Proporcionar experiencias de aprendizaje ubicuo mediante la combinación de Internet de las Cosas y los estándares de e-Learning

[ES]Actualmente, el aprendizaje está teniendo lugar con mayor frecuencia en cualquier lugar y en cualquier momento. Esto implica que los ambientes del aprendizaje electrónico se expandan desde los entornos de aprendizaje solo virtuales a entornos que implican espacios físicos. Gracias a la evolución de Internet, las TIC (Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación) y a la Internet de las Cosas, se pueden experimentar nuevos escenarios de aprendizaje por parte de los estudiantes, ya sea individualmente o en colaboración. Estos escenarios de aprendizaje ubicuos, permiten compaginar tanto ambientes virtuales como ambientes físicos. Por tanto, estas experiencias se caracterizan por las interacciones posibles del estudiante con el entorno físico, la detección de los datos contextuales, y también la adaptación de las estrategias pedagógicas y de los servicios según el contexto. Este artículo pretende aprovechar esta tendencia y sustentarla en las normas existentes de aprendizaje electrónico como IMS LD y LOM. La solución propuesta es extender los modelos de normas de aprendizaje electrónico como IMS LD y LOM para soportar Internet de las Cosas y para aportar un enfoque de adaptación de las actividades de aprendizaje según el contexto del estudiante y su huella digital utilizando la API eXperience. En este contexto y con el fin de permitir las capacidades de razonamiento y la interoperabilidad entre los modelos propuestos se proponen representaciones ontológicas y una implementación de la solución. Además, se plantea una arquitectura técnica que resalta los componentes de software necesarios y sus interacciones. Y, por último, se implementa y se evalúa un escenario de aprendizaje ubicuo

Promoting accessibility by using metadata in the framework of a semantic-web driven CMS

Web content accessibility for impaired people has been mainly addressed by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the W3C Consortium. Those guidelines have proved to be good diagnostic means for testing accessibility for different types of impairments, as well as for guiding the development of accessible content. A further step would be to promote discovery of material having appropriate accessibility support, as well as the adjustment of control and display of resources to meet user accessibility needs and preferences [5]. The last two challenges have been addressed by the IMS Global Learning Consortium in the IMS-AccessForAll (ACCMD) and the IMS Learner Information Profile (ACCLIP) specifications. Although IMS has approached both goals in a learning framework, both accessibility specifications pay a special attention to impaired users’ needs. As a first step, in this paper we survey how far IMS accessibility specifications cover WCAG, and discuss the convenience of extending it to the whole WAI guidelines. Secondly, we argue how accessibility could be considered as a key issue for promoting reusability. We continue explaining why using a semantic framework (such as the MPEG-7 semantic tool, RDF or OWL) for describing textual and contextual information in a standardized manner could promote both, accessibility and reusability. Finally, we explain how some accessibility issues have been already addressed by XimetriX’s ximDEX, a semantic-web Content Management System (CMS). We conclude proposing a plan to better integrate the accessibility specifications and contextual description tools into that CMS

Supporting authoring of adaptive hypermedia

It is well-known that students benefit from personalised attention. However, frequently teachers are unable to provide this, most often due to time constraints. An Adaptive Hypermedia (AH) system can offer a richer learning experience, by giving personalised attention to students. The authoring process, however, is time consuming and cumbersome. Our research explores the two main aspects to authoring of AH: authoring of content and adaptive behaviour. The research proposes possible solutions, to overcome the hurdles towards acceptance of AH in education. Automation methods can help authors, for example, teachers could create linear lessons and our prototype can add content alternatives for adaptation. Creating adaptive behaviour is more complex. Rule-based systems, XML-based conditional inclusion, Semantic Web reasoning and reusable, portable scripting in a programming language have been proposed. These methods all require specialised knowledge. Hence authoring of adaptive behaviour is difficult and teachers cannot be expected to create such strategies. We investigate three ways to address this issue. 1. Reusability: We investigate limitations regarding adaptation engines, which influence the authoring and reuse of adaptation strategies. We propose a metalanguage, as a supplement to the existing LAG adaptation language, showing how it can overcome such limitations. 2. Standardisation: There are no widely accepted standards for AH. The IMSLearning Design (IMS-LD) specification has similar goals to Adaptive Educational Hypermedia (AEH). Investigation shows that IMS-LD is more limited in terms of adaptive behaviour, but the authoring process focuses more on learning sequences and outcomes. 3. Visualisation: Another way is to simplify the authoring process of strategies using a visual tool. We define a reference model and a tool, the Conceptual Adaptation Model (CAM) and GRAPPLE Authoring Tool (GAT), which allow specification of an adaptive course in a graphical way. A key feature is the separation between content, strategy and adaptive course, which increases reusability compared to approaches that combine all factors in one model

COLEG: Collaborative Learning Environment within Grid

The principal function of the CSCL environments is to provide to the various users (students, teachers, tutors…), the best activities with the best tools at the best time according to their needs. If a CSCL system is a collection of activities or learning process, we can cut out its functionalities in a certain number of autonomous functions which can then be carried out separately in the form of autonomous applications by using the technology of the Web/Grid services. The emerging technologies based on the Grid are increasingly being adopted to improve education and provide better services for learning. These services are offered to students who, regardless of their computer systems, can collaborate to improve their cognitive and social skills. This article presents COLEG (COllaborative Learning Environment within Grid), which aims to employ the capacities offered by the Grid to give the various actors, all the power of learning, collaboration and communication in an adaptable, heterogeneous and dynamic sight

Report of the discussion on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) for OER

Appendix: FOSS tools for OER development, management and dissemination

Accessible lifelong learning at higher education:outcomes and lessons Learned at two different PilotSites in the EU4ALL Project

[EN] The EU4ALL project (IST-FP6-034778) has developed a general framework to address the needs of accessible lifelong learning at Higher Education level consisting of several standards-based interoperable components integrated into an open web service architecture aimed at supporting adapted interaction to guarantee students' accessibility needs. Its flexibility has supported the project implementation at several sites with different settings and various learning management systems. Large-scale evaluations involving hundreds of users, considering diverse disability types, and key staff roles have allowed obtaining valuable lessons with respect to "how to adopt or enhance eLearning accessibility" at university. The project was evaluated at four higher education institutions, two of the largest in Europe and two mediumsized. In this paper, we focus on describing the implementation and main conclusions at the largest project evaluation site (UNED), which was involved in the project from the beginning, and thus, in the design process, and a medium-sized university that adopted the EU4ALL approach (UPV). This implies dealing with two well-known open source learning environments (i.e. dotLRN and Sakai), and considering a wide variety of stakeholders and requirements. Thus the results of this evaluation serve to illustrate the coverage of both the approach and developments.The authors would like to thank the European Commission for the financial support of the EU4ALL project (IST-2006-034478). The work at aDeNu is also supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (TIN2008-06862-C04-01/TSI “A2UN@”). Authors would also like to thank all the EU4ALL partners for their collaboration.Boticario, JG.; Rodriguez-Ascaso, A.; Santos, OC.; Raffenne, E.; Montandon, L.; Roldán Martínez, D.; Buendía García, F. (2012). Accessible lifelong learning at higher education:outcomes and lessons Learned at two different PilotSites in the EU4ALL Project. Journal of Universal Computer Science. 18(1):62-85. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/37117628518

From collaborative virtual research environment SOA to teaching and learning environment SOA

This paper explores the extension of the CORE VRE SOA to a collaborative virtual teaching and learning environment (CVTLE) SOA. Key points are brought up to date from a number of projects researching and developing a CVTLE and its component services. Issues remain: there are few implementations of the key services needed to demonstrate the CVTLE concept; there are questions about the feasibility of such an enterprise; there are overlapping standards; questions about the source and use of user profile data remain difficult to answer; as does the issue of where and how to coordinate, control, and monitor such a teaching and learning syste