Integration of an LMS, an IR and a remote lab

Abstract

For over two decades an IR – Institutional Repository (at the time referred to as Digital Library) and an LMS – Learning Management System have been developed and integrated under the Maxwell System at Pontifícia Universidade Católica of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). It supports traditional face-to-face courses and offers distance and blended learning options. It is also a publishing platform. This model has proved very practical for many reasons mentioned in this work. To enhance the options for traditional, blended and distance learning, a Remote Lab was added to the Maxwell System. Adding a Remote Lab is an enhancement to the learning environment since it is a “real” equipment and not only a software for numerical computation. This work addresses this new integration and how it benefits from the original infrastructure of an IR and an LMS implemented as a single platform.