CoLearn: Real time collaborative learning environment

Computer Supported Collaborative Learning has become an important part of e-learning providing interactivity and accessibility to learning resources either synchronously or asynchronously among users. In order to develop an e-learning environment that supports collaborative learning one should cope with learning content, communication and collaboration facilities, technological infrastructure, and run-time execution (i.e. learning process). Collaboration scripts are employed to specify the components of the learning process including collaboration and interaction patterns within groups of participants. In this paper we present a Computer Supported Collaborative Learning platform which includes a collaboration script authoring tool based on the Business Process Modeling Notation as the model for the graphical representation of scripts. Collaboration scripts are parsed and transformed to IMS Learning Design Level C learning flows. The second important component of the platform is the run time environment which is based on the Copper Core Engine that executes the IMS Learning Design learning flows and a Message Oriented Middleware which is built over the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol. This middleware layer enables group management and social interaction among participants. The platform integrates external learning tools by implementing the IMS Learning Tool Interoperability (IMS LTI) specification. IMS LTI is used to enable the dynamic integration of external tools through services.