Standards-based multimedia education for electronics packaging

The prevasiveness of Internet access within companies and universities has given us a new tool for education for both students and working engineers. Though in its infancy, the creation and delivery of educational modules over the Internet may bring revolutionary changes to technical education in the next few years. Instructors will be able to access modules prepared by top researchers and professors to use in their classes; students can be directed toward supplementary learning modules that can teach and clarify key course concepts and methods; and working engineers can be quickly trained in the latest techniques, become aware of new designs and methods, or extend their skills into emerging fields. Though the Internet itself is based on standards that define the transmission protocols, there is as yet no standard for interoperability of learning modules. Several proprietary "environments" have been created for Computer-Based Training and similar computer-assisted learning; however, the standards that would guarantee interoperability of learning modules have yet to be created. The IEEE Computer Society has established the Learning Technology Standards Committee (P1484) to develop and standardize protocols and methods so that learning modules can be used by the student/learner in a seamless environment, without needing multiple client applications. This paper discusses the nature of the opportunity, the scope of the P1484 Committee, some progress to date, and the prognosis for meaningful standardization that can be of use to instructors and learners in the field of electronics packaging.