Guenter Hilmer - Phd Thesis - Glamorgan Dspace - University of ...

8.1 Review of the EFTECS 8 DISCUSSION
synchronous or asynchronous update of the educational material, for example via
an AJAX approach.
However, this functionality would have to be implemented into the HEAT in the
future.
8.1.5 Extensibility of the EFTECS
The EFTECS was designed as an extensible framework for the separation of edu-
cational and technical content in educational hypermedia.
It was stated in chapter 3 that only a basic set of EHPs and TLSs was designed and
implemented to prove the general approach of this PhD, for example the QA-TLS
with its several QA-types.
If the created EHPs and TLSs have to be extended, the following steps will have
to be undertaken.
After the need for a new TLS has been discovered, the TLS has to be analysed
and the needed EHPs for that TLS have to be designed. Give the design of the
EFTECS, several EHPs should be reusable, for example the HELP-EHP as de-
scribed in section 3.4. The work that is necessary to achieve this reusability de-
pends on the wanted TLS and its functions.
Another task is to implement the functions of the TLS in its corresponding XSL
file. This task must not be underestimated since it is the more challenging one and
requires a technical expert with some experience in programming XSL and Java
Script. However, the technical solution could be realised with some other technol-
ogy, too, as long as the EHP and TLS information are regarded and implemented.
Additional functions, for example the evaluation of tests or the navigation through
the content based on the preferences of the learner as described in 3.4 would have
to be implemented into the HEAT by some additional implementation work on the
HEAT, but were regarded as out of scope for this work.
Based on the experiences gained during the creation of the EFTECS and the
HEAT, we estimate that the amount of work for the creation of one TLS, its EHPs
and the creation of the necessary XSL file is approximately 10 to 15 workdays,
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