Tek Tank

Within the premises of the University of Bologna we have built an organization capable of managing IT projects with two areas of specialization: E-Learning and E-Government.

E-Learning

Tek Tank, through its E-Learning Lab, offers e-learning - based educational solutions, from the planning stage, to final evaluation, passing from the realization and the management of the necessary multimedia contents. E-Learning Lab is located at the headquarters of the Degree in Internet Economics, at the Forli Branch of the University of Bologna, where the available technological infrastructure is well suited to provide full fledged e-learning services. E-Learning Lab has also a site in Bologna (in Strada Maggiore, 45), where the research, planning and monitoring stages of projects take place.

As an organization, E-Learning Lab is divided into three interconnected areas – planning and evaluation, technologies and multimedia content development. It has about ten collaborators, coordinated by Prof. Lucio Picci.

Planning of educational projects and research

E-Learning Lab is actively involved in researching innovative and integrated solutions for e-learning initiatives in higher and lifelong education. It plans and executes educational projects according to a reliable methodology, typically implying a mix of traditional an on-line solutions.

Solutions include individual learning and self evaluation, but more typically, thanks to an appropriate use of technologies directed by well-established pedagogical theories, maximize the student’s active role thanks to online communication and leading to collaborative learning efforts.

E-Learning Lab also manages an observatory, monitoring technological and methodological innovations in the e-learning market, both at the national or international level.

Multimedia Content

Each educational task is best served by the most suitable media. E-Learning Lab produces audio, video, multimedia contents and Web-based simulations, and integrates them within a Web-based platform that guarantees a high level of accessibility and of usability.

Learning Objects

Our multimedia contents conforms to international standards (SCORM and IMS) and follow the “learning object” approach, so as to maximize reusability and modularity. A priority in their production is the compliance to the Web standards of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Audio-Video productions

As part of the learning object development, we manage the production of audio-video material, and its provision via video streaming on our Web farm. Digital cameras, a Mojo hardware accelerator, a DV camcorder, the Avid Xpress Pro software, and suitable video streaming servers such as the Darwin Streaming Server, allow E-Learning Lab to produce audio-video content, that may include synchronized text multimedia according to the SMIL standard.

Tek Tank video is a solution for embedding flash movies in web pages

E-Government Lab

Tek Tank's E-Government Lab caters for the production of a software demonstrator of the "Reputation-based Governance" (REBAG) concept.

Moreover, Tek Tank collaborates with the Observatory on Open Source Software in Public Administrations - PAOS.

The technological infrastructure

Tek Tank mostly uses the Linux operating system to manage its Web farm, located within its Forlì’s premises.

A 100Mbit LAN, and an excellent connection to the main backbone of the Italian Academic Network, guarantees a reliable connection of our servers to the Internet. The scrupulous adherence to a well specified set of procedures guarantees a high quality of service.

Contact

Lucio Picci ()
Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche
Università di Bologna
Strada Maggiore 45
40125 Bologna