Content-driven design and architecture of E-learning applications

E-learning applications combine content with learning technology systems to support the creation of content and its delivery to the learner. In the future, we can expect the distinction between learning content and its supporting infrastructure to become blurred. Content objects will interact with infrastructure services as independent objects. Our solution to the development of e-learning applications – content-driven design and architecture – is based on content-centric ontological modelling and development of architectures. Knowledge and modelling will play an important role in the development of content and architectures. Our approach integrates content with interaction (in technical and educational terms) and services (the principle organization for a system architecture), based on techniques from different fields, including software engineering, learning design, and knowledge engineering

Applications of semantic web technology to support learning content development

The Semantic Web is based on ontology technology – a knowledge representation framework – at its core to make meaning explicit and more accessible to automatic processing. We discuss the potential of this technology for the development of content for learning technology systems. We survey seven application types demonstrating different forms of applications of ontologies and the Semantic Web in the development of learning technology systems. Ontology technologies can assist developers, instructors, and learners to organise, personalise, and publish learning content and to discover, generate, and compose learning content. A conceptual content development and deployment architecture allows us to distinguish and locate the different applications and to dis-cuss and assess the potential of the underlying technologies

Designing for change: mash-up personal learning environments

Institutions for formal education and most work places are equipped today with at least some kind of tools that bring together people and content artefacts in learning activities to support them in constructing and processing information and knowledge. For almost half a century, science and practice have been discussing models on how to bring personalisation through digital means to these environments. Learning environments and their construction as well as maintenance makes up the most crucial part of the learning process and the desired learning outcomes and theories should take this into account. Instruction itself as the predominant paradigm has to step down. The learning environment is an (if not 'the�) important outcome of a learning process, not just a stage to perform a 'learning play'. For these good reasons, we therefore consider instructional design theories to be flawed. In this article we first clarify key concepts and assumptions for personalised learning environments. Afterwards, we summarise our critique on the contemporary models for personalised adaptive learning. Subsequently, we propose our alternative, i.e. the concept of a mash-up personal learning environment that provides adaptation mechanisms for learning environment construction and maintenance. The web application mash-up solution allows learners to reuse existing (web-based) tools plus services. Our alternative, LISL is a design language model for creating, managing, maintaining, and learning about learning environment design; it is complemented by a proof of concept, the MUPPLE platform. We demonstrate this approach with a prototypical implementation and a – we think – comprehensible example. Finally, we round up the article with a discussion on possible extensions of this new model and open problems

Creating cost-effective adaptative educational hypermedia based on markup technologies and e-learning standards

This paper addresses the problem of developing a cost-effective, flexible Web educational environment focused on the learner. Our project, called <e-Aula>, has three main goals: (1) to simplify the creation of a virtual class environment, (2) the reuse of previously existing educational content and, (3) to enable content adaptation to meet individual needs. The design of <e-Aula> is based on recently developed e-learning standards (such as IMS, EML and ADL/SCORM) and courses are developed according to the Learning Object model. We use markup technologies (i.e. XML) to streamline the way the system is built and how it handles information. XML's metadata and related technologies are used not only to mark up the course material so that content can be adapted and reused, but also to mark up all data needed to manage different activities involved in the learning process (such as managing student information or system use). <e-Aula> also includes synchronous and asynchronous tools for communication between students and tutors.This paper addresses the problem of developing a cost-effective, flexible Web educational environment focused on the learner. Our project, called <e-Aula>, has three main goals: (1) to simplify the creation of a virtual class environment, (2) the reuse of previously existing educational content and, (3) to enable content adaptation to meet individual needs. The design of <e-Aula> is based on recently developed e-learning standards (such as IMS, EML and ADL/SCORM) and courses are developed according to the Learning Object model. We use markup technologies (i.e. XML) to streamline the way the system is built and how it handles information. XML's metadata and related technologies are used not only to mark up the course material so that content can be adapted and reused, but also to mark up all data needed to manage different activities involved in the learning process (such as managing student information or system use). <e-Aula> also includes synchronous and asynchronous tools for communication between students and tutors

Creating cost-effective adaptative educational hypermedia based on markup technologies and e-learning standards

This paper addresses the problem of developing a cost-effective, flexible Web educational environment focused on the learner. Our project, called <e-Aula>, has three main goals: (1) to simplify the creation of a virtual class environment, (2) the reuse of previously existing educational content and, (3) to enable content adaptation to meet individual needs. The design of <e-Aula> is based on recently developed e-learning standards (such as IMS, EML and ADL/SCORM) and courses are developed according to the Learning Object model. We use markup technologies (i.e. XML) to streamline the way the system is built and how it handles information. XML's metadata and related technologies are used not only to mark up the course material so that content can be adapted and reused, but also to mark up all data needed to manage different activities involved in the learning process (such as managing student information or system use). <e-Aula> also includes synchronous and asynchronous tools for communication between students and tutors.This paper addresses the problem of developing a cost-effective, flexible Web educational environment focused on the learner. Our project, called <e-Aula>, has three main goals: (1) to simplify the creation of a virtual class environment, (2) the reuse of previously existing educational content and, (3) to enable content adaptation to meet individual needs. The design of <e-Aula> is based on recently developed e-learning standards (such as IMS, EML and ADL/SCORM) and courses are developed according to the Learning Object model. We use markup technologies (i.e. XML) to streamline the way the system is built and how it handles information. XML's metadata and related technologies are used not only to mark up the course material so that content can be adapted and reused, but also to mark up all data needed to manage different activities involved in the learning process (such as managing student information or system use). <e-Aula> also includes synchronous and asynchronous tools for communication between students and tutors

Personalised learning environments: Core development issues for construction

The growth of e-Learning has been continual and sustained. This has been fuelled by developments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) the nuances of which are starting to reap considerable benefits in the educational and business environments. Specific benefits have included e-interoperability, scalability, adaptability and the mass-customisation of learning packages to the distributed learner community. Notwithstanding the technology related issues, from a pedagogic perspective, learning styles and instructional strategies are now being intensively studied in the "traditional’ classroom setting to leverage advantage. However, there has been little research undertaken on the application of learning styles within the educational arena, perhaps because of limited authoring applications or explicit choice vis-à-vis the creation of instructional strategies for specific learning styles. In this context, some of the evidence identifies that the more thoroughly instructors understand the differences in learning styles, the better chance they have of meeting the diverse learning needs of learners. Therefore, the paradigm of "one size fits all", by default, can only address the generic learner issues (and not the specific ‘personalised’ learner requirements). This paper introduces the concepts and issues surrounding the development (and barriers) of personalised learning environments, which incorporates learning styles.The growth of e-Learning has been continual and sustained. This has been fuelled by developments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) the nuances of which are starting to reap considerable benefits in the educational and business environments. Specific benefits have included e-interoperability, scalability, adaptability and the mass-customisation of learning packages to the distributed learner community. Notwithstanding the technology related issues, from a pedagogic perspective, learning styles and instructional strategies are now being intensively studied in the "traditional’ classroom setting to leverage advantage. However, there has been little research undertaken on the application of learning styles within the educational arena, perhaps because of limited authoring applications or explicit choice vis-à-vis the creation of instructional strategies for specific learning styles. In this context, some of the evidence identifies that the more thoroughly instructors understand the differences in learning styles, the better chance they have of meeting the diverse learning needs of learners. Therefore, the paradigm of "one size fits all", by default, can only address the generic learner issues (and not the specific ‘personalised’ learner requirements). This paper introduces the concepts and issues surrounding the development (and barriers) of personalised learning environments, which incorporates learning styles

Personalised learning environments: Core development issues for construction

The growth of e-Learning has been continual and sustained. This has been fuelled by developments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) the nuances of which are starting to reap considerable benefits in the educational and business environments. Specific benefits have included e-interoperability, scalability, adaptability and the mass-customisation of learning packages to the distributed learner community. Notwithstanding the technology related issues, from a pedagogic perspective, learning styles and instructional strategies are now being intensively studied in the "traditional’ classroom setting to leverage advantage. However, there has been little research undertaken on the application of learning styles within the educational arena, perhaps because of limited authoring applications or explicit choice vis-à-vis the creation of instructional strategies for specific learning styles. In this context, some of the evidence identifies that the more thoroughly instructors understand the differences in learning styles, the better chance they have of meeting the diverse learning needs of learners. Therefore, the paradigm of "one size fits all", by default, can only address the generic learner issues (and not the specific ‘personalised’ learner requirements). This paper introduces the concepts and issues surrounding the development (and barriers) of personalised learning environments, which incorporates learning styles.The growth of e-Learning has been continual and sustained. This has been fuelled by developments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) the nuances of which are starting to reap considerable benefits in the educational and business environments. Specific benefits have included e-interoperability, scalability, adaptability and the mass-customisation of learning packages to the distributed learner community. Notwithstanding the technology related issues, from a pedagogic perspective, learning styles and instructional strategies are now being intensively studied in the "traditional’ classroom setting to leverage advantage. However, there has been little research undertaken on the application of learning styles within the educational arena, perhaps because of limited authoring applications or explicit choice vis-à-vis the creation of instructional strategies for specific learning styles. In this context, some of the evidence identifies that the more thoroughly instructors understand the differences in learning styles, the better chance they have of meeting the diverse learning needs of learners. Therefore, the paradigm of "one size fits all", by default, can only address the generic learner issues (and not the specific ‘personalised’ learner requirements). This paper introduces the concepts and issues surrounding the development (and barriers) of personalised learning environments, which incorporates learning styles