Learning object and dynamic E-learning service technologies for simulation-based medical instruction

Abstract

Simulations are increasingly used for instruction and training purposes in many application areas such as commercial and military aviation, battlefield management, building construction, product manufacturing, medical education and others. However, most simulation systems are monolithic, ad hoc and non-reusable. In this work, we apply learning object and e-learning service technologies to modularize an existing Web-based simulation system called the Virtual Anesthesia Machine (VAM). Instructional materials associated with the components of the simulation system are encapsulated as reusable Atomic Learning Objects, each of which consists of content items, practice items, assessment items, meta-information and constraints. Instructional materials associated with the entire simulation system is modeled as a Composite Learning Object having a structure of activities, which is used by a Learning Process Execution Engine to enact the process of delivering contents, instructing learners to use the simulation system for practice on what they learn, and performing assessment to evaluate the performances of learners in learning the functions and operations of the simulation system and its components. An event-trigger-rule server is used in an event-driven, rule-based execution of a learning process to make the learning process active, adaptive, customizable and flexible. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.