Here are essential features of WebWisdom Curricula Storage and Delivery System, which integrates synchronous and asynchronous learning models.

1. Ability for user to define statically and dynamically a general list of educational objects which can be prepared statically and dynamically
2. Educational objects include

• Java, Image or HTML versions of existing presentation systems including Microsoft PowerPoint
• HTML pages
• Java Applets
• Multimedia Files
• Screen Captures
• Native Applications such as Windows 95 operations used to teach computer use

3. The set of Education Objects forms a general web resource from one or more web sites, which can be used asynchronously by student.
4. WebWisdom supports "play-lists" which are a list of objects selected by the instructor and constructed statically or dynamically

• Play-lists are themselves objects which can be part of asynchronous resource
• They are viewed as a guided tour of the asynchronous resource and selected by instructor to illustrate a particular point.

3. Educational objects form a hierarchical information system which could for instance start at top level with University; then department, then academic program, the course, the topic, then lecture, then finally a set of base objects which lecturer discusses at one time.
4. Objects can always point to additional attachments which are themselves objects and include "add-ons" (notes), attached audio-video from one or more presentations of this material, glossaries as well as previous and next object in "play-list". Objects, which occupy a single screen and/or are the unit for study and lecture discussion represent natural display unit and are called WebWisdom Base Objects. The "play-lists" describe hierarchically objects down to level of Base Objects. Objects above Base Objects in hierarchy are called Summary Objects. The collection of objects at a given level in hierarchy is called a family. Each family has a "play-list" defining its members.
5. WebWisdom defines the necessary metadata needed for educational objects to be part of a curricula
6. This system can be adapted to other applications including

• A set of personal records including family photos
• The information needed for a Crisis management system where objects include three dimensional Geographical Information system

WebWisdom provides the following capabilities.

1. A novel technique called "self-defining objects" where all relevant properties of objects are defined within object using an API for C++, Java or JavaScript. This API is integrated with Tango’s API.
2. An ability to store objects either in a file-system or in a relational database.
3. Ability to edit parameters of objects such as backgrounds and associated objects in HTML pages
4. A navigation system through the entire hierarchical system that can be loaded either on server or client and uses very fast interpreted JavaScript on the client.
5. Dynamically generated navigation tool-bar allowing selection of just those capabilities that are appropriate for a given educational object.
6. For all objects above Base Objects, WebWisdom provides both an index (which is a play-list) and a current object, which is a summary of current play list. One can navigate through both indices and objects. Summary Objects are associated with one "play-list" pointing to the objects one level lower in hierarchy and another "play-list" of objects in the same family.
7. Tools are provided for automatically generating play-lists from links inside a document or by user selecting from list of objects currently in WebWisdom.
8. WebWisdom supports multiple views of a given object including as appropriate HTML, variable size image, Java annotateable canvas or native presentation format.
9. Indices attached to a given object can select the default view of objects lower in the hierarchy.
10. WebWisdom can be used in or outside Tango. Inside Tango, one provides full collaborative integration for all objects so that as teacher selects a given object, this object is shared among those other users (students) in session.
11. Students see the current object and a play-list, which is a list of all objects viewed in this session. Students can annotate any object and these annotations can optionally be stored in database or preserved on a Web Site as a conventional page.
12. Objects can be shared in shared event or the less flexible shared display mode.
13. For applications to teaching Computer Science, WebWisdom supports programming laboratories in several languages.
14. For engineering and science teaching, WebWisdom supports shared simulations

1. WebWisdom object properties are divided into administrative (such as people’s names and addresses and performance(grades)), library (such as titles and authors) and educational (the rest). When the WebWisdom approach is applied outside education, replace educational by application specific.
2. Properties can be stored in the object itself using for web pages, either META tags or JavaScript API to WebWisdom JavaScript control routines; alternatively properties are stored in WebWisdom backend database. Both database and self-defining properties are allowed. When both present, the update date is used to choose appropriate version.
3. WebWisdom objects can be fully stored in database; fully defined by a Web page independent of database or any combination thereof.
4. WebWisdom objects have 5 basic shared control modes supported by Tango. In the first three there is only one view of a shared object. In the last two, each client can get a different view. The last (partial sharing) is general case. A composite object can have components with different control modes.

• Sharing is replicated display as in NetMeeting. There is a master copy whose display is replicated to all other registered clients which cannot alter it
• Sharing is replicated application as in Cross product. There is a master copy and the object definition is replicated to all other registered clients, which cannot manipulate it. Event sharing is used to replicate information about master copy of application.
• Sharing is Common as in Chat or Whiteboard. There are total democracy with all registered clients able to update a single copy
• Sharing is Separate with each registered client getting a separate copy of object with object chosen by master. Registered clients can individually manipulate their copy of object.
• Sharing is Partial with each registered client getting a separate copy of object with object chosen by master. Some properties of object are controlled via event sharing from master; others are can be set independently on each registered client. There is an API to define shared and separate properties of any WebWisdom object. For Javabeans or equivalent CORBA objects, there is a default partial sharing with those properties associated with getXXX and setXXX methods shared.

1. The sharing mode of an object is an educational (application-specific) property of an object and stored in same way as other object properties.
2. Objects fall into classes. Objects in same class have same base definition but different associated information. Data in a given class is (logically) stored only once although it may be replicated for efficient use. One gets different class members when an given object is used in different play-lists.
3. Objects are members of families and have one or more views. Different views correspond to different representations of a given object. For instance presentation material could have HTML (e.g. text of PowerPoint foil), static image (e.g. screendump of PowerPoint foil), or dynamic display on whiteboard as different views. These views can be viewed as different instances sub-classing the object.
4. Objects are either data or index objects.
5. All objects except the root object have a parent
6. All objects except a leaf object have one or more children
7. Leaf and Root objects have one index object associated with them
8. All objects, which are not leaf or root objects, have two indices associated with them. These are family index of all objects in same family as given object and child index of all objects for which this object is a parent.
9. Indices fall into subclasses whose different instances correspond to default views of objects in index. Each subclass member is called a path.
10. It may be useful to divide objects into base and derived objects where base objects are the unique originals which are viewed in different ways and placed in derived objects like play-lists. A collection of base objects is called a base family.

1. Store educational objects with above class and property structure in a mix of Web Pages and Database entries.

• This is achieved by allowing self defining web pages as one form of database backend

1. Ability to edit all properties of educational objects
2. Generate database of properties of selected information resources including

• Unstructured Web Sites with links restricted inside a particular hierarchy
• Set of self defining web resources

1. Ability to generate a play-list which consists of a path through a set of educational objects. This play-list is itself an educational object. Note this path defines a new family. We assume user will generate together with the play-list, an abstract and title for this new family which allow one to get a well defined educational object which represents this path with play list forming index to children of this new object.
2. Support the following specialized properties, which have been found useful. More details can be found by clicking on EDITFOIL in current webwisdom

• Addon resources
• Associated audio and/or video
• Sharing mode described above
• Links to other objects in given family either through "next" "previous" or random access index
• Preferred view
• Specification of part of object teacher is discussing (focus region)
• Student specific annotations which would represent a new child family for this object
• Delivery specific annotations by teacher
• Grading data if object is a quiz
• Typical overall properties of a web page (font-size, background etc.)
• Modification date
• Author
• Title
• Associated event
• Date of use (class delivery)

1. WebWisdom supports well following forms of material

• General web pages
• Lists of Images with simple elaboration as one gets in catalogs of screendumps and photos
• The general format developed for PowerPoint and Persuasion presentations exported to the web.
• Slitex foilsets
• Multimedia and other authoring packaging including NPAC whiteboard.

1. In area of administrative data, WebWisdom supports properties found useful in current "NPAC Grading database System" developed by Balsoy and Sen
2. WebWisdom supports the hierarchical threaded discussion lists and similar document structure used in Lotus Notes and similar asynchronous collaboration tools
3. WebWisdom is secure

1. WebWisdom supports 5 modes of operation

• Display of Information using Conventional Asynchronous Web Browser view
• Display of Information using a play-list in either automatic (carousel) or manual fashion
• Authoring of individual base objects by either some native custom editor (such as NPAC Whiteboard or Macromedia Director) or by batch importing of other formats listed in 6) above
• Authoring of play-lists by graphical section of general path through a web-site with objects represented by families/titles and/or thumbnails
• Editing of individual objects or play-lists

1. WebWisdom has a three tier architecture:

• Back-end distributed database which serves to define all objects and their linkage into an hierarchical information resource. As self defining web pages are viewed as a particular form of database, WebWisdom backend is in a general a distributed set of databases whose amalgam defines resource
• Middle tier controlled by custom servers using either CORBA, JDBC or Livewire to provide a bridge between client and backend
• Client tier using a general HTML/Java/… web interface. A client side JavaScript core reads from database relevant overall structure of information resource and allows intuitive navigation through resource. Special applets display ones current position in information space.

1. Special features allow linkage of complex objects such as the family representing objects used in a particular lecture and the family of associated audio/video clips

• Note audio/video clips are associated with leaf objects and are concantenated to get a complete presentation. These clips can then be accessed if a given leaf object is used in a different play-list
• Note the nature of teaching (by some) is that there is a difference between family of objects in intended lecture and family of objects actually used in lecture. This is handled by using separate play-lists and forming a distinct family for "intended" lecture and what was delivered.