RICERCA ITALIANA     

METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE

Università degli Studi di Salerno

Abstract

The project is based on the experiential/inductive approach to learning and knowledge by means of techniques and simulation processes that, in the considered fields, takes a concrete form through scientific virtual experiments, business games, hyper-museums and so on. Not only the simulation has an instrumental and supporting role, but it also contributes, in an innovative and original way, to the constitution and definition of didactic-scientific objects, both in the area of mathematical and human science, even if with different paradigms and devices. The programme is in line with educational processes which are getting more and more importance in today's society and in advanced economies as well, in particular, with reference to Southern Italy. Morevover the Centre of Excellence is positioned in one of strategic key actions for the development of the ICT and Information and Knowledge society as well. The partnership includes many of the most qualified European research Actors in the area as well as some of the main International Hi-Tech Companies, and several qualified local Actors, taking advantage of important initiatives and profitable partnerships, projects and experiences already started both at an International and European level. <<<

Principal Investigator

Saverio SALERNO Università degli Studi di SALERNO

International Relationship

The Centre of Excellence on "Methods and System for learning and knowledge" will set-up a network based on collaborations and experiences, in many cases already started, and will cover different sectors.

Research and Training: University of Salerno, others European Universities, CNR, CRMPA

Hi-Tech and Didactic/Education based firms involved in production and duffusion of didactical/educational material: Siemens, IBM, Microsoft, Fondazione CARISAL.

Users: SME, Pubblic Administration, Citizen, etc.

In particular, the reseach centers and productive firms interested in potential marketing, involved in the Centre of Excellence, has been defined in relation of their competenciets and experiences.

The Department of Engineering of Information and Applied Mathematics (DIIMA. Its main activities aim from one side at favouring organising and didactic experimentation, on the other side at widening research fields in computer science and mathematics areas, as well as at increasing external scientific collaboration with public and territorial corporations, also through the stipulation of agreements. In particular for mathematical areas we list the following subjects: Number Theory and Discreet Mathematics, Differential Equations and Variations Calculus, Geometry and Algebra, Mathematical Logic and Application. The main subjects of Computer Science are: Database and Information Systems, Logical Programming, Expert Systems and Neural Networks. Another important research area in which DIIMA is engaged is the Computer Based Education especially for the Mathematics: in particular DIIMA has collaborated in the fulfilment of the TIMANMA, INTRASYS and DISIMA projects.

The "Centre of Research in Pure and Applied Mathematics" (C.R.M.P.A. ) is a no profit Consortium with external activity. The University of Salerno is subscriber of the majority of its fund and holder of a leading role. CRMPA has been founded in 1991 and started its activity within the Department of Engineering of Information and Applied Mathematics (DIIMA) of the University of Salerno. The University and Scientific and Technological Research Ministry (MURST) included CRMPA in the Register of "Highly Qualified Research Laboratory". In particular, in this area, CRMPA competencies concern advanced training systems with characteirstic of self-adaptation to user profile, simulation, metadata, ontologies, business games, hiper-musueums, AI, intelligent agents, etc.

UNIVERSITY EUROPEAN CENTER FOR The CULTURAL HERITAGE: it has benn working since 1983 in Ravello, at Villa Rufolo. Constituted under the auspices of the Council of Europe, it is a "center of excellence" for research and specialisation of the graduates in the different disciplines of the cultural heritage. For the elaboration of its programs it makes use of a qualified scientific Committee. The Centre realises the research and the exploitation of the cultural heritage of a myriad of manufactured articles.

The Open University is the UK's largest and most innovative education and training organisation. It leads the world in the large-scale application of technology to learning. There are some 160,000 people currently studying with the Open University, including professional development programmes in management, education, health and social welfare, manufacturing and computer applications. The OU has pioneered a system of study - OU supported open learning - that brings its courses and other study materials within the reach of the entire adult population of the UK.

The Knowledge Media Institute was founded in 1995 as a research institute of the Open University. KMI research interests include knowledge systems, corporate knowledge management, advanced telematics, virtual classrooms, customisable authoring tools, virtual science laboratories, intelligent agents, and "learning on demand". Research is funded by CEC, EPSRC and the,London Mathematical Society. Major industrial support comes from Sun Microsystems, Apple Computer, IBM, British Telecom, Andersen Consulting and GEC Plessey and others.

The "Hessian Telemedia Technology Competence-Center" (httc) is a non profit friendly society. For the most part it is funded by the "Hessian Ministry for Science and Art" until 2002. Httc is located at the Darmstadt Technical University and driven by the chair for 'Industrial Process and System Communications, headed by Prof. Ralf Steinmetz. Prof. Ralf Steinmetz is furthermore the chairman of the httc. The httc was established in Januar of 1999. Further members of the httc are the "University of applied science in Darmstadt", "the German National Research Center for Information Technology" and the "Hessian Institute for Education science". The httc aims at advancing the use and development of telemedia combining telecommunication and multimedia in the field of learning. Httc drives the project virtual university Hesse. The aim of this project is to develop multimedia learning systems for the medicine course of studies in Hesse and a wide integration of multimedia in the seminars.

The University of Twente is a middle-sized University of Technology with approximately 6000 students and 2500 staff members. The Faculty of Educational Science and Technology has a unique position in the Netherlands in that it combines the educational and technological sciences. This knowledge is acquired through means of innovative, internationally oriented research and development activities. The department of Instructional Technology is the largest of five departments of the faculty. Instructional Technology studies and designs systems or environments (human and/or machine) for the instruction of knowledge and skills. The purpose is to study and develop instructional theory and design better methods for professional designers of modules, lessons, and courses. The Faculty houses the largest research institute on educational technology in the Netherlands. There is participation in many nationally and internationally, including EC, sponsored projects; among others in DELTA, the Unesco, the World Bank, NATO, The International Labour Organisation, and IFIP. The Faculty is the leading institute in a research school on educational technology that is approved by the Dutch Academy of Sciences.

The Institute for Applied Mathematics of the National Reaseach Council was born in the 70s in Genoa following the enhanced capabilities and demands of application of mathematics, arinsing from the new information technologies. The lines of research of IMA are: Development and analysis of didactical projets and systems, AI and its applications, Geometric Modelling: definition, handling and visualisation of geometric objects, parallel architectures, mathematical discrete models, Computational electromagnetism.

The industries that have shown interest in the constitution of the Center of Excellence, first of all in view of the possible industrial fall-out, are numerous and, among others, we quote Siemens, IBM SEMEA, Microsoft, CARISAL Foundation, etc. <<<

Research Objectives

Objectives

The objectives of the Centre of Excellence are based on the particularly favourable situation connected with the success of national and EU initiatives as well as the scientific and industrial partnerships, which have already been profitably undertaken. The objectives may be summarised as follows:



1) answer in a timely and efficient way to needs and political and strategic action lines, both on a national and EU level, having particular relevance in the southern Italy framework; specifically, give an answer to the problem of the so-called "shortage" of ICT skills, both on a national and European level, at the same time facing the strong employment demand which is not satisfied in the South of Italy, giving methodological and technological support to an Extraordinary Training Programme in ICT - a possibility which the new Italian Government is studying - and more generally to national (Masterplan - PON/POR, etc.) and European (e-Europe, e-Learning, IST, Socrates, Leonardo, etc.) action lines





2) Allow a stable, organic and structured interdisciplinary aggregation of top Actors, among which several partnerships already exist, as well as the creation of a net of Academic and Industrial partners of an international level. Such a net may thus serve as a national and international reference point helping to form a competence kernel, a critical mass, for dissemination, research, development and technological transfer, international collaboration on models, methods and technologies for training, learning and knowledge. Moreover, the former may be accomplished making the best of local initiatives, which are on their own at a top national and European level in the framework of Research and Development projects.



3) Serve as an Agency for gathering, organising, distributing and disseminating knowledge, solutions and results so as to achieve significant fall-out also on ad hoc training courses such as Masters, Specialisation Schools, Bachelor and Master Degrees (at the university level) and IFTS (at the FIS level); support the birth of new enterprises and promote an hi-tech settlement - for which overall interest has been shown - in the area by large ICT companies.





Organisation

The Excellence Centre plans to cover the whole scientific-technological- industrial chain and will thus be based on organic collaborations and conventions with CRMPA and the CARISAL Foundation according to roles and competence defined in 2.1

At first, the Centre of Excellence will be configured as a scientific and technological aggregation of Actors (single researchers, companies or Institutions) with interests in the area. It will be represented and directed by the Principal Promoter, bearing the responsibility of the Centre itself, and will make use of a Scientific Committee including all promoters, as well as a Board of all the participating Institutions



The Centre of Excellence will have operational and administrative headquarters at DIIMA - University of Salerno - giving the necessary logistic and administrative support and serving as an expense centre.



An organisation according to topic-disciplinary Sections is foreseen, with a supervisor for each Section. The organisational model, to be defined in detail in the subsequent executive phase, will ensure full compatibility with criteria and methodologies as stated in 2.6. <<<