Tools

The tools presented below are necessary for launching a distance course  Archaeological Heritage in Contemporary Europe. Some of them, such as particular e-learning modules and syllabuses, can  be directly downloaded  from this web page, while the others, including e-learning modules for other types of courses with appropriate syllabuses as well as LMS system itself, should be obtained from elsewhere.
The following tools and technological solutions have been chosen for the course Archaeological Heritage in Contemporary Europe:
- A package of 15 multimedia e-learning courses
- The LMS/LCMS system supporting the didactic process conducted  at a distance
- Syllabus

Multimedia e-learning courses
In compliance with the accepted methodology for conducting the distance didactic process i.e. assisted e-learning, didactic material in electronic form constitutes the basic element around which all training activities are led. The major activity of the trainee is oriented on independent work with the material. Remaining activities such as work on the forum, writing essays, and consultations with the teacher are always realized in connection with the contents delivered to the trainee in a multimedia and interactive e-learning course. The decision regarding means of providing the contents to trainees has a direct impact upon the efficiency of the whole didactic process.
For the purpose of reaching the best effects, it was decided that didactic contents would be delivered to trainees in the form of multimedia and interactive e-learning courses. Multimedia and interactive e-learning courses (multimedia e-learning courses or e-learning modules) organize the didactic content in electronic form and are the most suitable for conducting them in the WBT model. Such courses are built in a form invoking the delivery of the information on the internet i.e. in the form of the utilization of multimedia and interactive elements. The courses are built in technologies compatible with the web browsers such as DHTML (dynamic HTML) or flash technology. In particular, by multimedia e-learning courses we understand the organization of the didactic content with the following characteristics:
- multimedia and interactive elements enlarging the attraction of delivered contents and enlarging education efficiency,
- hierarchical structure adapted to the internet education needs; the course content is divided into independent units of knowledge known as learning objects,
- easy upload in the learning management system through recording it in the popular standard of the didactic content representation such as SCORM.
The Archaeological heritage in contemporary Europe distance learning course is composed of a package of 15 multimedia e-learning courses.

Learning management system – the system supporting conducting distance learning
In the most simplistic form, a distance training process in the internet can be undertaken without any dedicated software. It can simply make use of the same tools and solutions which are used during the designing of web pages. Hence, the didactic contents would have the form of a web page. Such an approach has however a lot of inconveniences.  The teacher is unable to control any activities of the trainees in the course and have no tools  of controlling the learning progress. Application of the dedicated system information technology supporting the process such as LMS (Learning Management System) with functions of the LCMS (Learning Content Management System) system makes possible to avoid all these limitations and pitfalls during the organization of a distance course. The system can easily be launched and maintained during the course. This can either be achieved by internal IT department or the task be allocated to external IT team. Examples of the most common LMS systems comprise Moodle, OLAT, Blackboard, WebCT, Edumatic and many others.
The LMS system supports the organization and the conduct of the distance didactic process in the following areas:
- Training preparation and management
- Building, management and publishing of the didactic content
- Didactic process management and progress monitoring
- Facilities of tools for communication
The mechanism of training preparation and management allows to register users in the system and build up training groups in a way similar to traditional courses. By training we understand the didactic process which ties the group of trainees, specific didactic materials and the teacher for the defined period of time. Flexible mechanisms of the training groups creation are especially essential in the situation in which one user of the system is simultaneously a participant of many courses. Flexible mechanisms of the training management are also useful in the situation in which the training is based on the detailed schedule and specific parts of the course are made available to trainees for a precisely defined period of time. The system is also flexible enough to facilitate the individualized needs of trainees. In the didactic process of the course Archaeological heritage in contemporary Europe this proved to be essential as the training sessions were provided to trainees at a different period of time and were not accessible during the entire duration of the training.  
The tools and methods applied in the Archaeological heritage in contemporary Europe distance learning course were carefully chosen taking into consideration the peculiarity and needs of the target group to secure the best educational effects. The foundations of the didactic process in this distance learning course were as follows:
- The didactic process is conducted through the internet in the web based training model in the assisted e-learning mode,
- A major component of the course is the didactic material provided to trainees in the form of the multimedia and interactive e-learning courses
- The teacher can use auxiliary educational materials depending upon the character of the trainees, including requirements in the country where the course is being conducted
- The training is realized and based on the system supporting distance education - LMS/LCMS system
- An inseparable part of the course are forums, essays and consultations which are to activate trainees and support them in the learning process
- Progresses of the trainees’ work is monitored by the teacher
- The lack of traditional meetings during the course
- The whole process of education is supported by distance learning specialists and technical staff responsible for the maintenance of the IT infrastructure.

Syllabus
The syllabus is the document containing all indispensable information for the trainee concerning the distance learning course. The document aims to support the trainee, who is unable to consult his/her work during traditional meetings. It should be delivered to the trainee before the beginning of the distance course. The trainee should use it all the time during the course, always when the course enters into a new phase, when something is unclear and questionable, when technical problems appear, etc. Furthermore, it also improves the work of the teacher by eliminating a need of answering the same questions raised independently by different trainees.
It is recommended that efficient preparation and completion of the training in other domains, including production of modules and syllabuses, can be achieved by adoption of solutions implemented and verified in the distance learning course Archaeology in Contemporary Europe.