The idea of using web-based technologies in education as a means of interactive learning has been emerging for several topics in computer science and engineering. It proves to be more effective in the learning process and hence rapidly expanding. In this paper we introduce an integrated environment for active learning in the information theory course and related fields. Our environment is designed to meet the learning preferences of computer engineering learners. The environment integrates several different materials to support the learners' preferred style. It includes a movie-like welcome component, an animated hyper-text introduction for the basic concepts of information theory, a communication model simulator, and an interactive set of exercises for self assessment. All the components of the environment are integrated into a single interface based on Java2D of Sun Microsystems. Being a Java applet, our environment is portable and web-based enabled, which makes it possible for learners to study at their convenience. An initial study shows that our integrated environment is a useful tool for learners of information theory and related fields.
展开▼
