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Getting Educational Systems Talking Across Leading-Edge Technologies

About The Gestalt Project

10-NOV-1999: Meet the Project team - a lighthearted introduction to the characters behind GESTALT.

(News items and public downloads are now accessed through the News page).

GESTALT addresses ACTS Task AC91: Trial Integration - Bringing Together the Results of Groups of ACTS Projects into Integrated Trials. The GESTALT project will construct an online training demonstrator using tools and technologies developed by 3 previous ACTS projects:

PROSPECT (AC052):

A PROSPECT of Multi-Domain Management in the expected Open Service Market (Refer to Appendix C of the requirements specfication for a review of the PROSPECT project and the brokerage requirements formulated by this project. Refer to the References section of the requirements specfication for information about the relevant deliverables produced by PROSPECT)

RENAISSANCE (AC100):

Integration of High Performance Services for Interactive Vocational Training for European Regeneration (Refer to Appendix A of the requirements specfication for a review of the RENAISSANCE project and the brokerage requirements formulated by this project. Refer to the References section of the requirements specfication for information about the relevant deliverables produced by RENAISSANCE)

GAIA (AC221):

Generic Architecture for Information Availability
(Refer to Appendix B of the requirements specfication for a review of the GAIA project and the brokerage requirements formulated by this project. Refer to the References section of the requirements specfication for information about the relevant deliverables produced by GAIA)

PROSPECT (AC052):	A PROSPECT of Multi-Domain Management in the expected Open Service Market (Refer to Appendix C of the requirements specfication for a review of the PROSPECT project and the brokerage requirements formulated by this project. Refer to the References section of the requirements specfication for information about the relevant deliverables produced by PROSPECT)
RENAISSANCE (AC100):	Integration of High Performance Services for Interactive Vocational Training for European Regeneration (Refer to Appendix A of the requirements specfication for a review of the RENAISSANCE project and the brokerage requirements formulated by this project. Refer to the References section of the requirements specfication for information about the relevant deliverables produced by RENAISSANCE)
GAIA (AC221):	Generic Architecture for Information Availability (Refer to Appendix B of the requirements specfication for a review of the GAIA project and the brokerage requirements formulated by this project. Refer to the References section of the requirements specfication for information about the relevant deliverables produced by GAIA)

summary of trials

User-based trials will be conducted at the University of Naples and will include a broker service providing information on courses, modules and resources available, as well as online access to these via a web-enabled Learning Environment.

Network Performance trials will be conducted on the University of Sheffield Testbed, consisting of configurable ATM, Cable Modem, ISDN and LAN Technologies.

key issues

The project will explore a number of technologies able to support the planned integration. CORBA & DCOM will be used to provide the distributed platform support required by this application. A metadata format servicing the requirements of the application will be specified, drawing on the work of bodies such as the US IMS Project and the IEEE LTSC. In addition, W3C XML metadata extensions such as SMIL will be explored for providing object synchronisation.

expected results

The resulting GESTALT demonstrator will encompass:

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Discovery Services capable of offering users the ability to search, locate and access online interactive multimedia vocational training courseware (e.g. short-course or individual module selection) from the training institution of their choice.

Metadata extensions to cover interoperability across heterogeneous platforms, Quality of Service requirements of individual resources over network links (exploiting service management issues from PROSPECT), minimum client configuration requirements and appropriate rendering tool information;

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Online Training through delivery of courseware materials previously developed in RENAISSANCE and PROSPECT. The demonstrator will include a number of elements from the GESTALT Architecture. These will include a web-based client interface and web server technology integrated with the LE database. The LE will manage the learning process and monitor trainee progress (from RENAISSANCE) and integrate with the institutional back-of-house MIS system for administration.

expected impact

It is the intention of the project to publicise both the object descriptions and the metadata syntax, and wherever possible, to align these with related developments both within Europe and globally thus maximising the possibility of their widespread adoption.

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© Fretwell Downing Education, 1999.

Updated 25-OCT-1999

Send comments or questions to kriley@fdgroup.co.uk

	Discovery Services capable of offering users the ability to search, locate and access online interactive multimedia vocational training courseware (e.g. short-course or individual module selection) from the training institution of their choice.
	Metadata extensions to cover interoperability across heterogeneous platforms, Quality of Service requirements of individual resources over network links (exploiting service management issues from PROSPECT), minimum client configuration requirements and appropriate rendering tool information;
	Online Training through delivery of courseware materials previously developed in RENAISSANCE and PROSPECT. The demonstrator will include a number of elements from the GESTALT Architecture. These will include a web-based client interface and web server technology integrated with the LE database. The LE will manage the learning process and monitor trainee progress (from RENAISSANCE) and integrate with the institutional back-of-house MIS system for administration.