DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF DISTANT EDUCATION SYSTEM

Abstract

In recent years, educators have witnessed the rapid development of computer networks, dramatic improvements in the processing power of personal computers, and striking advances in magnetic storage technology

These developments have made the computer a dynamic force in distance education, providing a new and interactive means of overcoming time and distance to reach learners

In this work, a webbased system was designed to further enhance the accessibility of distance education The system also used a combination of elearning and assessment techniques to deliver the prototype

The system was built around a threetier architecture model consisting of the server side and the client side connected through the Internet

The system was implemented with Apache as the web server, Microsoft Internet explorer as the web browser to achieve a secure clientserver communication and MySQL as the database management system The scripting engine uses serverside PHP functions to communicate with the database

Table of Contents

Page

Title Page i

Declaration ii

Certification iii

Acknowledgment iv

Dedication v

Absract vi

Table of Contents vii

List of Tables x

List of Figures xi

Chapter One: Introduction

11 Background of the Study 1

12 Research Motivation 4

13 Research Objectives 5

14 Research Methodology 6

15 Contribution to Knowledge 6

16 Organization of the Thesis 7

Chapter Two: Literature Review

21 Introduction 8

211 Correspondence Study to Distance Education 9

212 Open Learning in the United Kingdom 11

213 Distance Education in the United States 12

214 The Nigerian Open University 13

22 Theory 16

221 Theoretical Constructs 19

2211 Transactional distance 19

2212 Interaction 20

2213 Control 21

2214 Social context 22

23 Distance Learning Technologies 23

231 Same Time/Same Place Instruction 27

232 Same Time/Different Place Instruction 28

233 Different Time/Different Place Instruction 29

24 Future Directions and Emerging Technologies 33

241 Electronic Networks 34

242 Computers / Microprocessors 35

Chapter Three: System Analysis

31 System Models 38

32 Course Material Organization and Delivery 45

Chapter Four: System Design and Implementation

41 System Design 49

42 The Architecture for the Distance Education System 56

43 Learning Performance Measurement 57

44 Collaborative Study 59

45 Collaborative Study Performance 60

46 Implementation 70

47 Challenges 72

Chapter Five: Conclusion, Recommendation and Future Research

51 Conclusion 76

52 Recommendation 77

53 Future Research 80

References

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Distance education, structured learning in which the student and instructor are separated by time and place, is currently the fastest growing form of domestic and international education. What was once considered a special form of education using nontraditional delivery systems is now becoming an important concept in mainstream education.

Distance education traces its origins to mid19th century in Europe and the United States. The pioneers of distance education used the best technology of their day, the postal system, to open educational opportunities to people who wanted to learn but were not able to attend conventional schools. People who most benefited from such correspondence education included those with physical disabilities, women who were not allowed to enroll in educational institutions open only to men, people who had jobs during normal school hours, and those who lived in remote regions where schools did not exist.

The invention of educational radio in the 1920s and the advent of television in the 1940s created important new forms of communication for use in distance education. Educators used these new technologies to broadcast educational programmes to millions of learners, thus extending learning opportunities beyond the walls of conventional teaching institutions.