Competitive Design of Web-Based Courses in Engineering Education - Web-Based Engineering Education: Critical Design and Effective Tools - page 137

control server application (e.g. a free license, like
VNC) in order to display remotely any application
that runs on his/her computer-principle 35; if the
PC is a tablet PC, teacher can use a virtual white-
board to interact even more with students (e.g.
CorelGrafigo, Windows Journal, etc.)-principle
38; moreover, teacher can run a system applica-
tion for remote monitoring of computers in the
network-principle 35. These solutions allow a
comprehensive and multimodal provision of the
course content (drawings, films, text, simulations,
dynamic annotations, on-line hand written and
sketches, on-line running of any application on
computers, etc.).
In order to meet the target with respect to the
performance characteristic PC 5 [ TF 1 ], the follow-
ing TRIZ mini-problems are revealed: (a) amount
of substance [26] versus harmful side effects [31];
(b) amount of substance [26] versus loss of in-
formation [24]; and (c) amount of substance [26]
versus convenience of use [33]. The generic direc-
tions of interventions recommended by TRIZ are:
group (a): transition from a homogeneous structure
to a heterogeneous structure of the system or of
the external environment [3], change the degree
of flexibility or density or volume [35], define a
composite structure of the system [40], introduce
a neutral “substance” or “additive” [39]; group
(b): use a mediator to do the action [24], replace
“mechanical” components with “simple or com-
plex fields” [28], change the degree of flexibility
or density or volume [35]; group (c): change the
degree of flexibility or density or volume [35],
replace “solid” parts with “fluidic” parts [29],
make use of “waste material” or make the system
to serve itself [25], carry out in advance some ac-
tions or put the components of the system such
as to come fast into action when necessary [10].
In addition to the technical elements defined
a paragraph before, the following ones should
be considered to meet the major scalability re-
quirements: build the web-course system having
both web-cameras and videoconference units-
principle 3; provide also materials with detailed

information and explanations on how to use the
course, considering supplementary case studies
and exercises, thus facilitating off-line learning-
principle 28; provide records of the course, and
simulations, etc.-principle 28; use local assistants
to support teacher for any small inconvenient
caused by the remote interaction-principle 24;
record the session for later use-principle 25;
combine remote sessions with one or two face-
to-face sessions-principle 40; train the users in
advance on how to use the system (e.g. demos,
intuitive guiding manuals, face-to-face practical
sessions)-principle 10.
An analysis of these technical elements
against the most relevant scalability performance
characteristics highlighted in Figure 2 shows the
web-based course system meets the intended
targets (e.g. any file format is supported, any
software application running on the teacher's
desktop is seen on students' screens, time required
to use any new software application is almost
instantaneous, etc.).
Figure 3 illustrates deployment of TF 2 -related
requirements into TF 2 -related performance char-
acteristics. The set of matrices from Figure 3 is
called “house of affordability.” According to the
results in Figure 3, the most relevant performance
characteristics for web-course optimization in
relation to TF 2 are: return on investment, net
present value and payback period. In terms of
“system-oriented innovation” (factor D in Figure
3), innovations from organizational and financial
points of view should be mainly directed towards
high return on investment and net present value.
In other words, this requires relative low initial
investments, as well as continuous and significant
savings, relevant incomes even from early phases
of course launching, supplemented by low oper-
ating and administrative costs. As in the case of
design for scalability, no innovations generated
by conflicts between performance characteristics
are necessary. In terms of targets, innovations are
mainly on achieving a high rate of the return on
investment.