Build grid-enabled large-scale collaboration environment in e-Learning grid

As a new branch of grid computing, e-Learning grid is emerging as a nationwide e-Learning infrastructure, which can provide innovative learning experience for learners. In such a grid environment, collaboration services will be the key elements due to the pervasive requirement for cooperative work and collaborative learning. Although there exist enormous research efforts on grid-based collaboration technologies, most of them have many limitations. In this paper, with the findings from the computer support cooperative work (CSCW)/computer support collaborative learning (CSCL) and advantages provided by grid, we propose to build grid-enabled large-scale collaboration environment (GLCE). GLCE focuses on distributed, large-scale, and cross-organizational collaboration through creating group-centered next generation collaboration environment, where both intra-group and inter-group collaboration could be supported. With this idea in mind, we present a grid-based cooperative work framework (GCWF), which aims to implement GLCE with an ‘‘upper layer’’ collaboration middleware based on the special-purpose grid infrastructure designed by our team. The preliminary results of our research on GLCE have been applied to build the learning assessment grid (LAGrid). The goal of LAGrid is to support the formative assessment business in China Radio and TV University (CRTVU) and large-scale collaboration within virtual organization (VO) has been realized. 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.