A P2P Replication-Aware Approach for Content Distribution in E-Learning Systems

Among different emerging disruptive technologies, P2P computing has shown its usefulness in designing decentralized and scalable online learning systems. One important feature of P2P systems explored in this context is that of direct peer-to-peer communication. It has been shown in several recent research works that the direct communication between peers increases the interaction among peers and eventually the social and emotive support through peer-to-peer learning. Thus, P2P infrastructure helps creating a small social networking in online groups, in which end users (peer sat the edges of the Internet) can benefit from using aP2P infrastructure and thus overcome the limitations of reduced social interaction in web-based e-Learning systems. However, due to the dynamics of peers joining and leaving the system in an unexpected manner, such systems strive to provide availability of information. In this work we propose a replication-aware approach to increase availability of information in P2P super-peer systems. Our context is that of project-based learning in which members of a peer group work together online to accomplish a common project although our replication scheme can be used also for multimedia content distribution of learning objects.