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This paper describes a prototype and the experimental evaluation of a chat system that offers cooperation support between a discussion space and an activity space in collaborative learning. In collaborative learning in the proposed system, the students are divided into groups, carry out discussions on a study topic through chats, and create online reports in a cooperative manner. The proposed cooperation support method aims at improving the level of cooperation among students and the effectiveness of learning by making group members aware of other members' learning circumstances through cooperation support in group member utterances and report creation. We use a Wiki as a tool for collaborative work in this research. Cooperation support displays the Wiki's update time and contents on the chat system with activity cooperation support, offering a space for distance collaborative learning and allowing each student to become aware of the other students' situations. In addition, the number of chat utterances is displayed, and other students' situation is easily grasped. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn, 95(2): 25–38, 2012; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/ecj.10366

In this study, we focus on the sensitivity characteristic of the L-, M- and S-cones in human color vision, and construct a model that outputs two sets of Kansei values characterized as “bright - dark” and “light - heavy” using a four-layered neural network. In a subjective test, examinees evaluated 64 color patterns on a CRT display using two word pairs on a seven step rating scale. The evaluation results were standardized (min. -0.9, max. 0.9) as the output of the neural network. Three units of the input layer in the network model corresponded to the L-, M- and S-cones, respectively. The values of the absorption spectra characteristics of the L-, M- and S-cones were fed into each input unit. After training, the output of the model for both training results and performance test results were very close to the teaching Kansei values. We confirmed that the model has reproduced human Kansei values for colors. Furthermore, analyzing the synaptic weights values of the neural network model after training, we obtained the units that extracted individual differences of two color experts.

This paper describes a prototype and its experimental evaluation of the chat system that offers cooperation support between discussion space and activity space in collaborative learning. In collaborative learning in the proposed system, students are divided into groups, carry out discussion on a study theme by chats, and create on-line reports in cooperative manner. The proposed cooperation support method aims at improving the level of cooperation among students and the effectiveness of the study by making group members grasp other member's study situation mutually through cooperation support in group member's utterance and report creation. We use Wiki as a tool for collaborative work in this research. Cooperation support displays the Wiki's updating time and contents on the chat system with activity cooperation support that offers a space for remote collaborative learning and allows a student to know about other students' condition. In addition, the number of chat utterances was displayed, and other students' condition is easily grasped.

In recent years, advances in computer and communication technology and the associated rapid increase in the number of Internet users are encouraging advances in Electronic Commerce (EC). Business models of EC are being actively developed by many different enterprises and engineers, and implemented in many kinds of fields. Meanwhile Web services that reuse remote components over the Internet are drawing attention. Web services are based on SOAP/WSDL/UDDI and are given an important position as the infrastructure of the EC systems. The article analyzes the functions and structures of various business models, establishing the patterns of their distinctive and common features, and proposes a method of determining the implementation specifications of business models utilizing these patterns and Web service functions. This method has been applied to a parts purchasing system, which is a typical pattern of the B to B (Business to Business) EC applications. The article also discusses the results of evaluating this prototype system.

We have developed a prototype system (experimental model) of a remote education support system having function of interaction between teacher and student. As a resvlt of our studies for making concept of a new method which has effective use of multimedia technology, our model has a good combination of both characteristics of current satellite communication line and ground network line.The results of the experiment of the remote education lecture using the prototype are described in this paper together with an outline of the development on the prototype system.Judging from the experimental results, we confirm that this model has possibility and effectiveness which can achieve the function of the interaction by using the current satellite communication and ground network system.

The authors have investigated methods of interactive distance learning which enable the exchange of vivid images and voices, interactively and in real-time, between two remote classrooms connected via ISDN. We believe that such methods will bolster pupils’ desire to learn and nurture their creative potential through presentations and discussions between schools with different cultures and customs. In this paper, we propose a new method of distance learning which is conceived specifically for use in international distance learning. We also attempt to evaluate the results obtained from actual distance learning experiments conducted between Japanese and German elementary schools.