Web framework for developing real time applications for education

Abstract

SCALE-UP classrooms are designed to provide an environment for active and collaborative learning. These teaching techniques rely heavily on the collaboration between students, and implementing them in courses with a high number of students is a challenge. Therefore the use of technology is needed. In this work we have developed a modular education-oriented Web framework that provides: a real time communication infrastructure; a simple access mechanism; a user interface; and positioning and identification of students in the classroom. The framework is primarily (but not exclusively) intended to be used with the mobile devices that the students already have. The whole code is publicly available on the Internet under the GNU Affero General Public License. On top of this framework, we are developing a set of modules to be used in SCALE-UP classrooms. This whole platform will provide a working environment for the classroom activities and, by monitoring the responses of students, the platform will make possible to identify students with different answers, encouraging discussion and collaboration among them.