The tutor-web: an educational system for classroom presentation, evaluation and self-study

  • Authors:
  • Gunnar Stefansson

  • Affiliations:
  • Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 5, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland

  • Venue:
  • Computers & Education
  • Year:
  • 2004

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Abstract

A general Web-based system for use in education, the tutor-web, has been developed for storage and presentation of electronic slides for classroom use, along with reference material, examples and quizzes. The primary novelty of the system is the structured linkage between the various pieces of information, to maintain coherence and focus on the educational content in spite of being Web-based. The system has been developed with an emphasis on teaching mathematics and statistics, but the design is generic. Students have full access to all material outside the classroom. Material within the tutor-web is organized into lectures and tutorials. The material can include text, equations and figures. The system can include multiple-choice questions and will automatically collect the returned answers as well as return rates and grades. The system can be used for generating and presenting electronic slides for in-class use but it can also provide a textbook which links together the slides and associated reference material. A formal definition of the format of content is used, but it is also easy to extend the definitions. Given the formal formats it requires only minimal effort to modify presentation forms and add entirely new ones. The tutor-web is a developing project in an open environment, for general access and open to anyone interested in developing it further or using it. The system itself is presented as are analyses based on students in one class, linking the performance using the new system to a written exam.