A remote interactive non-repudiation multimedia-based m-learning system

One of the current challenges regarding distance learning systems, from a performance point of view, is the efficient and timely delivery of multimedia-enriched learning materials. Providing guaranteed Class of Service (CoS) and Quality of Service (QoS) are also challenging especially for remote sites and rural areas where Internet coverage tends to be limited. On a different note, another challenge is to track the audience accessing the learning materials and more importantly to monitor the true identity of the examination attendees. This paper aims to investigate both of these issues simultaneously, with an introduction of a non-repudiation system that provides a security mechanism, as well as maintaining certain QoS measures. This system not only authenticates the intended party, but also integrates a digital signature scheme accompanied with the transmitted multimedia-based information. The included digital signature prevents a later dispute from the involved parties that the communication ever took place or they ever took part in the communication. Therefore this paper introduces and discusses a multimedia-enriched interactive non-repudiation system involved in a mobile-based learning (m-learning) environment. The performance of this system is considered and discussed in terms of network-centric parameters, including end-to-end delays, overhead, and bandwidth, using Labview 8.5 mobile-transmitter and mobile-receiver testbeds.