Cloud services, interoperability and analytics within a ROLE-enabled personal learning environment

The ROLE project (Responsive Open Learning Environments, EU 7th Framework Programme, grant agreement no.: 231396, 2009-2013) was focused on the next generation of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs). A ROLE PLE is a bundle of interoperating widgets - often realised as cloud services - used for teaching and learning. In this paper, we first describe the creation of new ROLE widgets and widget bundles at Galileo University, Guatemala, within a cloud-based infrastructure. We introduce an initial architecture for cloud interoperability services including the means for collecting interaction data as needed for learning analytics. Furthermore, we describe the newly implemented widgets, namely a social networking tool, a mind-mapping tool and an online document editor, as well as the modification of existing widgets. The newly created and modified widgets have been combined in two different bundles that have been evaluated in two web-based courses at Galileo University, with participants from three different Latin-American countries. We measured emotional aspects, motivation, usability and attitudes towards the environment. The results demonstrated the readiness of cloud-based education solutions, and how ROLE can bring together such an environment from a PLE perspective

Design as a tool in the Module History of Architecture. Learning by Doing

Cimadomo, G. (2017), Design as a tool in the module History of Architecture. Learning by Doing. ICERI2017 Proceedings)We present the teaching experience of the History of Architecture II module related to the last three academic years when we have experienced the introduction of a practical exercise aimed at actively learning the theoretical content of the subject: the history of architecture between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries. The problem-based and the learning-by-doing methodologies have been applied within the framework of a broader educational innovation project that has involved different undergraduate subjects in architecture. The exercise is based on the realization of a project at the level of a preliminary project of a building contextualized in the Renaissance or the Baroque eras, varying this last parameter each year. Each student had to identify himself in the role of an architect of the modern era, search for a patron and choose the typology to build among those studied in the theoretical classes. The freedom offered in all these parameters has allowed each student to freely search for their hobbies and personal interests, being an incentive to carry out the task assigned. This exercise requires a different approach to the buildings studied throughout the semester, to understand the logic and compositional rules underlying each typology, uses, needs, as well as constructive solutions. The preliminary phase of the exercise also requires a historical understanding of the patron and his hobbies, of the geographical environment in which the exercise will be carried out, as well as the cultural and political context of the chosen temporal arc. The aim is to promote learning through project activity even in traditionally theoretical subjects such as the history of architecture, generating dynamics closer to the expectations of students without sacrificing the learning required by the curriculum. The results obtained, both quantitative and qualitative, contrasted by anonymous surveys conducted at the end of each year, show a greater linkage of students to the subject, a deeper learning of the compositional rules of the studied ages, and greater satisfaction with the dynamics applied, without sacrificing the objectives of explaining the processes in the environment of the society of the time and its direct relationship with the present. As with previous experiences, we demonstrate the need to adapt teaching methodologies to the generational changes of the students that study for the degree in architecture to achieve the pedagogical objectives of the training of architects in the 21st century.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

The Chawton House Experience - Augmenting the Grounds of a Historic Manor House

Museum research is a burgeoning area of research where ubiquitous computing has already made an impact in enhancing user experiences. The goal of the Chawton House project is to extend this work by introducing ubicomp not to a museum as such, but a historic English manor house and its grounds. This presents a number of novel challenges relating to the kinds of visitors, the nature of visits, the specific character of the estate, the creation of a persistent and evolving system, and the process of developing it together with Chawton House staff

Patterns in the city: a mathematics project

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Creating virtual communities of practice for learning technology in higher education: Issues, challenges and experiences

The need for a Web portal to support the rapidly growing field of learning technology has been well established through a number of national surveys and scoping studies over recent years. The overarching vision has been the provision of a virtual environment to assist in informing and developing professional practice in the use of learning technologies. This paper outlines the issues and challenges in creating such a portal through the experiences of developing the RESULTs Network. In the paper, design and participation issues are considered within the wider context of online and networked approaches to supporting practice and professional development. User participation methodologies and technical developments for RESULTs are described in relation to a review of existing representations of practice and a comprehensive survey amongst the learning technology users’ community. An outline of key achievements and experiences is presented, followed by some conclusions regarding the cultural and political issues in creating a viable and sustainable facility and suggestions for possible future direction in national provision