Integrating a learning management system with a student assignments digital repository: a case study

The integration of different platforms in the academic environment is a challenge within the field of information technology. In the field of e-learning, where learning management systems are used for courses development, their integration with other platforms and applications is interesting, in particular with digital repositories. This article describes the integration of Moodle with the DSpace repository. The integration process consists of two stages, in order to establish full communication to and from the repository. For communication from Moodle to the repository, with the goal of consulting and transferring elements from DSpace, modules already implemented were used. The current stage is implementing a specific module in order to establish communication in the other direction and allow transferring resources from the LMS to the repository. This module is very useful for educational material that can be made publicly available through a repository and thus transcending the borders of an educational environment.Laboratorio de Investigación en Nuevas Tecnologías Informática

Development of an e-learning platform for improving and assessing the student outcomes in electrical engineering

[EN] In the European Higher Education Area, the concept of `education¿ can be defined as a process that facilitates learning. The process will culminate successfully if our students have really learned and not necessarily because we have taught them. Taking into account the educational environment in which we are immersed, the learning process must be turned into a process where the students become aware of their goals and the teacher is transformed into a guide that escorts the students towards the achievement of the objectives. The organization of teaching in this environment involves developing new conceptualizations and methodologies, which can be applied jointly to classical methodologies, acting in a complementary and also synergistic manner. Currently, all academic institutions use virtual campus platforms for educational purposes. At the Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain), this virtual system can be used as a repository of academic material but also has tools for the development of applications based on e-learning. In the present paper, an e-learning platform has been designed for students of electronic engineering that guide the learners to understand theoretical concepts, integrate theory and practice, and apply knowledge and skills to develop a viable solution to specific problems. The importance of defining and assessing learning outcomes, that is, the competences that students should have acquired and can use, have also been considered. To achieve this goal, a problem-based learning approach has been used so the students learn to identify and interpret data and design strategies to solve problems applying concepts of analysis of electrical circuits. First, the most relevant competences that the students must achieve has been analysed (`Knowledge and use of the principles of theory of circuits and electric machines¿, `Applied knowledge of electrical engineering¿ and `Analysis and resolution of problems¿). Based on them, a battery of tests and tasks has been designed, in order to reinforce the theoretic concepts and analyse and solve problems. The `Test & Quizzes¿ tool of the system has been used to develop the e-learning platform, in which selfevaluation has been also integrated in order to become an effective instrument for learning. The focus has been put on the design of the strategy in relation to the competences that students should acquire, the experience gained during the development of the e-learning platform and the students¿ satisfaction after the implementation.This project is supported by Universitat Politècnica de València through the Project of Innovation and Educational Improvement Program (PIME 2018-2019/B26).Pons Llinares, J.; Bernal-Perez, S.; García-Sánchez, TM.; Bonet-Jara, J.; Sabater I Serra, R. (2019). Development of an e-learning platform for improving and assessing the student outcomes in electrical engineering. IATED. 9169-9176. https://doi.org/10.21125/inted.2019.2276S9169917

The Metadata Education and Research Information Commons (MERIC): A Collaborative Teaching and Research Initiative

The networked environment forced a sea change in Library and Information Science (LIS) education. Most LIS programs offer a mixed-mode of instruction that integrates online learning materials with more traditional classroom pedagogical methods and faculty are now responsible for developing content and digital learning objects. The teaching commons in a networked environment is one way to share, modify and repurpose learning objects while reducing the costs to educational institutions of developing course materials totally inhouse. It also provides a venue for sharing ideas, practices, and expertise in order to provide the best learning experience for students. Because metadata education has been impacted by rapid changes and metadata research is interdisciplinary and diffuse, the Metadata Education and Research Information Commons (MERIC) initiative aims to provide a virtual environment for sharing and collaboration within the extensive metadata community. This paper describes the development of MERIC from its origin as a simple clearinghouse proof-of-concept project to a service-oriented teaching and research commons prototype. The problems of enablers and barriers to participation and collaboration are discussed and the need for specific community building research is cited as critical for the success of MERIC within a broad metadata community