A Prototype Virtual School and Virtual Classroom System

This Phase I project will develop and demonstrate the functionality and utility of a commercially viable prototype Virtual School (VS) and Virtual Classroom (VC) software system. The target instructional organizations will be any sized educational or training institutions or departments that utilize the increasingly popular, pervasive and powerful Intemet/Intranet world-wide-web (web) client/server protocols. This includes the widely available generic client (web browser or web- client) programs and generic server (web server) programs. The system will enable in-house and distance learning of course and training materials vended by a web server setup and controlled by the instructional organization. Demonstrating easy configuration, the system will reflect the organizational structure and business rules of the host organization. By virtue of the underlying Apple-NeXT software technology, among other advantages, the system will "scale" (perform well) on small to large web server computers in single or multiple-host configurations and thus be affordable to any sized growing instructional organization. This project will begin to show that anyone with a PC (or network computer, or web-TV, if they become popular), a web browser application and the authorization of the instructional organization will be able to learn all or part of their course objectives by these means.