187 research outputs found
Music Learning with Massive Open Online Courses
Steels, Luc et al.-- Editors: Luc SteelsMassive Open Online Courses, known as MOOCs, have arisen as the logical consequence of marrying long-distance education with the web and social media. MOOCs were confidently predicted by advanced thinkers decades ago. They are undoubtedly here to stay, and provide a valuable resource for learners and teachers alike.
This book focuses on music as a domain of knowledge, and has three objectives: to introduce the phenomenon of MOOCs; to present ongoing research into making MOOCs more effective and better adapted to the needs of teachers and learners; and finally to present the first steps towards 'social MOOCs’, which support the creation of learning communities in which interactions between learners go beyond correcting each other's assignments. Social MOOCs try to mimic settings for humanistic learning, such as workshops, small choirs, or groups participating in a Hackathon, in which students aided by somebody acting as a tutor learn by solving problems and helping each other.
The papers in this book all discuss steps towards social MOOCs; their foundational pedagogy, platforms to create learning communities, methods for assessment and social feedback and concrete experiments. These papers are organized into five sections: background; the role of feedback; platforms for learning communities; experiences with social MOOCs; and looking backwards and looking forward.
Technology is not a panacea for the enormous challenges facing today's educators and learners, but this book will be of interest to all those striving to find more effective and humane learning opportunities for a larger group of students.Funded by the European Commission's OpenAIRE2020 project.Peer reviewe
Strategies for Combining e-Learning and Serious Games
Analisar as múltiplas valências dos sistemas de aprendizagem em e-learning constitui
um desafio. A educação e a comunicação estão em constante (r)evolução. Os fenómenos da
globalização afetam de forma direta e/ou indireta a maioria das áreas da atividade humana e os
sistemas de ensino aprendizagem não são exceção.
A relação entre a utilização de ferramentas e as estratégias digitais é um ponto fulcral
desta dissertação. Nesta dissertação doutoral teve como objeto a contextualização e
problematização das diferentes estratégias na utilização de game-based na aprendizagem e
estratégias de utilização do e-learning.
A utilização de jogos sérios no âmbito das aprendizagens digitais em Portugal não é
pratica comum no contexto educativo. Assim, esta dissertação foi desenvolvida para a definição
de estratégias de utilização dos jogos sérios e e-learning, propondo uma utilização pedagógica
dos jogos sérios em sala de aula por forma a motivar e consolidar conhecimentos adquiridos. A
construção de jogos sérios com o intuito de corresponder às necessidades foi o objeto de
análise da experiência controlada. O jogo sério “Alpha Patrol” foi conceptualizado,
desenvolvido e testado sob responsabilidade do Centro de Investigação para Tecnologias
Interactivas.
O projeto de investigação envolveu diferentes etapas da investigação de forma a
adoptar uma estratégia de análise, que por vezes, se mostrou difícil e ingrata. Investigar e
desenvolver jogos sérios em Portugal confronta-se com ambientes indiferentes ou mesmo
hostis. O preconceito de jogar (em especial no espaço de sala de aula) ainda existe. No estudo
de caso que a dissertação apresenta e desenvolve foi decidido que, face a algumas limitações
sociais e culturais, o objecto digital a ser analisado apresenta-se uma estrutura híbrida: livro e
jogo dele extraído.
A experiência controlada permitiu definir os parâmetros sobre o jogo sério criado, os
elementos de motivação, a pertinência na utilização de diferentes estratégias como o livro, os
quizzes e as medalhas de aprendizagem.To analyze multiple valences of learning systems in e-Learning is a challenge. Education
and communication are in constant (r)evolution. The phenomena of globalization affect directly
and/or indirectly most areas of human activity and learning educational systems are no
exception.
This doctoral dissertation focuses on the context and problematization of different
strategies in the use of game-based learning and the use of e-learning strategies. The
relationship between the use of tools and digital strategies is a key point of this thesis.
The use of serious games in the digital learning context in Portugal is not a common
practice in the educational context. Thus, this thesis was developed to define the use of elearning
and serious games strategies, proposing a pedagogical approach to the use of serious
games in the classroom in order to motivate and consolidate knowledge acquisition. The
construction of serious games in order to meet the identified needs was the object of analysis
of the controlled experiment. The serious game "Alpha Patrol" was conceptualized, developed
and tested under the responsibility of the Research Center for Interactive Technologies.
The research project involved different stages of the investigation in order to adopt a
strategy of analysis, which sometimes proved to be difficult. Research and develop serious
games in Portugal is often faced with indifference or even hostile environments. Prejudice to
play as a form of knowledge acquisition (especially in the classroom) still exists. With this in
mind, in the case study it was decided that the digital object had to present a hybrid structure:
a book and the serious game.
The controlled experiment allowed to set the parameters for the serious game created,
the motivation elements, the relevance of using different strategies like the book, quizzes and
learning medals
On Data-driven systems analyzing, supporting and enhancing users’ interaction and experience
Tesis doctoral en inglés y resumen extendido en español[EN] The research areas of Human-Computer Interaction and Software Architectures have been traditionally treated separately, but in the literature, many authors made efforts to merge them to build better software systems. One of the common gaps between software engineering and usability is the lack of strategies to apply usability principles in the initial design of software architectures. Including these principles since the early phases of software design would help to avoid later architectural changes to include user experience requirements. The combination of both fields (software architectures and Human-Computer Interaction) would contribute to building better interactive software that should include the best from both the systems and user-centered designs. In that combination, the software architectures should enclose the fundamental structure and ideas of the system to offer the desired quality based on sound design decisions.
Moreover, the information kept within a system is an opportunity to extract knowledge about the system itself, its components, the software included, the users or the interaction occurring inside. The knowledge gained from the information generated in a software environment can be used to improve the system itself, its software, the users’ experience, and the results. So, the combination of the areas of Knowledge Discovery and Human-Computer Interaction offers ideal conditions to address Human-Computer-Interaction-related challenges. The Human-Computer Interaction focuses on human intelligence, the Knowledge Discovery in computational intelligence, and the combination of both can raise the support of human intelligence with machine intelligence to discover new insights in a world crowded of data.
This Ph.D. Thesis deals with these kinds of challenges: how approaches like data-driven software architectures (using Knowledge Discovery techniques) can help to improve the users' interaction and experience within an interactive system. Specifically, it deals with how to improve the human-computer interaction processes of different kind of stakeholders to improve different aspects such as the user experience or the easiness to accomplish a specific task.
Several research actions and experiments support this investigation. These research actions included performing a systematic literature review and mapping of the literature that was aimed at finding how the software architectures in the literature have been used to support, analyze or enhance the human-computer interaction. Also, the actions included work on four different research scenarios that presented common challenges in the Human-Computer Interaction knowledge area. The case studies that fit into the scenarios selected were chosen based on the Human-Computer Interaction challenges they present, and on the authors’ accessibility to them. The four case studies were: an educational laboratory virtual world, a Massive Open Online Course and the social networks where the students discuss and learn, a system that includes very large web forms, and an environment where programmers develop code in the context of quantum computing. The development of the experiences involved the review of more than 2700 papers (only in the literature review phase), the analysis of the interaction of 6000 users in four different contexts or the analysis of 500,000 quantum computing programs.
As outcomes from the experiences, some solutions are presented regarding the minimal software artifacts to include in software architectures, the behavior they should exhibit, the features desired in the extended software architecture, some analytic workflows and approaches to use, or the different kinds of feedback needed to reinforce the users’ interaction and experience.
The results achieved led to the conclusion that, despite this is not a standard practice in the literature, the software environments should embrace Knowledge Discovery and data-driven principles to analyze and respond appropriately to the users’ needs and improve or support the interaction. To adopt Knowledge Discovery and data-driven principles, the software environments need to extend their software architectures to cover also the challenges related to Human-Computer Interaction. Finally, to tackle the current challenges related to the users’ interaction and experience and aiming to automate the software response to users’ actions, desires, and behaviors, the interactive systems should also include intelligent behaviors through embracing the Artificial Intelligence procedures and techniques
On data-driven systems analyzing, supporting and enhancing users’ interaction and experience
[EN]The research areas of Human-Computer Interaction and Software Architectures have
been traditionally treated separately, but in the literature, many authors made efforts to
merge them to build better software systems. One of the common gaps between software
engineering and usability is the lack of strategies to apply usability principles in the initial
design of software architectures. Including these principles since the early phases of software
design would help to avoid later architectural changes to include user experience
requirements. The combination of both fields (software architectures and Human-Computer
Interaction) would contribute to building better interactive software that should include the
best from both the systems and user-centered designs. In that combination, the software
architectures should enclose the fundamental structure and ideas of the system to offer the
desired quality based on sound design decisions.
Moreover, the information kept within a system is an opportunity to extract knowledge
about the system itself, its components, the software included, the users or the interaction
occurring inside. The knowledge gained from the information generated in a software
environment can be used to improve the system itself, its software, the users’ experience, and
the results. So, the combination of the areas of Knowledge Discovery and Human-Computer
Interaction offers ideal conditions to address Human-Computer-Interaction-related
challenges. The Human-Computer Interaction focuses on human intelligence, the Knowledge
Discovery in computational intelligence, and the combination of both can raise the support
of human intelligence with machine intelligence to discover new insights in a world crowded
of data.
This Ph.D. Thesis deals with these kinds of challenges: how approaches like data-driven
software architectures (using Knowledge Discovery techniques) can help to improve the users'
interaction and experience within an interactive system. Specifically, it deals with how to
improve the human-computer interaction processes of different kind of stakeholders to
improve different aspects such as the user experience or the easiness to accomplish a specific
task.
Several research actions and experiments support this investigation. These research
actions included performing a systematic literature review and mapping of the literature that
was aimed at finding how the software architectures in the literature have been used to
support, analyze or enhance the human-computer interaction. Also, the actions included work
on four different research scenarios that presented common challenges in the Human-
Computer Interaction knowledge area. The case studies that fit into the scenarios selected
were chosen based on the Human-Computer Interaction challenges they present, and on the
authors’ accessibility to them. The four case studies were: an educational laboratory virtual world, a Massive Open Online Course and the social networks where the students discuss
and learn, a system that includes very large web forms, and an environment where
programmers develop code in the context of quantum computing. The development of the
experiences involved the review of more than 2700 papers (only in the literature review
phase), the analysis of the interaction of 6000 users in four different contexts or the analysis
of 500,000 quantum computing programs.
As outcomes from the experiences, some solutions are presented regarding the minimal
software artifacts to include in software architectures, the behavior they should exhibit, the
features desired in the extended software architecture, some analytic workflows and
approaches to use, or the different kinds of feedback needed to reinforce the users’ interaction
and experience.
The results achieved led to the conclusion that, despite this is not a standard practice in
the literature, the software environments should embrace Knowledge Discovery and datadriven
principles to analyze and respond appropriately to the users’ needs and improve or
support the interaction. To adopt Knowledge Discovery and data-driven principles, the
software environments need to extend their software architectures to cover also the challenges
related to Human-Computer Interaction. Finally, to tackle the current challenges related to
the users’ interaction and experience and aiming to automate the software response to users’
actions, desires, and behaviors, the interactive systems should also include intelligent
behaviors through embracing the Artificial Intelligence procedures and techniques
Recommended from our members
Developing sustainable business models for institutions’ provision of open educational resources: Learning from OpenLearn users’ motivations and experiences
Universities across the globe have, for some time, been exploring the possibilities for achieving public benefit and generating business and visibility through releasing and sharing open educational resources (OER). Many have written about the need to develop sustainable and profitable business models around the production and release of OER. Downes (2006), for example, has questioned the financial sustainability of OER production at scale. Many of the proposed business models focus on OER’s value in generating revenue and detractors of OER have questioned whether they are in competition with formal education.
This paper reports on a study intended to broaden the conversation about OER business models to consider the motivations and experiences of OER users as the basis for making a better informed decision about whether OER and formal learning are competitive or complementary with each other. The study focused on OpenLearn - the Open University’s (OU) web-based platform for OER, which hosts hundreds of online courses and videos and is accessed by over 3,000,000 users a year. A large scale survey and follow-up interviews with OpenLearn users worldwide revealed that university provided OER can offer learners a bridge to formal education, allowing them to try out a subject before registering on a formal course and to build confidence in their abilities as learners. In addition, it was found that using OER during formal paid-for study can improve learners’ performance and self-reliance, leading to increased retention and satisfaction with the learning experience
Recommended from our members
Open educational resources for all? Comparing user motivations and characteristics across The Open University’s iTunes U channel and OpenLearn platform.
With the rise in access to mobile multimedia devices, educational institutions have exploited the iTunes U platform as an additional channel to provide free educational resources with the aim of profile-raising and breaking down barriers to education. For those prepared to invest in content preparation, it is possible to produce interactive, portable material that can be made available globally. Commentators have questioned both the financial implications for platform-specific content production, and the availability of devices for learners to access it (Osborne, 2012).
The Open University (OU) makes its free educational resources available on iTunes U and via its web-based open educational resources (OER) platform, OpenLearn. The OU’s OER on iTunes U reached the 60 million download mark in 2013; its OpenLearn platform boasts 27 million unique visitors since 2006. This paper reports the results of a large-scale study of users of the OU’s iTunes U channel and OpenLearn platform. A survey of several thousand users revealed key differences in demographics between those accessing OER via the web and via iTunes U. In addition, the data allowed comparison between three groups: formal learners, informal learners and educators.
The study raises questions about whether university-provided OER meet the needs of users and makes recommendations for how content can be modified to suit their needs. As the publishing of OER becomes core to business, we reflect on reasons why understanding users’ motivations and demographics is vital, allowing for needs-led resource provision and content that is adapted to best achieve learner satisfaction, and to deliver institutions’ social mission
Validation of Non-formal MOOC-based Learning: An Analysis of Assessment and Recognition Practices in Europe (OpenCred)
This report presents the outcomes of research, conducted between May 2014 and November 2015, into emerging practices in assessment, credentialisation and recognition in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Following extensive research on MOOCs in European Member States, it provides a snapshot of how European Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) recognise (or not) non-formal learning (particularly MOOC-based), and how some employers recognise open badges and MOOC certificates for continuing professional development. We analyse the relationship between forms of assessment used and credentials awarded, from badges for self-assessment to ECTS credits for on-site examinations, and consider the implications for recognition. Case studies provide deeper insights into existing practices. The report introduces a model which guides MOOC conveners in positioning and shaping their offers, and also helps institutions and employers to make recognition decisions. It concludes with a set of recommendations to European HEIs and policy makers to enable wider recognition of open learning in higher education and at the workplace.JRC.J.3-Information Societ
The student-produced electronic portfolio in craft education
The authors studied primary school students’ experiences of using an electronic portfolio in their craft education over four years. A stimulated recall interview was applied to collect user experiences and qualitative content analysis to analyse the collected data. The results indicate that the electronic portfolio was experienced as a multipurpose tool to support learning. It makes the learning process visible and in that way helps focus on and improves the quality of learning. © ISLS.Peer reviewe
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Massive Open Online Courses for Employability, Innovation and Entrepreneurship: a Rapid Assessment of Evidence
This report summarises the evidence base regarding the use of open online learning for supporting employability, innovation and entrepreneurship within the European area. It was written as part of the European MOOC Consortium – Labour Markets project (EMC-LM). MOOC platforms in the European MOOC Consortium (EMC) look for solutions to reach better the labour market. This streamlined review of literature draws on scientific literature, project reports, policy documents, case studies and other resources to describe the potential for MOOCs to stimulate and empower organisations to use open education as part of their programs of continuous education (CE) and continuous professional development (CPD) or continuous vocational training (CVT).
This report identifies several interstices where the worlds of higher education, vocational educational, training and open online learning come are converging. Evidence is provided for the contention that, through enhancing opportunities for flexible delivery of education, MOOC can innovate the way that we approach degree programmes, lifelong learning, CE and CPD. The information gathered in this report aims to provide a comprehensive overview of relevant material but does not claim to be exhaustive. This report was written as part of the EMC-LM project as a way to establish a shared understanding of the possibilities for collaboration and innovation. The references provided are nonetheless a great starting point for any investigation of the potential of MOOCs for workplace and lifelong learning.
Approaches which emphasize the flexible delivery of learning are especially suited to workplace upskilling. For greatest impact and relevance, collaboration should cross disciplinary and professional boundaries, involving a wide range of stakeholders. Employability can be supported through improved management of work transitions; more flexible training options; new routes between education and work; building credibility in CPD; enhancing soft and transversal skills; and developing new mechanisms for authenticating non-formal learning. Innovation can be encouraged by working with greater transparency and sharing; improved dialogue between stakeholders; adopting a reflective attitude towards technology; and through policies which support and motivate new approaches. Entrepreneurship can be moving beyond the knowledge transfer model of entrepreneurial education; drawing stronger connections between theory and practice; promoting collaboration between researchers and practitioners in education and entrepreneurship; and encouraging entrepreneurial culture
7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21)
Information and communication technologies together with new teaching paradigms are reshaping the learning environment.The International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd) aims to become a forum for researchers and practitioners to exchange ideas, experiences,opinions and research results relating to the preparation of students and the organization of educational systems.Doménech I De Soria, J.; Merello Giménez, P.; Poza Plaza, EDL. (2021). 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD21.2021.13621EDITORIA
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