The grid for learning

Abstract

Grid technologies are rising as the next generation of Internet by defining a powerful computing paradigm by analogy with the electric Power Grid. A Grid user is able to use his private workplace to invoke any application from a remote system, use the system best suited for executing that application, access data securely and consistently from remote sites, exploit multiple systems to complete economically complex tasks or to solve large problems that exceed the capacity of a single system. Grid could be used as a technology “glue” providing users with a uniform way to access resources by means of several devices. These technologies can provide, in a natural way, a support for Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) by enabling new learning environments based on collaboration, social interaction, experience, realism, personalisation, ubiquity, accessibility and contextualisation. Nevertheless, to be effectively used in TEL, Grid must be complemented with other elements like semantics and educational modelling so bringing to the concept of “Grid for Learning” whose description is the object of this paper.