Biohorizons

Biohorizons is an electronic e-conference web application that allows students to self-register into one of several defined conference themes.  Students then use a number of information sources to explore primary literature and research a specific topic of interest within broad cluster themes. Students then individually post formal questions and answers about one another’s work using a forum feature. The eTutors mark all student submissions using online criteria sheets and audiofiles to personalise feedback.

This eConference is a novel initiative in innovative teaching and content delivery that is part of a faculty-wide initiative to enhance assessment and learning in first year. This is the first time such an electronic conference has been run in Australia and also involves participating overseas institutions such as NUS in Singapore and the University of Lund in Sweden. The eventual aim of such innovation is to build extended international learning communities.

Rich sets of content and multimedia technologies can be used to improve the teaching and learning experience including; external web pages, Macromedia Flash, Videos and Sound, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, PDF, etc.

Login Screenshot

Tutor marking page for the PowerPoint presentation task

Tutor marking page for the Professional discussion task

Upper half of the student results page

Lower half of the student results page

Technologies: Microsoft .NET Framework, C#, JavaScript, MS SQL, Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX), Extensible Markup Language (XML), JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), jQuery, Language Integrated Query (LINQ), Dynamic Data, Central Active Directory and LDAP integration, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)