The layered design includes a secure database at its core on top of which are built a set of services including audio and video servers; basic Web servers and a collaboration subsystem which is heart of both asynchronous and synchronous delivery. This has a set of basic collaboration capabilities including chat, audio-videoconferencing, whiteboard and shared applications. The communication system supports the worldwide delivery and includes support for distributed databases to get high performance with for instance core courseware replicated on delivery machines with CD-ROM’s or other such mechanisms. The top layer of WebWisdom consists of education and training specific capabilities, which customize and extend the generic middle-layer services. Note assessment relies on database at heart of WebWisdom, which logs synchronous delivery of curricula and records interaction of students with courseware and tools. Authoring and Editing includes audio, video, and Java applet based animations as well as basic text (HTML) material. The latter includes a web presentation system with capabilities similar to PowerPoint and Persuasion but generating directly HTML in a form suitable for presentation. Conversion of Legacy systems includes putting Persuasion Framemaker PowerPoint etc. on the Web. The delivery system is based on customized shared browser windows for curricula together with more generic collaboration capabilities e.g. audio-videoconferencing is used by students and teachers for traditional voice interactions. The collaboration subsystem must support multiple rooms and many groups of users.

We believe that impressive demonstrations of all the above capabilities have already been prototyped and one can now build such a system. Note that as always in the rapidly changing web field it is critical to build systems in as modular fashion as possible and with the loosest (not tightest) relevant coupling.

The proposed implementation of WebWisdom is as follows.

• Task I: Gather requirements from key constituencies (DoD modernization program, NSF PACI, Interested Universities and K-12 school districts)
• Task II: System Design and Integration
• Task III: Build core system
• Task IV: Integrate middle layer services into core system
• Task V: Build Tools on top of middle layer
• Task VI: Develop courseware
• Task VII: Deliver and Assess courses

Task I and II need to start immediately and task VI is an ongoing activity which will be able to take advantage of gradually improving capabilities. Task VII is also ongoing and will iteratively improve system.