An E-Learning System Based on the Top-Down Method and the Cellular Models

Abstract

As the broadband connectivity to the Internet becomes common, Web based e-learning and distance learning have come to play the central roles for self-learning, where learners are given much flexibility in choosing place and time to study. However, the learners still have to spend a lot of time before reaching the learning goal. This discourages the learners from continuing their studies and diminishes their motivation. To overcome this problem and to let the learners keep focusing on their primary interests, we propose a top-down e-learning system called TDeLS. The TDeLS can offer learners the learning materials based on the top-down (i.e., goal-oriented) method, according to the learners’ demands and purposes. Moreover, the TDeLS can distribute them to the learners through the Internet, and manage the database for learning materials. In order to share learning materials among learners through the Web, these learning materials are wrapped in XML with a specially designed vocabulary for TDeLS. We employed the cellular models that ensure the consistency among design modules and support a top-down design methodology. In this paper, we present the TDeLS for hardware logic design courses based on the cellular models. The primary goal is to design complex logic circuits in VerilogHDL, which is an industrial-standard hardware description language. This paper also presents the basic XML vocabulary designed to describe hardware modules efficiently, and a brief introduction to the structure and functions of the proposed system that implements the TDeLS.