Abstract

Abstract
This paper reports on the design, implementation and evaluation of XwQuest, a Web tool for responding to questionnaires on the Web. The distinctive feature of this tool is an XML definition of the questionnaire that focus on questions and admissible answers while avoiding presentation details. This questionnaire definition is processed on the browser side and converted to an Ajax application. Collected responses are periodically sent back to the server and can be retrieved by researchers and processed on a standard spreadsheet program. The paper details the questionnaire language of XwQuest and a generator that converts them into Ajax applications. Two case studies where XwQuest was actually used with good results are also presented. © 2009 IADIS.

Abstract
In recent years the concept of eLearning Framework emerged associated with several initiatives promoted by educational organizations. These initiatives share a common goal: to create flexible learning environments by integrating heterogeneous systems already available in many educational institutions. The paper provides an introductory survey on eLearning Frameworks. It gathers information on these initiatives categorizes them and compares their features regarding a set of predefined criteria such as: architecture, business model, primary user groups, technical implementations, adopted standards, maturity and future development.

Abstract
The wide acceptance of digital repositories today in the eLearning field raises several interoperability issues. In this paper we present the interoperability features of a service oriented repository of learning objects called crimsonHex. These features are compliant with the existing standards and we propose extensions to the IMS interoperability recommendation, adding new functions, formalizing message interchange and providing also a REST interface. To validate the proposed extensions and its implementation in crimsonHex we developed a repository plugin for Moodle 2.0 that is expected to be included in the next release of this popular learning management system.

Abstract
This work describes a disk-resident database for Prolog which uses mechanisms similar to the ones used by the clausal database for recording and retrieving terms. It is intended to be used by applications requiring a flexibility greater than that provided by an interface to traditional database system. There is almost no restriction on the terms stored in the database and the retrieval mechanisms produces terms in the order they were recorded. To enhance the performance of the system, the database organization provides an access mechanism using hash-codes on ”key” arguments of the recorded term. The database also provides basic support for multi-user access. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1989.

Abstract
Web interfaces are used nowadays for virtually every kind of computer application. The proliferation of web interfaces created the need to collect and analyze data on how users interact with them. Many web applications used for this purpose rely on what can be called a meta web interface. Meta web interfaces are used for different purposes but they share a set of common features: a web interface based on the subject interface with a second layer interface for collecting data, a central repository for persisting the collected data, and an API for retrieving aggregated data on user interaction. This paper describes Z-Web - a framework for developing meta web interfaces that provides these three features. To create a second layer in the meta web interface a Z-Web server is placed as a proxy between the web client and the subject web server and injects modifications while forwarding HTTP requests. These modifications are typically JavaScript libraries that collect and store data related to user interaction. The framework caches the pages it proxies and provides persistent storage for the collected data. An application interface (API) makes this data available to client application supported by Z-Web. This paper presents an overview of Z-Web, with the general architecture of a web application based on this framework, and describes the design and implementation issues of its main components. Two systems developed with Z-Web are also presented to evaluate the applicability of the framework and its overhead when compared with similar systems.