A strategy for the modularization of courseware

In order to enable courseware reuse, learning platforms nowadays require the materials to be decomposed into small independent learning units. When trying to fulfill this need, authors face the problem of not knowing how to determine suitable learning objects in their content. What is the appropriate size of one such object? The rather general and abstract definitions for learning objects found in the literature are not very helpful for answering this question. What authors need is an operational definition, which can be directly applied to the learning materials. This paper proposes such a set of formal yet practical definitions by describing learning objects along their contents and resource type and shows how these definitions are used by our platform, SCORE

Computer‐simulated experiments and computer games: A method of design analysis

This paper describes a new research programme to design computer‐simulated experiments in the field of fuels and combustion, and describes a method of categorization based on a taxonomy proposed by Gredler. The key features which enhance science content and process skills are identified The simulations are designed to be as realistic as possible, and are built using three‐dimensional computer‐aided design, rendering and animation tools, with the intention of creating an interactive virtual laboratory on the computer screen. A number of computer games are also categorized against the computer simulations and the same taxonomy for comparison. The paper then describes how designers of computer simulations can add to their own learning by retrospectively analysing their own simulations

VidyaOnline: Design and Development of a FOSS based Virtual Learning Environment on Library and Information Science at Vidyasagar University, West Bengal

VidyaOnline, the prototype web-based modular and interactive learning system, is aimed to produce a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for library and information science courses. In its final contour, VidyaOnline will be acted as a generic e learning platform for courses offered by the Directorate of Distance Education (DDE), Vidyasagar University. As we know, learning system that supports VLE features (as prescribed by INSPIRAL project), is not restricted to distance education alone, VidyaOnline will have all the facilities to support off-campus learning and evaluation activities related to traditional courses of Vidyasagar University. In short, VidyaOnline will be emerging as a web integrated hybrid e learning system for library and information science courses as well as for other distance and traditional courses of Vidyasagar University. The structure of VidyaOnline extends support for all three forms of VLE – web-based training, supported online learning and informal e learning. The software architecture of VidyaOnline is completely based on FOSS (Free and Open Source Software). It uses LAMP (Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP) architecture, Moodle course management system and GD graphics library to design and develop an interactive web-integrated e learning platform to accommodate library and information science courses along with other distance education programmes of DDE, Vidyasagar University. VidyaOnline is completely compatible with Unicode and one courseware is available in Unicode-based Bengali language interface

Reviews

Managing Change in Higher Education: A Learning Environment Architecture by Peter Ford and eight other authors, Buckingham: Society for Research into Higher Education and the Open University Press, 1996. ISBN 0–335–19791–4. 161 pages, paperback. No price indicated

Design and conversational evaluation of an information technology learning environment based on self-organised-learning

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University, 20/07/1996.From 1990 to 1993 I was engaged as the Information Technology (IT) Workshop manager at Mid-Cornwall College, St. Austell. My mission during this period was to develop a new kind of IT learning environment. The main purpose was - and continues to be - to provide for mixed 'open-access’ student targets wishing to pursue generic IT activities and gain commensurate vocational qualifications. This Open-Learning (OL) environment provides on-the-job curriculum development of IT learning support systems, through a Flexible Learning (FL) management policy. An action research approach based on S-O-L provides both the methodology and technology for implementing a learning organisation. A key objective was institutional change towards the learning management policy of IT, through appropriate deployment of staffing and courseware resources to enable the practice of student centred learning. Another aim was to integrate and mix all target groups of learners together in the same domain, i. e. school leavers with adult returners for the achievement of a cost-effective, well-co-ordinated and productive learning environment. My action research applied the Centre for the Study of Human Learning's (CSHL's) ideas and tools towards the development of the IT Workshop's learning policy. I have sought to make the connection between FL delivery of the generic IT curriculum and the SOL approach towards individual and organisational learning. This came about from the link between the FL philosophy of learner-centred activity and the SOL philosophy of empowering individuals via Learning Conversations. S-O-L'Systems-7' was adopted as a conversational tool for developing the educational roles and practices of the IT Workshop. This influenced my college to make essential environmental changes to the workshop in order to develop these activities. The project also used the Personal Learning Contract (PLC) to manage and enable the 'learning-to-learn' activities of individual IT learners. With the PLC as the central tool for implementing Learning Conversations, there evolved the idea of 'Group Learning Contracts' (GLCs). This led to the practical development of 'Learning Plans' (LPs), such that IT flexible modules could be transferred to the autonomy of the learner. Evaluations from this project included sample case-study evidences of Learning Conversations obtained from individual IT case-load students. Repertory grid feedback conversations of learning experienced by individual staff members taking part in the project were also obtained. Questionnaire results from IT learners was used as another method of feedback, and conversationally evaluated using factor analysis and 'talkback' records. All the action research qualitative evidences were finally analysed using conversational techniques, leading to the overall project 'findings'

Learner satisfaction and learning performance in online courses on bioterrorism and weapons of mass destruction

This study examined the relationships between measures of (a) learner satisfaction with online courses on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and bioterrorism intended to address the educational needs of responder Communities of Practice (CoP) and (b) degrees of accomplishment by the learner with those online courses. Provided that course design characteristics were similar between courses and that content was different, it was important to examine learner satisfaction with course common aspects in relation to learning outcomes and identify the predictors of effectiveness and relations between the learner satisfaction with the course characteristics and the learner achievement for potential design improvements in the future. Specifically, the investigator set out to explore multiple measures of learner satisfaction (Content, Accuracy, Navigation, Look, Flow, Assessment, and Value) in relation to multiple measures of learner achievement (Pre-Post Gain, Follow-up Personal Benefit, Follow-up Organizational Benefit, Follow-up Subject-Matter Retention, and Follow-up Simulation Scenarios).;The results from the 67 participants\u27 data analyses indicated that (1) navigation appeared to be a statistically significant predictor of learning achievement scores and (2) estimate of personal benefit was associated with value judgments placed on the course. Those participants who initially estimated that the courses were valuable later indicated that those courses had personal benefit to them. The learner\u27s initial satisfaction with navigation was related to the determination of personal benefit from the course. The study contributes to further understanding web-based, process-product, and satisfaction-learning interactions by emphasizing the importance of navigation quality in web-based courseware as it relates to learning achievement and personal benefit for adult learners. The findings heighten the designers\u27 awareness of the courseware aspects associated with learning effectiveness of exponentially growing web-based education on WMD and bioterrorism for responder communities

Research Report on the Effect of Network Teaching Mode of Art Courses under the Concept of Ideological and Political Education

 Since the National Conference on ideological and political work in Colleges and Universities, the Party Committee of Beijing United University has closely focused on the fundamental problem of “what kind of person to train, how to train and for whom to train”, and regards the course of ideological and political thinking as the fundamental measure to carry out the fundamental task of building up people by virtue. In 2020, in the event of the new epidemic situation, the school actively implemented the work plan of “stopping classes and not stopping learning” in Beijing, and opened the historic revolution of the whole school network teaching in education and teaching.In recent years, Beijing Union University in the “curriculum ideological and political” construction is constantly open up. In order to promote teaching practice and teaching research, the school teacher teaching development center set up the first teaching promoters of Beijing United University in 2019. The project team was set up by the school teaching promoters to study the effect of the online teaching mode of art courses under the concept of ideological and political education

Simplified Single Source Xml Model: for Student-Centered Educational Content Management

This study investigates XML as a single source, recommending solutions and defining future needs for educators to manage student-centered educational content for diverse user preferences and multi-modal delivery. This research proposes a simplified XML single source model for educational course content management and XSL transformation of course material into multi-modal display/output that enables student-centered learning. The reviewed literature exposed four problem areas related to content management in which an XML single source might be a solution. Reviewed and synthesized literature related to XML into a cubed relationship with opposing the sides of the cube (content management/single source, corporate goals/educational goals and reuse/re-purpose) compared and contrasted. The result points to the need for a simplified XML model in order to realize the potential of educational goals for student-centered transformations (re-purposing content) and to future proof content management that is device independent and provides possible solutions to the problem areas in content management and technology management of course material

Proceedings ICPW'07: 2nd International Conference on the Pragmatic Web, 22-23 Oct. 2007, Tilburg: NL

Proceedings ICPW'07: 2nd International Conference on the Pragmatic Web, 22-23 Oct. 2007, Tilburg: N