A Prototype Database of Course Materials about Computer Architecture on the World-Wide Web

这一概念验证项目在万维网上建立了一个课程材料数据库。原型数据库专用于计算机体系结构领域，但用于构建数据库的软件可用于构建任何学术领域的数据库。该数据库包含由大量大学的教师和助理开发的家庭作业和测试题、课堂笔记、实验室练习和多媒体教学材料。教师能够在课堂上重复使用数据库中的材料，让他们的学生受益于更多更好的教学材料。重复使用和改编教学材料而不是重新创建教材的能力节省了教师的时间，并促进了多校区在设计新课程方面的合作。正在为数据库收集材料，方法是寻求教师的许可，将其课程网站上的材料包括在内。正在开发脚本，以便通过Web获取材料并将其存储在数据库中。必要时对材料的格式进行了调整，并增加了描述性元数据，以方便搜索。该项目与在线作业提交和评分的网络作业项目一起工作。数据库中的作业和试题可供在线管理，在格式允许的情况下，还可自动评分。交付成果包括一个计算机建筑材料数据库，以及在其他领域建立类似数据库的软件。通过利用Web上已有的材料来改进教学，该项目解决了从分布式智能中组织知识和将技术整合到教育中的主题。

This proof-of-concept project implements a database of course materials on the World Wide Web. The prototype database is specific to the field of computer architecture, but the software for building the database can be used to construct databases in any academic field. The database contains homework and test questions, lecture notes, laboratory exercises, and multimedia teaching materials developed by instructors and assistants at a large number of universities. Instructors are able to reuse materials from the database in their classes, giving their students the benefit of more and better instructional materials. The ability to reuse and adapt instructional materials instead of creating them anew saves faculty time and promotes multi-campus collaboration in designing new courses.Materials are being gathered for the database by seeking permission from instructors to include materials from their course Web sites. Scripts are being developed to fetch the material over the Web and to store them in the database. The format of the material is adjusted where necessary, and descriptive metadata is being added to facilitate searching. This project is working in conjunction with the Web Assign project for on-line homework submission and grading. Homework and test problems in the database are available for on-line administration, and, where the format permits, automatic grading. Deliverables include a database of computer architecture materials, and software to construct a similar database in other fields. By harnessing materials already on the Web to improve teaching and learning, this project addresses the themes of organizing knowledge from distributed intelligence and integrating technology into education.