For many, Distance Education (EAD) is synonymous to a bunch of texts and presentations. If it depends on the Working Group Video Service on Demand as Learning Objects (GT-VoA), distance learning will be more dynamic and interactive. Since mid-2013, the group develops a platform aiming at enabling learning objects with multimedia content and active participation of the user.  

Implemented in the first phase of the project, the Cacuriá tool allows education professionals to create learning objects without the intervention of a programmer or designer. Through a process of intuitive creation, designed, and conceived by the teacher himself, it is possible to create an object with additional multimedia content, through images, audio, text, etc. 

Currently, the second phase of the program, the group is implementing the Cacuriá pilot at partner institutions, such as the federal universities of Juiz de Fora (UFJF) and Maranhão (UFMA), as well as the RNP itself, through  Networks School (Escola Superior de Redes - ESR). 

"The Cacuriá was created through a participatory design process, in which many potential users helped us with their perceptions. And, somehow, the tool is continually tested and no new functionality is approved without user testing”, said project coordinator, Carlos Salles, professor at UFMA.

The main challenge of the Working Group is to integrate the solution to the video services and classes currently offered by RNP. Moreover, according to Carlos Salles, the view of the future involves the development of a tool for richer authoring, which promotes the design of multimedia content in a simple way and provides equal attention to how the student can see this content.

“We envision a future scenario in which the teacher can design his content and make it available not only to students but to any viewer with the same ease. We also believe in the possibility that teachers share with each other projects of learning objects so that they can be collaboratively built or even co-authored”, he said.