Web 2.0 Based Service-Oriented E-Learning Systems: Recurrent Design and Architectural Patterns

Abstract

Adopting Web 2.0 technologies and techniques in modern e-learning systems guarantees a more interactive e-learning experience. It leverages collaboration among learners and enhances accessibility to various learning resources. Providing such functionalities as web services within an integrated e-learning system achieves interoperability and reduces redundancy. Our aim in this paper is to identify recurrent Web 2.0 and Service-oriented architecture (SOA) design and architectural patterns that would provide reusable building blocks for any Web 2.0 based service-oriented e-learning system. The paper builds on induction theory techniques to validate taxonomy related to Web 2.0 and SOA behavioural and technological patterns. We identified 3 elementary design patterns, inter-connectivity, file sharing and content re-mixing, a well as 4 secondary design patterns, streaming, content authoring, content aggregation and tagging. The proposed design patterns share three elementary architecture types, client-server, peer-peer and SOA. The paper also builds on UML4SOA techniques in modelling requirements prior application of proposed patterns in the case study.