An architecture for supporting vicarious learning in a distributed environment

Existing software systems designed to support learning do not adequately provide for vicarious learning in a cross-institutional collaborative environment. We have developed an architecture based on role-based access control, which provides the necessary security, robustness, flexibility, and explicit formulation of policy. Such an architecture is general enough to be used in a variety of educational institutions and settings, yet flexible enough to allow a wide range of policies within a single system.