2.4. Positioning OLAT

Here we explain why OLAT is a LMS. Furthermore, we provide a short historical overview containing technical aspects.

OLAT means Online Learning and Training and was invented in order to offer lectures and seminars for the Institute of Computer Science via the Internet. Since the beginning, OLAT focuses on the creation and realization of classes and lectures; the administration of content (learning material) plays only a subordinate role, as one can easily see when paying attention to its name. Nevertheless, OLAT offers certain features in order to create and manage learning contents. OLAT is therefore a LMS containing a few CMS features.

Abbildung 2.2. OLAT is a LMS containing a few CMS features

OLAT is a LMS containing a few CMS features

In the winter term 99/00 OLAT was used at the Institute of Computer Science by Prof. Schauer and his more than 760 students at the University of Zurich. In September 2000 the OLAT team of that time won the MEDIDA Prix 2000. The system's success opened up new possibilities. In June 2001 the department of Computer Science Services at the University of Zurich took care of OLAT; since then this department not only guarantees OLAT's professional operation and support, it is also responsible for the software's further development. At the moment, in the middle of the year 2006, OLAT is used by all faculties of Zurich University as well as by the ETH Zurich; there are more than 15000 registered users.

OLAT is a Web application, open-source, and presented to you in a completely new JAVA version since its releases 3.x. Furthermore, we apply usual Web standards: Apache-Server, Tomcat; depending on the particular file format, data are stored in XML structures on the file system or stored in a MySQL data base. For those who are interested in further technical details plese go to http://www.olat.org and get in touch with the Open-Source Community.