E-learning design: An integrated agent-grid service architecture

E-learning concerns the computer-based implementation of a system of education. The paper focuses on an e-learning system design based on a simple education model. The latter suggests two approaches to e-learning design: process-oriented and service-oriented. Our research concentrates on the service-oriented approach to the design of an e-learning collaborative environment with virtual organization. In this case, the e-learning environment can be presented by integrated agent/grid architecture. Our approach to the architectural design of the e-learning environment considers the environment as a source of resources. It ensures two types of resources - learning resources and instructional resources. They are shared among two dynamic collections of individuals: learners and instructors. The coordination of resource sharing is a grid problem. Therefore, the architecture of the e-learning environment consists of two grid layers. The first of them is a grid of instructional resources. The second layer organizes the learning resources in another grid. The integration factor of this architecture is the instructor. He is an agent that uses the instructional resources for the production of learning resources. Since these agents combine the two grids into a whole, the presented architecture of e-learning environment is considered as a result of an integrated agent-grid approach to e-learning design.