Development of computer assisted
learning tool for earthquake
engineering
Robert Klinc, Žiga Turk & Matej Fischinger
University of Ljubljana
Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
Chair of Construction Informatics

Agenda
• Introduction
• Background and motivation
• Goals
• Requirements and system architecture
• Implementation
• Demonstration
• Conclusions and future work
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Introduction
• Text & live talk - the only ICT when the
formats of academic education were set.
• Learning process did not make a
considerable change for decades.
• Students today have great expectations,
which classic teaching methods (and
learning materials) cannot satisfy.
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Background and motivation
• FACTS:
– Most academic textbooks contain few
illustration with no color (although the
importance of visual communication is well
known).
– Today, we receive information from variety of
sources (Discovery channel, games,...).
– That is why even a quality book cannot offer
enough.
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Background and motivation
• Earthquake engineering:
– Art of detailing
– Investigates problems
– Searches for solutions
– Practical application of
solutions
• Interdisciplinary and complex
• A majority of lectures in EE is
still delievered through
teacher oriented approach.
• SOLUTION: interactive
multimedia
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Background and motivation
TEXT BOOK
(in hypertext)
EMPIRICAL EXAMPLE
SYSTEM (EASY) (in hypertext)
EUROCODES
(in hypertext)
• Empirical knowledge (1995-1997)
• Numerical knowledge (1996-1997)
• Codes and regulations (1997-1998)
• Theoretical knowledge
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Goal
To develope a learning tool for teaching
basics of earthquake engineering, which
would provide students the opportunity of
‘being-in-the-world’, to ‘sense’ and ‘feel’
structures and their behaviour.
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Requirements and system architecture
• Requirements:
– It must act as a standalone tool.
– Should be developed in a modular way:
• suitable for integration into more complex system.
• easily extendible.
– Should take advantage of new on-line media:
• it should be accessible on-line.
• should offer more than printed letter and static
picture.
• should be usable in distance learning classes.
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System architecture
• System divided into two parts:
– Index section (Flash, XML driven)
– Content section (Flash)
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Implementation
• Macromedia Flash 5 was used
– Modern, widely used tool.
– ActionScript built-in.
– ‘Easy’ to learn.
– Time (and frame) based animations.
• Animations ‘calculated’ on the fly.
• Usage of external programs investigated.
• Additional programming language used.
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Demonstration
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Conclusions
• The main focus should be on content – but
app. 80% of the work is on programming.
• Initial enthusiasm can be lost over a
longer period of time.
• Limitations of Macromedia Flash:
– Time consuming
– Limited possibility of ActionScript
– Animations (simulations) are ‘hard coded’ (no
re-use of code)
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Conslusions & future work
• Benefits:
– Interactive, can use external tools
– Available online and on removable media (CD, ...)
• Evolution of presented tool:
– Newer version of Flash
– Core HTML
– Flash only for animations
• Integration with previously developed
components
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\"Tell me, and I will forget.
Show me, and I may remember.
Involve me, and I will understand.\"
(Confucius, 450 BC)
THANK YOU
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