The RISE platform was developed in collaboration with the Language Institute at the University of Hull. Merlin has since gone through 10 months of iterations involving small scale user trials and technical reviews. The back end of the system consists of a WWW server which is integrated with a database. This communicates via a socket level connection to an Aculab Millennium CT TM platform. This is a PC based device which handles audio conferencing for up to 60 people.
Users log onto the system from a web browser which then opens up multiple windows.
These include 'static' html pages and forms as well as 'dynamic' information which is customised for each user and which shows who else is on-line and what they are doing. Key elements of RISE are the Meeting Place through which users access and control multi-party audio conferencing and the Portfolio where user's work is stored and can be viewed. Original Requirements for Merlin Language students can get access to written and spoken material using the WWW with relative ease and they can practise their written skills using email, newsgroups and text chat systems. Students using Merlin on RISE complete a large number of exercises of about 15 generic types ranging from gap filling to extended compositions. Some of these exercises are marked automatically and some are forwarded to the tutor for assessment.