Audio and video conferencing tools in learning management systems

The success of modern VOIP-based applications has demonstrated how VoIP technologies are rather mature for replacing current telephony systems and for creating new and flexible modes of communication. There are several applications and services that can benefit from such technologies: among them the e-learning is one important candidate. Future and present scenarios of mobile learning applications and the design of new collaboration models in teachers/students interactions are possible fields of application of VoIP technologies. For example, students may be enabled to join a lecture via cell phone wherever the IP network allows linking to video and audio conferencing servers. In this paper the integration of audio and video conferencing tools in a distance education environment is considered and a prototyping implementation is described. Particular attention is paid to currently available open-source projects and tools: the EifFE-L (Environment for freedom in E-Learning) Learning Management System in conjunction with the MjSIP project for VoIP functionalities have been used.