An on line Environment to Support Training on the Job Activities

This paper presents the results of the Biosystem project, aimed at designing and implementing distance learning techniques for employees in the field of organic agriculture; in the context of this project, a web-based system to support the management and running of distance training activities was developed jointly by the Institute for Educational Technologies, of the Italian National Research Council, and the Roi company. The system was defined by considering how certain management and training activities of a training company can be carried out in a simple way by means of an on-line system. The system supplies functions to support course management and training activities on the web. The system was organized in different areas: Public, accessible to all users; Private, for students enrolled on courses; Teacher for teaching activities; Administrative, for the management of general services, courses, teachers, secretarial activities. The environment we set up for the on line training activities is the result of the integration of existing tools, with the addition of specific new functions. The main aim of the environment was to give the enterprises the opportunity to have continuous support, to complete the face to face activities. In the period we tested the system, it proved very effective for organizing the on line support for using specific software by means of sharing application and audio communication tools. In fact, the system provides an environment where a student enrolled on the course can meet the teacher at specified times; moreover, teachers can integrate the face-to-face lesson with on-line activities so making the timetable more flexible, personalizing learning, improving the interaction between students and teachers and facilitating the planning of activities. These kinds of interaction have been observed during some on-line courses involving training on the job activities for company employees.