Synchronous navigation control for distance learning on the Web

Abstract

Most of the research on ''distance learning on the Web'' is learner-centric. That is, learners play an active role in their learning process, while instructors are passive oi even invisible. Unable to treat the instructor/learner relationship as a whole causes some problems. Therefore, we introduce a new concept of instructor-oriented navigation control on the Web, and then propose and implement a protocol for it. In this model, an instructor (technically, master) can setup a learning group, and those who wish to be guided distantly (technically, slaves) during the study may have their navigation activities controlled synchronously by joining the group. We believe that instructors will become more active and positive with the help of our proposed model in a WWW-based educational environment.