**Meet the editors**

Anderson Aparecido Alves da Silva applied for PhD at the University of São Paulo (USP), Electrical Engineering Postgraduate Program. He holds MSc from the Institute of Technological Research of São Paulo (IPT), MBA from the Alvares Penteado's Foundation, and technological degree from the Educational Institute of Osasco. Currently he is full time professor at the Paulista University.

Elvis Pontes is professor at the University Estácio de Sá, at the Universidade Paulista, and at SENAC. He applied for Ph.D. at the University of São Paulo, holds MSc from the Institute of Technological Research of São Paulo; MBA from the Institute of Energy and Nuclear Researches; BSc from the Technological Institute of Osasco.

Adilson Guelfi holds PhD in Electric Engineering from the University of São Paulo. He is professor and researcher at the Institute of Technological Research of São Paulo, technical manager of the first Brazilian laboratory for testing and verifying the compatibility of systems, devices and equipments for the Brazilian Public Key Infrastructure standards.

Sérgio Takeo Kofuji holds Bachelor Degree in Physics from the University of São Paulo (1985), Masters in Electrical Engineering from the University of São Paulo (1988) and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of São Paulo (1995). He is currently Professor RiDP Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo.

Contents

**Preface IX** 

**Part 1 Motivations for the Online Learning 1** 

**Styles and Knowledge Level 3**  Boyan Bontchev and Dessislava Vassileva

Chapter 3 **Self-Directed Learning Readiness Factors** 

Cláudio Teixeira and Joaquim Sousa Pinto

Tahereh Eslaminejad and Nouzar Nakhaee

**Satisfaction on Working Education 47**  Chun-Ling Ho and Tsung-Han Chang

Chapter 5 **Facts and Fiction: Lessons from Research on Faculty** 

**Motivators and Incentives to Teach Online 59** 

**Medical Education and Biological Education 83** 

**Supported by Virtual Experimentation 85**  Viliam Fedák, František Ďurovský and Peter Keusch

**in an E-Learning Environment 107**  Josep Cuartero-Olivera, Antoni Pérez-Navarro

**in Physicians for Implementing E-Learning** 

**in the Continuing Medical Education Programs 39** 

Chapter 1 **Courseware Adaptation to Learning** 

Chapter 2 **Assisted On-Job Training 23** 

Chapter 4 **Learning Performance and** 

Ruth Gannon Cook

**Part 2 E-Learning for Engineering,** 

Chapter 6 **E-Learning in Mechatronic Systems** 

Chapter 7 **The Use of Mathematical Formulae** 

and Teresa Sancho-Vinuesa

### Contents

#### **Preface XI**

	- **Part 2 E-Learning for Engineering, Medical Education and Biological Education 83**

#### **Part 3 New Approaches 177**

	- **Part 4 Implementation of E-Learning Environments 213**

### Preface

In the last few years, the presentation of data and knowledge has been affected by significant changes, mainly because of several new features introduced in the field of Information and Telecommunication Technologies (ICTs), which provide resources to what is nowadays known as the Electronic Generation (E-generation). However, in the past, few or no resources could be used to support the distributed collaborative research and the out-of-classroom learning, making the learning and research inflexible and static.

To contextualize the learning styles before the E-generation, Engineering, for example, is a complex science due to the symbiotic nature of this domain of knowledge (using concepts from Mathematics and Physics, for instance). Engineering systems have synergistic effects and mutual interactions among subsystems of various natures, resulting in difficulties for both professors and students. Examining this example in more detail, we could approach the education for mechatronic engineering, which comprehends concepts to be taught through lectures, complemented by practical empiric laboratories – those who are learning are stimulated to face dynamic environments and the processes surrounding that are rather difficult to understand just through regular lectures with books, so real models, with realistic representation of day-to-day environments are essential. In this way, the students can gain practical experience in the applied nature of the engineering with just the in-class education.

Another example to be mentioned concerns medical and biological education: the 20th Century has brought several advances in the biological sciences, as well as increasing demands from the health services, with promotion of the implementation of evidencebased practice. For the first time in the history of mankind, electronic repositories of medical knowledge became available in the public domain.

Therefore, some of the methodologies proposed to fit the different students requirements refer to adaptive E-learning in different areas, such as engineering, mathematics, biology, or health sciences. Adaptive E-learning was proposed to be suitable for students with unique profiles, particular interests, and from different domains of knowledge, so profiles may consider specific goals of the students, as well as different preferences, knowledge level, learning style, rendering psychological profile, and more.

#### XII Preface

Another approach to be taken into account today is the self-directed learning. Unlike the adaptive E-learning, the Self-directed learning is related to independence or autonomy in learning; it is a logical link for readiness for E-learning, where students pace their classes according to their own needs.

This book provides information on the On-Job Training and Interactive Teaching for Elearning and is divided into four sections. The first section covers motivations to be considered for E-learning while the second section presents challenges concerning Elearning in areas like Engineering, Medical education and Biological Studies. New approaches to E-learning are introduced in the third section, and the last section describes the implementation of E-learning Environments.

> **Professor Elvis Pontes, Professor Anderson Silva, Professor Adilson Guelfi Professor Sérgio Takeo Kofuji**  Department of Electrical Engineering Polytechnic School University of São Paulo (USP) Brazil
