To set up pedagogical experiments in a virtual lab: methodology and first results

This paper concerns a methodology for setting up web based experiments by distinguishing two perspectives: the learning perspective (which tasks will be scheduled for pupils and tutors, how they are planned and what learning objectives they may attempt), and separately, the experiment perspective (how teachers or researchers may use trails of this experiment, the first to improve their teaching, the last to various research objectives). The both are described by computable “scenarios” expressed with an educational modeling language, Learning Design Language (LDL). Scenarios are then implemented on a platform (LearningLab platform) to be played by pupils and tutors and further analyzed by exploiting trails of each run

Une infrastructure logicielle pour instrumenter l'expérimentation des EIAH

International audienceCet article a pour objet de présenter une plate-forme logicielle développée dans le but de faciliter le travail des chercheurs dans la mise en place et la réalisation d'expérimentations dans le domaine des EIAH. Ce travail a été réalisé dans le cadre de l'action « Shared Virtual Lab » (SVL) du réseau d'excellence Kaleidoscope, et les outils ont été exploités pour la réalisation d'une expérimentation complexe mettant en oeuvre simultanément plusieurs EIAH développés au sein de l'équipe MeTAH du LIG. Le scénario décrivant l'activité des élèves et des enseignants impliqués dans l'expérimentation est décrit en langage LDL et interprété par la plate-forme. Les traces d'activité produites par les logiciels expérimentés et par la plate-forme sont centralisées dans une base de données XML. Elles ont été exploitées en temps réel par un outil de suivi destiné aux enseignants

Promoting Learning by Inducing and Scaffolding Cognitive Disequilibrium and Confusion through System Feedback

Learners frequently experience uncertainty about how to proceed during learning. These experiences cause learners to enter a state of cognitive disequilibrium and its affiliated affective state of confusion. Cognitive disequilibrium and confusion have been found to frequently occur during complex learning and provide opportunities for deeper learning. In the current thesis, a learning environment that induces confusion was investigated. In the environment, learners engaged in a dialogue on scientific reasoning with an animated pedagogical agent. Confusion was induced through false feedback provided by the tutor agent (e.g., when learners responded correctly and were told their response was incorrect). Self-reports of confusion during the training session indicated that false feedback was an effective method for inducing confusion. False feedback was also found to increase learners’ ability to apply this knowledge to new and novel situations, under certain conditions. Implications for the design of learning environments are also discussed

Open platform to model and capture experimental data in Technology enhanced learning systems

International audienceWe are working in the context of our research team (multidisciplinary with numerous and various TEL systems), on the design and implementation of an open platform to collect, save and share experimental data drawn from the interaction with TEL systems as well as to build, save and share the analysis processes executed on these traces. From our point of view both data and analysis processes are worth to be stored and shared, and moreover have to be joined in a unique repository to get the whole picture. This communication presents the data part of the project. An analysis of contemporary platforms shows the lack of solution for a repository of data joined to the analysis processes in the domain of TEL systems, and points out the limitations of current platform dedicated to TEL data. Hence a general, simple and customizable model of TEL systems interaction traces is proposed. It put emphasis on the users (learners, teachers) and allocates a reasonable weight to the pedagogical situation. This is implemented in a web platform, on one side connected to one (or several) TEL systems (via http protocol and javascript API) for the collection of the traces, and on the other side linked to pre- defined databases to save the data. Another added-value of the platform is to allow to share the data. The final part of the communication demonstrates several real use cases taken from our research team work

V Jornadas de Investigación de la Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología. 2016

171 p.I. Abstracts. Ahozko komunikazioak / Comunicaciones orales: 1. Biozientziak: Alderdi Molekularrak / Biociencias: Aspectos moleculares. 2. Biozientziak: Ingurune Alderdiak / Biociencias: Aspectos Ambientales. 3. Fisika eta Ingenieritza Elektronika / Física e Ingeniería Electrónica. 4. Geología / Geología. 5. Matematika / Matemáticas. 6. Kimika / Química. 7. Ingenieritza Kimikoa eta Kimika / Ingeniería Química y Química. II. Abstracts. Idatzizko Komunikazioak (Posterrak) / Comunicaciones escritas (Pósters): 1. Biozientziak / Biociencias. 2. Fisika eta Ingenieritza Elektronika / Física e Ingeniería Electrónica. 3. Geologia / Geologia. 4. Matematika / Matemáticas. 5. Kimika / Química. 6. Ingenieritza Kimikoa / Ingeniería Química

Validation of an Instrument for Assessing Conceptual Change with Respect to The Theory of Evolution By Secondary Biology Students

This pilot study evaluated the validity of a new quantitative, closed-response instrument for assessing student conceptual change regarding the theory of evolution. The instrument has two distinguishing design features. First, it is designed not only to gauge student mastery of the scientific model of evolution, but also to elicit a trio of deeply intuitive tendencies that are known to compromise many students’ understanding: the projection of intentional agency, teleological directionality, and immutable essences onto biological phenomena. Second, in addition to a section of conventional multiple choice questions, the instrument contains a series of items where students may simultaneously endorse both scientifically normative propositions and intuitively appealing yet unscientific propositions, without having to choose between them. These features allow for the hypothesized possibility that the three intuitions are partly innate, themselves products of cognitive evolution in our hominin ancestors, and thus may continue to inform students’ thinking even after instruction and conceptual change. The test was piloted with 340 high school students from diverse schools and communities. Confirmatory factor analysis and other statistical methods provided evidence that the instrument already has strong potential for validly distinguishing students who hold a correct scientific understanding from those who do not, but that revision and retesting are needed to render it valid for gauging students’ adherence to intuitive misconceptions. Ultimately the instrument holds promise as a tool for classroom intervention studies by conceptual change researchers, for diagnostic testing and data gathering by instructional leaders, and for provoking classroom dialogue and debate by science teachers

Risk Exposure to Particles – including Legionella pneumophila – emitted during Showering with Water-Saving Showers

The increase in legionellosis incidence in the general population in recent years calls for a better characterization of the sources of infection, such as showering. Water-efficient shower systems that use water atomization technology may emit slightly more inhalable bacteria-sized particles than traditional systems, which may increase the risk of users inhaling contaminants associated with these water droplets. To evaluate the risk, the number and mass of inhalable water droplets emitted by twelve showerheads—eight using water-atomization technology and four using continuous-flow technology— were monitored in a shower stall. The water-atomizing showers tested not only had lower flow rates, but also larger spray angles, less nozzles, and larger nozzle diameters than those of the continuous-flow showerheads. A difference in the behavior of inhalable water droplets between the two technologies was observed, both unobstructed or in the presence of a mannequin. The evaporation of inhalable water droplets emitted by the water-atomization showers favored a homogenous distribution in the shower stall. In the presence of the mannequin, the number and mass of inhalable droplets increased for the continuous-flow showerheads and decreased for the water-atomization showerheads. The water-atomization showerheads emitted less inhalable water mass than the continuous-flow showerheads did per unit of time; however, they generally emitted a slightly higher number of inhalable droplets—only one model performed as well as the continuous-flow showerheads in this regard. To specifically assess the aerosolisation rate of bacteria, in particular of the opportunistic water pathogen Legionella pneumophila, during showering controlled experiments were run with one atomization showerhead and one continuous-flow, first inside a glove box, second inside a shower stall. The bioaerosols were sampled with a Coriolis® air sampler and the total number of viable (cultivable and noncultivable) bacteria was determined by flow cytometry and culture. We found that the rate of viable and cultivable Legionella aerosolized from the water jet was similar between the two showerheads: the viable fraction represents 0.02% of the overall bacteria present in water, while the cultivable fraction corresponds to only 0.0005%. The two showerhead models emitted a similar ratio of airborne Legionella viable and cultivable per volume of water used. Similar results were obtained with naturally contaminated hoses tested in shower stall. Therefore, the risk of exposure to Legionella is not expected to increase significantly with the new generation of water-efficient showerheads

The Limits of Liability in Promoting Safe Geologic Sequestration of CO2

Deployment of new technologies is vital to climate change policy, but it invariably poses difficult tradeoffs. Carbon capture and storage (“CCS”), which involves the capture and permanent burial of CO2 emissions, exemplifies this problem. This article provides an overview of CCS in Part I, focusing on geologic sequestration, and analyzes the scientific work on the potential for releases of CO2 and brine from sequestrian reservoirs. Part II evaluates the comparative advantages of government regulation and common law liability. Part III examines the relative efficiencies of different doctrines of common law liability when applied to likely releases from sequestrian sites. The authors propose a hybrid legal framework in Part IV that combines a traditional regulatory regime with a novel two-tiered system of liability that is calibrated to objective site characteristics.The Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Energy, Law, and Busines

Facilitating teacher participation in intelligent computer tutor design : tools and design methods.

This work addresses the widening gap between research in intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) and practical use of this technology by the educational community. In order to ensure that ITSs are effective, teachers must be involved in their design and evaluation. We have followed a user participatory design process to build a set of ITS knowledge acquisition tools that facilitate rapid prototyping and testing of curriculum, and are tailored for usability by teachers. The system (called KAFITS) also serves as a test-bed for experimentation with multiple tutoring strategies. The design includes novel methodologies for tutoring strategy representation (Parameterized Action Networks) and overlay student modeling (a layered student model), and incorporates considerations from instructional design theory. It also allows for considerable student control over the content and style of the information presented. Highly interactive graphics-based tools were built to facilitate design, inspection, and modification of curriculum and tutoring strategies, and to monitor the progress of the tutoring session. Evaluation of the system includes a sixteen-month case study of three educators (one being the domain expert) using the system to build a tutor for statics (forty topics representing about four hours of on-line instruction), testing the tutor on a dozen students, and using test results to iteratively improve the tutor. Detailed throughput analysis indicates that the amount of effort to build the statics tutor was, surprisingly, comparable to similar figures for building (non-intelligent) conventional computer aided instructional systems. Few ITS projects focus on educator participation and this work is the first to empirically study knowledge acquisition for ITSs. Results of the study also include: a recommended design process for building ITSs with educator participation; guidelines for training educators; recommendations for conducting knowledge acquisition sessions; and design tradeoffs for knowledge representation architectures and knowledge acquisition interfaces

V Jornadas de Investigación de la Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología. 2016

171 p.I. Abstracts. Ahozko komunikazioak / Comunicaciones orales: 1. Biozientziak: Alderdi Molekularrak / Biociencias: Aspectos moleculares. 2. Biozientziak: Ingurune Alderdiak / Biociencias: Aspectos Ambientales. 3. Fisika eta Ingenieritza Elektronika / Física e Ingeniería Electrónica. 4. Geología / Geología. 5. Matematika / Matemáticas. 6. Kimika / Química. 7. Ingenieritza Kimikoa eta Kimika / Ingeniería Química y Química. II. Abstracts. Idatzizko Komunikazioak (Posterrak) / Comunicaciones escritas (Pósters): 1. Biozientziak / Biociencias. 2. Fisika eta Ingenieritza Elektronika / Física e Ingeniería Electrónica. 3. Geologia / Geologia. 4. Matematika / Matemáticas. 5. Kimika / Química. 6. Ingenieritza Kimikoa / Ingeniería Química