Nektarios Moumoutzis

Coupling Ontologies with Graphics Content for Knowledge Driven Visualization

A great challenge in information visualization today is to provide models and software that effectively integrate the graphics content of scenes with domain-specific knowledge so that the users can effectively query, interpret, personalize and manipulate the visualized information [1]. Moreover, it is important that the intelligent visualization applications are interoperable in the semantic web environment and thus, require that the models and software supporting them integrate state-of-the-art international standards for knowledge representation, graphics and multimedia. In this paper, we present a model, a methodology and a software framework for the semantic web (Intelligent 3D Visualization Platform - I3DVP) for the development of interoperable intelligent visualization applications that support the coupling of graphics and virtual reality scenes with domain knowledge of different domains. The graphics content and the semantics of the scenes are married into a consistent and cohesive ontological model while at the same time knowledge- based techniques for the querying, manipulation, and semantic personalization of the scenes are introduced. We also provide methods for knowledge driven information visualization and visualization- aided decision making based on inference by reasoning.

ASIDE: An Architecture for Supporting Interoperability between Digital Libraries and ELearning Applications

eLearning applications are immensely more valuable when they can use the wealth of information that exists in multimedia digital libraries. However, digital libraries and their standards developed independently on eLearning applications and their standards. It is crucial to bridge the interoperability gap between digital libraries and eLearning applications in order to enable the construction of eLearning applications that easily exploit digital library contents. We present ASIDE, an integrated architecture that supports interoperability between digital libraries and eLearning applications. The architecture is service oriented and supports multiple contexts and views of the digital objects of a library. These views can be utilized by eLearning applications of the digital library for the automatic construction of personalized learning experiences selecting learning objects from the reusable objects of the digital library.

A methodology for the integration of SCORM with TV-Anytime for achieving interoperable digital TV and e-learning applications

The term t-learning refers to interactive access of video-rich learning materials, primarily within the home, through a digital TV set-top box. The effective development of t-learning systems and applications should be based on existing standardization efforts in the fields of digital TV and e-learning. In this paper we examine the compatibility between the international standard for digital TV (TV-Anytime) and the international standard for e-learning (SCORM). The purpose is to provide a methodology for interoperability between educational applications in digital TV environments and to facilitate the creation of educational metadata for digital TV programs. The approach is also applicable in audiovisual digital libraries providing educational services to their users. We also describe an implementation of the mapping between the two standards. The implementation allows the transformation of TV-Anytime metadata to SCO metadata for the creation of SCORM compatible courses that utilize educational material from TV programs.

Supporting interoperability in an existing e-learning platform using SCORM

The proliferation of interoperability e-learning specifications raises the need of extending existing e-learning platforms so that they can be used efficiently in a distributed environment where material producers, service providers and users (either learners or teachers) exchange information using standard models. This extension is essential to preserve digital learning material and retain the user groups and learning communities already set up. We present a generic architecture and its prototype implementation for addressing this need. This architecture is based on the two assumptions that: (1) the preexistent e-learning platform is implemented on top of a relational database management system, and (2) the interoperability model to be supported is SCORM. The prototype implementation uses a Web-based e-learning platform based on a solid pedagogical framework.

Metadata Management and Sharing in Multimedia Open Learning Environment (MOLE)

This paper presents a framework and an architecture for learning resource management and sharing aiming at facilitating the implementation of such functionality on top of existing Learning Management Systems. It also presents the implementation of this framework and its integration with the MOLE (Multimedia Open Learning Environment – http://www.moleportal.eu/) system. Main components of this architecture are: (a) the LOM Editor, an intuitive web based tool that is able to accommodate different Application Profiles, while getting adapted accordingly; (b) The LOM Repository that stores the metadata generated by the LOM Editor and implements the common repository services (search/expose, submit/store, request/deliver) for the management of metadata records; (c) the user interfaces that exploit those services to expose the metadata management functionality to end-users; and (d) an OAI-PMH interface that allows for harvesting of the repository metadata from large repositories/federations (e.g. ARIADNE, Organic.Edunet etc.) on top of the repository.

A Service Oriented Architecture for Managing Operational Strategies

In this paper we present a case study where an e-business platform (OPERATIONS) has to be built in order to manage the operational strategies of a high volume coastal company. The platform is intended to support multiple operational scenarios that have to be executed when emergency situations or sudden changes of scheduled events unfold. In order to properly integrate all the involved parties that may take part in such a scenario, the system must support multiple interaction patterns according to the communication channel and the device that is used. Thus, its design must take into account multi-channel delivery of functionality and information. The design of the system follows a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) in order to properly integrate back-office data sources and legacy systems with new required application extensions providing a complete e-business platform. The core business logic tier of the system is a Process Oriented Platform (POP) that is able to dynamically generate the appropriate workflows, to orchestrate the constituent services and to execute complex operational scenarios interacting with involved users and systems in a multi-channel fashion. Finally, appropriate knowledge bases have been defined to support the storage, evaluation, and evolution of the executed scenarios and to provide valuable Business Activity Monitoring information to the company’s administration.

A Modular Approach to Support GIS Functionality in Tourism Applications

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a rapidly expanding field enabling the development of applications that manage and use geographic information in combination with other media. This technology, offers great opportunities for the development of modern tourism applications using maps to present information to the users in a natural and effective way. One approach to provide GIS functionality to applications is to exploit the facilities offered by modern operating systems for interoperability. This paper presents such an effort to build tools incorporating MS Windows OLE technology to provide GIS functionality to applications developed for the MS Windows platform. The first tool is Map Studio, a GIS editor used to prepare maps. The second is Map Control, an ActiveX control which can be used by an application in order to present and browse the maps created with Map Studio integrating them with other media or data coming from relational databases.

A Pedagogy-driven Personalization Framework to Support Adaptive Learning Experiences

The creation of personalized learning experiences is considered as a necessity to cope with the overwhelming amount of available learning material. This paper presents a personalization framework and an algorithm that allows for the creation of pedagogically sound learning experiences taking into account the variety of the learners and their individual needs.

MINOTAURUS: A Distributed Multimedia Tourism Information System

The rapidly expanding technology of mobile computers, wireless data networks, vehicle navigation, multimedia and database systems has caused the development of powerful mobile information systems. These systems, consisting of a portable computer (Laptop, PDA), have large storage capacities, capabilities of wireless connection to a worldwide information network and provide to their users many functionalities like access to WWW, shopping, banking, reservations and other transactions.

A Software Bench for the Production of Multimedia Tourism Applications

Modern information technology offers great opportunities to promote tourism and has the potential to become soon the most effective means of advertisement and information dissemination. During the last years, MUSIC has undertaken a number of competitive research and development projects in the area of Multimedia Tourist Information Systems. A powerful model has been elaborated that supports the detailed description of areas of tourist interest with their sites and facilities hierarchically organized. It has also been established an extensive multimedia information base for the region of Crete. Software tools have been developed to maintain this information base and create virtual navigations, and hypermedia presentations with the incorporation of detailed and accurate geographic maps, diagrams and architectural sketches. In addition, commercially available tools have been integrated into the system for multimedia data processing. All these tools constitute an integrated authoring environment, a Software Bench, that supports rapid development of Multimedia Tourism Applications.