Reviews

Brian Clegg, Mining The Internet — Information Gathering and Research on the Net, Kogan Page: London, 1999. ISBN: 0–7494–3025–7. Paperback, 147 pages, £9.99

Spacecraft software training needs assessment research

The problems were identified, along with their causes and potential solutions, that the management analysts were encountering in performing their jobs. It was concluded that sophisticated training applications would provide the most effective solution to a substantial portion of the analysts' problems. The remainder could be alleviated through the introduction of tools that could help make retrieval of the needed information from the vast and complex information resources feasible

An information architecture for validating courseware

Courseware validation should locate Learning Objects inconsistent with the courseware instructional design being used. In order for validation to take place it is necessary to identify the implicit and explicit information needed for validation. In this paper, we identify this information and formally define an information architecture to model courseware validation information explicitly. This promotes tool-support for courseware validation and its interoperability with the courseware specifications

The evolution of pedagogic models for work-based learning within a virtual university

The process of designing a pedagogic model for work-based learning within a virtual university is not a simple matter of using ‘off the shelf’ good practice. Instead, it can be characterised as an evolutionary process that reflects the backgrounds, skills and experiences of the project partners. Within the context of a large-scale project that was building a virtual university for work-based learners, an ambitious goal was set: to base the development of learning materials on a pedagogic model that would be adopted across the project. However, the reality proved to be far more complex than simply putting together an appropriate model from existing research evidence. Instead, the project progressed through a series of redevelopments, each of which was pre-empted by the involvement of a different team from within the project consortium. The pedagogic models that evolved as part of the project will be outlined, and the reasons for rejecting each will be given. They moved from a simple model, relying on core computer-based materials (assessed by multiple choice questions with optional work-based learning), to a more sophisticated model that integrated different forms of learning. The challenges that were addressed included making learning flexible and suitable for work-based learning, the coherence of accreditation pathways, the appropriate use of the opportunities provided by online learning and the learning curves and training needs of the different project teams. Although some of these issues were project-specific (being influenced by the needs of the learners, the aims of the project and the partners involved), the evolutionary process described in this case study illustrates that there can be a steep learning curve for the different collaborating groups within the project team. Whilst this example focuses on work-based learning, the process and the lessons may equally be applicable to a range of learning scenarios

EDU-EX: a tool for auto-regulated IntelligentTutoring systems development based on models

In recent years there has been an upsurge in forms of instruction that envisage a permanent and ongoing involvement in education of novel concepts such as planned and personalised instruction and autonomous learning. A large number of problems that arise ineducation today may be solved by introducing new technologies into the educational environment, as they allow the form and content of tutoring systems to be tailored to each individual.The application of Artificial Intelligence techniques is helping open up new prospects in the field of teaching and learning. Using Artificial Intelligence techniques in education has the advantage of making it possible to represent expert reasoning and knowledge skills, and to take advantage of this experience in education.This study has involved the development of a tool to generate auto-regulated intelligent tutoring systems based on models. This form of representation makes it possible to break down, organise and represent information so as to enable the easy creation of functionalintelligent computerised tutoring systems. Information about the subject in question, about inference mechanisms, and of a pedagogical nature (independent of any one strategy) is allseparated. The tool also enables knowledge acquired by a student to be constantly monitored with a view to auto-regulating the course contents