.

Considering the technical side of the subject, it’s

necessary to collect from the database all the

questions related to the exam which is about to be

taken. This is possible thanks to the integration of

several languages, such us ActionScript (used for

algorithms), SQL (connection to the database) and

XML (certain configurations of the answers).

To summarize all these aspects, the program

downloads the questions from the central server and,

using a number of stochastic algorithms, chooses a

collection of 10 questions which are shown to the

user to answer. Once the student has finished the

exam, it’s marked automatically thanks to a series of

algorithms written under ActionScript and

complemented with XML. The score is sent to the

database, in order to allow the administrator to

watch it.

An automatic report including the 10 questions

and user’s answers is generated and sent to the

database, so that it’s possible to keep a file of each

exam taken by every student, in order to verify the

effectiveness of each test and question. These files

can be used later to prepare detailed reports to

complement the course, both in printable format or

in pdf.

6 AUDIOVISUAL GALLERY

MODULE

FONOFF platform includes a repository for video

and images related to the subject treated at any time.

The beta version made has an audiovisual gallery

whose theme is “underground works”.

The access to the gallery is verified from the

main program, through the top interactive menu.

Once the user has entered, it’s possible to access to a

screen that explains the gallery, and download the

newest updates with a system of refresh and

comparison with the latest version hosted on the

server that manages the gallery.

The gallery is designed with Flash CS· under the

language Action Script, where all the visual aspects

of the gallery, the transitions between images and

the right visualization on screen are programmed.

The gallery content is uploaded dynamically,

allowing automatic changes or updates. This is

possible thanks to XML files (code version 1.0 and

codification UTF-8), which are read by ActionScript

and charged. Therefore, and using Windows API,

it’s possible to modify those XML files in order to

allow the system administrator to change content

automatically, being the student able to see those

updates after a few seconds.

When the user rolls the mouse over a certain

image, an explanatory text will appear, as a

complement to the training offered by purely

theoretical contents.

7 INTERACTIVE 3D SCENERY

MODULE

3D sceneries are a training tool that complements

the course about underground works. The user can

not only study the content in web format in a

traditional way by surfing through the different

screens that compose the syllabus, but also

interacting with 3D sceneries.

FONOFF: COMPUTER TOOL FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF "ON LINE" AND "ON LINE-OFF" LEARNING

169

Through their training trip, students can interact

at any time with several existing objects (bolts,

shotcrete, cross-section type for blasting, coating,

ventilation pipe, etc.), receiving instantly a short

theoretical explanation about the element, its reason

for being, etc., and providing them the possibility to

expand the theoretical content by accessing the

section of the syllabus related to that topic. These

objects are called “Intelligent Objects”, and they

involve true training tools.

Following this idea, users can learn what they

are really interested in by “travelling” inside an

underground work, just like in a first person

videogame, and meeting their requirements. The

essence is in fact “watch to learn”, but keeping a

proper theoretic-conceptual basis.

The image below shows one of the 3Di sceneries

included in the version of FONOFF dedicated to

Underground Works.

Figure 3: Interactive 3D Scenery.

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