Showing papers in "Educational Technology & Society in 2000"

Constructivism, instructional design, and technology: Implications for transforming distance learning

Abstract: Instructional Design for Distance Learning. Distance In fact, museum education is based on constructivist learning theory. Museums Constructivism, instructional design, and technology: implications for transforming distance education. The second principle of constructivist design theory is active learning. In an active learning With distance education in Tam, M. (2000). Constructivism, instructional design, and technology: Implications for transforming distance learning.

OWL: A Recommender System for Organization-Wide Learning.

Abstract: We describe the use of a recommender system to enable continuous knowledge acquisition and individualized tutoring of application software across an organization. Installing such systems will result in the capture of evolving expertise and in organization-wide learning (OWL). We present the results of a year-long naturalistic inquiry into application’s usage patterns, based on logging users’ actions. We analyze the data to develop user models, individualized expert models, confidence intervals, and instructional indicators. We show how this information could be used to tutor users. Introduction Recommender Systems typically help people select products, services, and information. A novel application of recommender systems is to help individuals select ’what to learn next’ by recommending knowledge that their peers have found useful. For example, people typically utilize only a small portion of a software application’s functionality (one study shows users applying less than 10% of Microsoft Word’s commands). A recommender system can unobtrusively note which portions of an application’s functionality that the members of an organization find useful, group the organization’s members into sets of similar users, or peers (based on similar demographic factors such as job title, or similarities in command usage patterns), and produce recommendations for learning that are specific to the individual in the context of his/her organization, peers, and current activities. This paper reports research on a recommender system (Resnick & Varian, 1997) intended to promote gradual but perpetual performance improvement in the use of application software. We present our rationale, an analysis of a year’s collected data, and a vision of how users might learn from the system. We have worked with one commercial application, and believe our approach is generally applicable. The research explores the potential of a new sort of user modeling based on summaries of logged user data. This method of user modeling enables the observation of a large number of users over a long period of time, enables concurrent development of student models and individualized expert models, and applies recommender system techniques to on-the-job instruction. Earlier work is reported in Linton (1990), and Linton (1996). Kay and Thomas (1995), Thomas (1996) report on related work with a text editor in an academic environment. A recommender system to enhance the organization-wide learning of application software is a means of promoting organizational learning (Senge, 1990). By pooling and sharing expertise, recommender systems augment and assist the natural social process of people learning from each other. This approach is quite distinct from systems, such as Microsoft’s Office Assistant, which recommend new commands based on their logical equivalence to the lessefficient way a user may be performing a task. The system presented here will (1) capture evolving expertise from community of practice (Lave & Wenger 1991), (2) support less-skilled members of the community in acquiring expertise, and (3) serve as an organizational memory for the expertise it captures. In many workplaces ... mastery is in short supply and what is required is a kind of collaborative bootstrapping of expertise. (Eales & Welch, 1995, p. 100) The main goal of the approach taken in this work is to continuously improve the performance of application users by providing individualized modeling and coaching based on the automated comparison of user models to expert models. The system described here would be applicable in any situation where a number of application users perform similar tasks on networked computers 65 From: AAAI Technical Report WS-98-08. Compilation copyright © 1998, AAAI (www.aaai.org). All rights reserved. In the remainder of this section we describe the logging process and make some initial remarks about modeling and coaching software users. We then present an analysis of the data we have logged and our process of creating individual models of expertise. In the final section we describe further work and close with a summary. Each time a user issues a Word command such as Cut or Paste, the command is written to the log, together with a time stamp, and then executed. The logger, called OWL for Organization-Wide Learning, comes up when the user opens Word; it creates a separate log for each file the user edits, and when the user quits Word, it sends the logs to a server where they are periodically loaded into a database for analysis. A toolbar button labeled ’OWL is ON’ (or OFF) informs users of OWL’s tate and gives them control. Individual models of expertise We have selected the Edit commands for further analysis. A similar analysis could be performed for each type of command. The first of the three tables in Figure 1 presents data on the Edit commands for each of our 16 users. In the table, each column contains data for one user and each row contains data for one command (Edit commands that were not used have been omitted). A cell then, contains the count of the number of times the individual has used the command. The columns have been sorted so that the person using the most commands is on the left and the person using the fewest is on the right. Similarly, the rows have been sorted so that the most frequently used command is in the top row and the least frequently used command is in the bottom row. Consequently the cells with the largest values are in the upper left corner and those with the smallest values are in the lower right comer. The table has been shaded to make the contours of the numbers visible: the largest numbers have the darkest shading and the smallest numbers have no shading, each shade indicates an order of magnitude. Inspection of the first table reveals that users tend to acquire the Edit commands in a specific sequence, i.e., those that know fewer commands know a subset of the commands used by their more-knowledgeable peers. If instead, users acquired commands in an idiosyncratic order, the data would not sort as it does. And if they acquired commands in a manner that strongly reflected their job tasks or their writing tasks, there would be subgroups of users who shared common commands. Also, the more-knowledgeable users do not replace commands learned early on with more powerful commands, but instead keep adding new commands to their repertoire. Finally, the sequence of command acquisition corresponds to the commands’ frequency of use. While this last point is not necessarily a surprise, neither is it a given. There are some peaks and valleys in the data as sorted, and a fairly rough edge where commands transition from being used rarely to being used not at all. These peaks, valleys, and rough edges may represent periods of repetitive tasks or lack of data, respectively, or they may represent overdependence on some command that has a more powerful substitute or ignorance of a command or of a task (a sequence of commands) that uses the command. In other words, some of the peaks, valleys, and rough edges may represent opportunities to learn more effective use of the software. In the second table in Figure 1 the data have been smoothed. The observed value in each cell has been replaced by an expected value, the most likely value for the cell, using a method taken from statistics, based on the row, column and grand totals for the table (Howell, 1982). In the case of software use, the row effect is the overall relative utility of the command (for all users) and the column effect is the usage of related commands by the individual user. The expected value is the usage the command would have if the individual used it in a manner consistent with his/her usage of related commands and consistent with his/her peers’ usage of the command. These expected values are a new kind of expert model, one that is unique to each individual and each moment in time; the expected value in each cell reflects the individual’s use of related commands, and one’s peers’ use of the same command. The reason for differences between observed and expected values, between one’s actual and expert model, might have several explanations such as the individual’s tasks, preferences, experiences, or hardware, but we are most interested when the difference indicates the lack of knowledge or skill.

Instructional Technology for Teaching and Learning: Designing Instruction, Integrating Computers, and Using media.

Abstract: Where you can find the instructional technology for teaching and learning designing instruction integrating computers and using media easily? Is it in the book store? On-line book store? are you sure? Keep in mind that you will find the book in this site. This book is very referred for you because it gives not only the experience but also lesson. The lessons are very valuable to serve for you, that's not about who are reading this instructional technology for teaching and learning designing instruction integrating computers and using media book. It is about this book that will give wellness for all people from many societies.

An introduction to the Evaluation of Learning Technology

Abstract: Evaluation can be characterised as the process by which people make judgements about value and worth; however, in the context of learning technology, this judgement process is complex and often controversial. This article provides a context for analysing these complexities by summarising important debates from the wider evaluation community. These are then related to the context of learning technology, resulting in the identification of a range of specific issues. These include the paradigm debate, the move from expert-based to practitioner -based evaluation, attempts to provide tools to support practitioner-led evaluation, authenticity, the problem of defining and measuring costs, the role of checklists, the influence of the quality agenda on evaluation and the way in which the process of evaluation is itself affected by the use of learning technology. Finally, these issues are drawn together in order to produce an agenda for further research in this area.

Implementing Virtual Learning Environments: Looking for Holistic Approach.

Abstract: The implementation of innovative pedagogical/educational practices is a response to the social needs for educational change. Such needs emerge from the massive request and access to post-secondary education, the necessity to increase competitiveness mainly through the increase of the human potential and the need to take into account new approaches to learning in a world highly mediated by technology where becoming a democratic, tolerant and responsible citizen is proving to be more difficult than becoming a highly trained worker or professional. The recent technological developments and the possibilities they offer provide useful tools in the introduction of educational innovations. With the same token however the implementation of technology in educational environments and in the learning process, in formal education or in more informal learning structures, poses a real challenge for the education and training institutions undertaking it.

e-learning innovation through the implementation of an internet supported learning environment

Abstract: The paper provides an insight into the changing nature of the learning process through the adoption of interactive new media solutions into a traditional University Campus. The use of software from Blackboard Inc. has provided the foundations for building both a complex and dynamic learning community at Huddersfield University Business School. The specific focus of the research project is on student adoption and utilisation of a Web-based learning perspectives.

Web-Supported Emergent-Collaboration In Higher Education Courses

Abstract: This study focused on the integration of a Web shell for supporting emergent-collaboration activities in six graduate courses (115 students) in the Tel-Aviv University School of Education. Emergent-collaboration is the process by which group configurations and transactional patterns evolve among participants during the course of learning. The research questions addressed in the study were related to: (a) the didactic modes that have been devised for supporting emergent-collaboration learning processes, and (b) the extent of participation of students and teachers in Web- supported emergent-collaboration learning processes. Six Web-based instructional modes evolved during the study supporting: social interaction; critical group reading; students- or teachers-moderated issue discussion; peer evaluation and review; collaborative construction of knowledge bases; and projects on-line presentation. Quantitative as well as qualitative dat a and analysis regarding the different modes is presented. The results indicated that the use of the technology affected learning and teaching processes in significant ways, increasing the students participation and involvement in the courses, supporting a wide range of transactional modes, and contributing to the groups' social climate and collaborative work.

Dynamic Goal-Based Role-Play Simulation on the Web: A Case Study

Abstract: This paper outlines and discusses the pedagogical approach, the technical design architecture, and an innovative implementation of a collaborative role-play simulation technology (called the Role-Play Simulation Generator). It also includes summative evaluation data derived from a case study application of this technology. The pedagogical approach of this collaborative learning technology is based on the principles of goal-based learning, and learning by doing in authentic environments where students are allowed the opportunity to acquire the intended learning outcomes by making mistakes in safe environments. The technology used to support this environment is Web-based simulation, which has been custom-designed for generating similar learning environments. This work is the continuing effort of a multidisciplinary team comprising subject matter experts, learning design architects and Web-based tools developers at the University of Melbourne and Digital Learning Systems P/L in Australia. Evaluation data from a case study application of this collaborative learning design has revealed a heightened and a positive disposition among students towards the subject matter content.

Concept Mapping as a Collaborative Tool for Enhanced Online Learning

Abstract: Despite some inevitable disadvantages – like the cost of setting up and maintaining all the components of a network – the learning community is working toward understanding the basic principles behind online learning. These principles should be found within the domains of place design and educational taxonomies. Design principles can be applied in conjunction with educational principles to produce more efficient learning environments. As learning and teaching are seen to be the two sides of education issue, strategies can be adopted to target them both, simultaneously.

Learning Objects and Instruction Components.

Abstract: The learning object (LO) model is characterized by the belief that we can create independent chunks of educational content that provide an educational experience for some pedagogical purpose. Drawing on the object-oriented programming (OOP) model, this approach asserts that these chunks are self-contained, though they may contain references to other objects; and they may be combined or sequenced to form longer educational interactions. These chunks of educational content may be of any type—interactive, passive—and they may be of any format or media type. A learning object is not necessarily a digital object; however, the remainder of this paper will focus on learning objects that are exclusively digital.

How teachers learn technology best.

Abstract: This work is a compilation of previously written articles on strategies and suggestions suitable for those teachers and school administrators who want to understand why technologies may not be used equally by all teachers and also for those who want to enhance the integration of the new technologies into successful teaching and learning environments. The author draws upon his many years of teaching and school administration (see the author’s resume at http://fno.org/JM/resume.html ) to offer insights into and examples of the use of information technologies by teachers. The style is informal with pithy titles followed by short bursts of information and comment served up with cliche and mixed metaphor. On the one hand, if read too quickly, it is a just-too-fast conveyor belt of cute sayings. On the other hand, if read at a more leisurely pace, it leaves many detailed process questions unanswered.

Collaborative Learning via the Internet

Abstract: Certain researchers suggest that a teaching method which encapsulates collaboration and interaction would likely work well within the framework of Internet based distance education courses. In order to verify how interaction and collaboration work between students in distance education courses, we observed and researched two undergraduate university courses offered via the Internet. All communications were text based and in asynchronous mode relying upon e-mail, group discussions and hypertext navigation to facilitate the collaborative work process. This exploratory study has enabled us to identify some problematic elements which can hamper collaboration between distance education students. For example, even though most of the distance education students enjoyed communicating with one another, with the professor and with the teaching assistant, the collaborative learning assignments were not always a successful endeavour. To begin with, some students complained of technical difficulties which greatly hampered communication, interaction and collaboration with distant partners. Other students, who had a good technical knowledge of the Internet, had trouble developing a working relationship with out of province or overseas partners. Another interesting observation was the fact that some autonomous, highly independent students preferred working alone. They felt that the collaborative tasks placed undue constraints on their personal work schedule. From these results, we developed recommendations for ensuring the success of collaborative assignments for future Internet courses.

Task Structuring for On-line Problem Based Learning: A Case Study

Abstract: Getting students to collaborate on group projects in a face-to-face scenario can be difficult enough -- but how does one approach collaborative projects in a Web-based environment? This article explores the story of one course that used asynchronous Web-based conferencing software to mediate the group process in a problem-based learning scenario. Through careful planning, assignment structure, and facilitation, this project became a success (based on comparison with previous semesters' projects, student comments and instructor's reflections). Finally, resulting from this case are suggestions that other instructors and instructional designers might use in creating their own on-line group project spaces.

The Virtual School: An integrated collaborative environment for the classroom

Abstract: A significant opportunity presented by the availability of high-speed network access in the classroom is the ability to collaborate with remote students and mentors. To be successful, however, the design of tools to support collaborative activities must consider the unique constraints of the classroom. In this paper we discuss these constraints and overview the Virtual School, a collaborative environment developed by the Learning in Networked Communities (LiNC) project at Virginia Tech. We describe the types of collaborative activities for which the Virtual School has been used, the features of the environment designed to address the constraints of the classroom, and experiences with using the environment for a variety of cross-age and cross-school collaborative projects in six classrooms over several school years.

An empirical appraisal of the effectiveness of adaptive interfaces for instructional systems

Abstract: Navigating an information space, particularly in educational hypermedia, has its difficulties. Users may become spatially disoriented, they may be distracted, lose sight of educational objectives, or fail to relate important items of content. The predominant approaches to aid navigation in this in a well-defined information space such as educational software, involves the provision of a range of advanced navigation tools, to employ a strong metaphor and maintain interest through multimedia sequences, or to semantically structure the knowledge in the space according to some cognitively-based theory. However, none of these techniques can account for an individual learner's needs, knowledge, preferences or cognitive abilities. Adaptivity is a particular functionality that may be implemented in educational hypermedia systems in a variety of ways to recognise the importance of an individual discourse with an information space, and to alleviate navigational difficulties on that basis. This paper seeks to provide a broad understanding of some of the instructional and design principles implicit in adaptive educational hypermedia systems, those that use adaptive navigation support techniques and in particular adaptive link annotation. The claim that adaptive techniques can help solve navigation problems is examined through a review of two recent empirical studies that were undertaken to determine the effect of adaptive navigation support on user paths and learning, and a third study, the results of which is being introduced to the literature in this paper. These studies taken together have not shown a clear link between adaptivity and an improvement in learning, but offer some guidance for ongoing productive research in this field.

Distance Training: How Innovative Organizations are using Technology to Maximize Learning and Meet Business Objectives.

Abstract: As a reviewer, I think it important to state my bias up front: I work in a relatively unique academic environment, one that seeks to apply, in \"real life\" learning contexts, useful educational programs and events. Extension work is, by definition, continuing education emphasizing a balance between theory and practice. So be forewarned, this orientation necessarily colours my enthusiasm for Distance Training: I liked this book because it delivers on its promise to offer solid information on distance training by first presenting sound principles based on distance education theory and then combining this with supporting materials culled from “real-life” case studies of the application of distance training in a variety of learning contexts.

Internet Teaching By Style: Profiling the On-line Professor

Abstract: The goal of this article is to offer the results of a pilot study which examined the personality type and teaching style preferences of faculty who elected to teach an on-line course. The article will present a description of personality assessments, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Anthony Gregorc's Transaction Ability Inventory used to determine teaching tendencies and styles. In addition, a structured written questionnaire developed by the researchers was used to assess teacher satisfaction with worldwide web-based instruction. Utilizing the results of these psychological assessments, a preliminary analysis of the personal characteristics of college professors who chose to teach on line will be presented. This pilot study found that some preferred teaching styles may be more compatible with the dynamics of distance learning formats. By determining successful teaching styles for on-line courses, we can develop more effective faculty development programs to assist others in successfully transitioning into the cyber-teaching and learning environment.

Identifying collaboration patterns in collaborative telelearning scenarios

Abstract: Project DoCTA focuses on understanding interaction in a set of collaborative telelearning scenarios aimed at teacher training. Rooted in a sociocultural perspective, two scenarios were studied from thirteen views including ethnographic flavoured studies focused on understanding work organisation, usability studies of groupware systems, evaluations of computer logs, and questionnaire studies. These exploratory studies provide us with insight into the processes of collaboration enabling us to identify collaboration patterns and further our understanding of how geographically distributed instructors, students and other learning facilitators organise their learning and work. In this paper introduce four collaboration patterns we have identified: adaptation, coordinated desynchronization, informal language, and constructive commenting.

Student Modelling in an Intelligent Tutoring System for the Passive Voice of English Language

Abstract: This paper describes an intelligent multimedia tutoring system for the passive voice of the English grammar. The system may be used to present theoretical issues about the passive voice and to provide exercises that the student may solve. The main focus of the tutor is on the student's error diagnosis process, which is performed by the student modelling component. When the student types the solution to an exercise, the system examines the correctness of the answer. If the student's answer has been erroneous it attempts to diagnose the underlying misconception of the mistake. In order to provide individualised help, the system holds a profile for every student, the long term student model. The student’s progress and his/her usual mistakes are recorded to this long term student model. This kind of information is used for the individualised error diagnosis of the student in subsequent sessions. In addition, the information stored about the student can also be used for the resolution of an arising ambiguity, as to what the underlying cause of a student error has been.

Evaluating information and communication technologies for learning

Abstract: In this paper we will describe an approach to evaluating learning technology which we have developed over the last twenty-five years, outline its theoretical background and compare it with other evaluation frameworks. This has given us a set of working principles from evaluations we have conducted at the Open University and from the literature, which we apply to the conduct of evaluations. These working practices are summarised in the context interactions and outcomes (CIAO!) model. We describe here how we applied these principles, working practices and models to an evaluation project conducted in Further Education. We conclude by discussing the implications of these experiences for the future conduct of evaluations.

Using technologies in teaching: an initiative in academic staff development

Abstract: Academic staff development in the pedagogical applications of new technologies is fundamental to the transformation of teaching and learning in tertiary education settings. We present a case study of a staff development activity at Deakin University, a multi-campus university offering on and off-campus programs, which aimed to develop a collegial online experience for academics interested in using online technologies. It is contextualised within a broadly based centrally funded project initiated by the University to extend the use of technologies in significant curriculum areas. The initiative employed a text-based, asynchronous computer conferencing environment. We describe the structure of the online environment and explore the major issues raised by the participants based on their experience and evaluation of the conference. We conclude by raising key questions that draw on our experience of the successful outcome of this initiative to advance relevant and meaningful opportunities for academic staff development.

An Evaluation of Computer Mediated Communication to Support Group Discussion in Continuing Education

Abstract: An evaluation of a taught module within a Post-Graduate Master of Education course is reported. Participants on the course were mainly teachers learning for continuing professional development. The evaluation studies the use of ICT to provide flexible learning support. A Virtual Classroom environment was developed using WebCT and within this environment CHAT seminars were used to discuss issues arising from students' pre-reading of set papers. Participation in seminars was evaluated in relation to the quality of both written assignments and collaborative group-work. The evaluation raised the issue of how to increase the participation of some students in on-line CHAT and group-work. Above average participation in the CHAT was accompanied by above average performance in group-work. However, there seemed to be no such relationship between speaking in the CHAT and performing well on the written assignment. From students’ questionnaires the main reasons for non-participation in CHAT seminars was difficulty in accessing the CHAT from home at the scheduled time. Issues arising from these findings are discussed in relation to structuring courses to meet the needs of full-time, part-time and distant students.

DYNAMO - Dynamic Architectural Memory On-line

Abstract: This paper describes the current status of DYNAMO, a web-based design assistant for students and professional designers in the field of architecture. The tool can be considered a Case-Based Design (CBD) system in so far that it was inspired by the view of cognition underlying CBD. The paper points out how DYNAMO incorporates this view, and at the same time extrapolates it beyond the individual. In this way, the tool attempts to embrace and profit from several kinds of interaction that are crucial for the development and renewal of design knowledge. This should result in a design tool that both feels cognitively comfortable to (student-) designers, and offers them a platform for exchanging knowledge and insights with colleagues in different contexts and at different levels of experience. In addition, the paper describes the implementation of these theoretical ideas as a working prototype, which has recently been tested by 4th year design students. Finally, DYNAMO is situated in the context of other comparable tools that have been or are being developed in the field of architectural design.

Group Processes Online: Teaching collaboration through collaborative processes

Abstract: While many subject areas lend themselves well to off-campus distance education delivery, there have always been some which do not necessarily adapt well to non face-to-face provision, in particular, those subjects where interpersonal interaction is integral. This paper discusses a course teaching group processes which had been previously offered on- and off-campus, and its subsequent redesign for online delivery. The online design of the unit is shown to have enabled many of the on-campus, face-to-face features integral to the teaching of this subject matter to be incorporated for online students. The experience provided an excellent opportunity for students to learn collaboratively and to analyse and reflect upon group processes in an online environment and the applicability of traditional group theory to online experience. Despite a number of major challenges and frustrations encountered in delivering this course online, the students who remained in the course learnt a great deal about group processes in the online environment and developed a sophisticated understanding of the interactive potentials and issues faced in online collaboration.

A Large-scale 'local' evaluation of students' learning experiences using virtual learning environments.

Abstract: In 1997-8 Staffordshire University introduced two Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), Lotus Learning Space, and COSE (Creation of Study Environments), as part of its commitment to distributed learning A wide-reaching evaluation model has been designed, aimed at appraising the quality of students’ learning experiences using these VLEs The evaluation can be considered to be a hybrid system with formative, summative and illuminative elements The backbone of the model is a number of measuring instruments that were fitted around the educational process beginning in Jan 1999 This paper provides an overview of the model and its implementation First, the model and evaluation instruments are described Second, the method and key findings are discussed These highlighted that students need to feel more supported in their learning, that they need more cognitive challenges to encourage higher-order thinking and that they prefer to download their materials to hard copy In addition, tutors need to have a greater awareness of the ways individual differences influence the learning experience and of strategies to facilitate electronic discussions Generally, there should be a balance between learning on-line and face-to-face learning depending on the experience of tutors, students, and the subject Finally the model is evaluated in light of the processes and findings from the study

Iterative co-channel interference cancellation in narrowband mobile radio systems

Abstract: In this paper, co-channel interference cancellation using iterative subtraction is proposed for narrow-band QPSK systems. Signal separability is obtained using both the relative timing delay between signals and the decoded bits output from the channel decoder. Cancellation after decoding results in more reliable signal subtraction, at the expense of interleaving delay. Simulation results show that a small number of iterations is required when ideal channel knowledge is assumed. Soft subtraction, where the estimated values are weighted with some reliability measure, leads to significant C/I gains for both coded and uncoded bits.

Pre-class Planning to Scaffold Students for Online Collaborative Learning Activities

Abstract: In recent years, there is a growing interest in developing online collaborative learning environments. In a learner-centered online collaborative environment, students work together to construct knowledge and negotiate meanings through collaborative learning activities. Computer-mediated conference can not only greatly amplify human intellect online, but also enhance collaboration and facilitate active knowledge construction (Harasim, 1990). However, anecdotal experiences indicate that problems may arise in online learning environments without appropriate guidance and support for students. According to Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development (ZPD), scaffolding is an integral part of the meaning making process in a collaborative learning environment. Therefore, a case study was conducted on an undergraduate online seminar to explore whether and how the pre-seminar designing and planning process had scaffolded the student online activities and affected online moderation. Qualitative data were gathered and analyzed by comparing and relating the student online activities logs to the pre-seminar design and planning documents as well as the post-seminar evaluation documents, including the students’ reflective journals. The findings revealed that the pre-class designing and planning activities had served as means to scaffold students' cognitive and affective behaviors. In addition, the study also implied that pre-class preparation had also facilitated the online moderation process.