Virtual Institute for the Modelling of Industrial Manufacturing Systems: Integration of on-line and 'face-to-face' learning in an international platform for teaching and research
The aim of an ongoing research project carried out by six European research and educational institutions is to establish a Virtual Institute for the Modelling of Industrial Manufacturing Systems (VIMIMS). The VIMIMS virtual institute has been designed to become an international platform for teaching and research in the field of analysis, design and performance evaluation of industrial manufacturing systems. VIMIMS is implemented as an internetbased portal that offers students and researchers from around the globe opportunities to study, teach, research and communicate. This paper aims to describe the architecture of the VIMIMS web portal and its utilisation by users from a real educational institute. This platform will be integrated into courses of project partners and will act as a supplement to ordinary ‘face-to-face’ lectures and practical activities.