WODLS - a Web oriented distance learning system

Present-day educational activities heavily rely on an increasing inclusion of computer systems to support the process of learning and teaching. In the existing variety of such systems the emphasis is usually given to some sort of student self-study leading to different forms of asynchronous educational systems (e.g. intelligent tutoring systems), while on the other hand the area of direct support to existing teaching forms remains somewhat less covered. In this paper we describe the Web oriented distance learning system - WOOLS, a system we developed to support the lab exercises for a sophomore level course in Digital Electronics with an abundant number of enrolled (about 600) students. We describe the new organization of the lab exercises for the course as well as the implications for students' evaluation. We also explain the objectives that led to WODLS's development, and provide insight into its functionality, architecture and user interface. Finally we comment on the results of using WODLS in "live" lab exercises and explain some lessons learned.