Online and Collaborative Learning Design model based on IMS-LD to Stimulate Collaborative Learning in E-learning Environments

In the e-learning field, there is an urgent need for the sharing, reuse and design of online courses as learning objects. However, in the vast majority of cases, e-learning courses are built in a manner that not stimulating cooperation, interaction, and collaborative learning. The primary aim of this paper is to develop a strategy for constructing learning objects, strategy targeted at supporting instructors in designing educational contents in order to promote collaborative learning in e-learning environments. A key challenge in this work is the definition of a new method of learning design of e-learning contents to stimulate collaborative learning. In addition, we introduce a general model of online and collaborative learning design. Model is based on the methods of instructional design and Educational Modeling Languages, particularly the IMS-LD specification. Firstly, the paper presents the online and collaborative design process of a content based on a life cycle adapted. Then, the paper describes the steps of the modeling process of content. Finally, the paper exposes the adopted technical choices and a first prototype is set up to provide a subjective evaluation of the new framework

Shortcomings of learning design approaches and a possible way out

Shifting away from traditional instructional design to younger research streams like personalized, workflow-based or collaborative e-learning, learning design (LD) has become an important issue in the field of technology-enhanced learning. Nevertheless, current LD approaches turn out to be rather unhandy or costly in teaching and research practice. In this paper, we discuss these shortcomings and propose an alternative solution approach which is based on a web application mashup, learner interactions, and a semantic layer for tool recommendations. As the evaluation of our first prototype is in progress, we can not highlight first experiences, but outline benefits and possible application scenarios in this position paper

Applying the Community of Inquiry e-Learning Model to Improve the Learning Design of an Online Course for In-service Teachers in Norway

Education authorities in Norway endorse online courses for in‑service teachers to raise education standards and to promote digital competence. Naturally, these offerings present teachers with opportunities to integrate new theoretical perspectives and their professional experience in an online learning community. The inquiry into one's professional practice, enhanced by critical reflection in a group of fellow professionals, is considered essential for a lifelong learning practitioner, however, the emerging examples of instructional design tend to prioritise content delivery rather than professional discourse. In this paper, we demonstrate how the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework could be adopted to transform learning design, which prioritises the delivery of individual assignments, into a more collaborative learning experience. Using the CoI instructional design principles and the associated questionnaire, we have investigated student perceptions of learning via an online course and formulated recommendations about how the course design can be refined to promote learning in the community. Despite the modest evidence, this investigation can serve as an example of how a concrete learning design can be improved based on this validated e‑learning model

Effectiveness of e–Learning Investigation Model on Students’ Understanding of Classification of Organisms in School Biology

A recent report revealed that students’ understanding in secondary school biology has been generally poor due to inappropriate teaching and learning approaches employed in the instructional process. It indicates that several science teachers in Rift Valley Province ranked the topic of classification of organisms as the second most difficult area that the regular methods are weak in making students understand it. In response, the study reported here investigated the effectiveness of E-Learning Group Investigation Model (ELGIM) intervention on form three students’ biology learning outcomes. ELGIM is a combination of e-Learning (EL) and Collaborative Learning (CL) instructional strategies employed to curb this problem. The study was based on the topic classification of organisms undertaken over a period of 8 weeks with 165 form three pupils from four secondary schools in Nakuru district, Kenya. A Solomon-four quasi-experimental design was carried out to investigate the effects of ELGIM on students’ understanding and attitudes on their pre- and, post-, Achievement Test, Attitudes questionnaire Dependent measures. Two control groups C1 (N=100) that received the pre-test and C2 which did not received conventional instruction whereas two experimental groups E1 (N=111) that was pre-tested and E2 (N=) which did not received their instruction via the mode. All groups were exposed to the same classifications of organisms syllabus except for the instructional methods used. Data was collected using two instruments namely; the Biology Achievement Test (BAT) and Students’ Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) used to assess the Biology learning outcomes. This study successfully demonstrates that the experimental group students outperformed the conventional group students in the domains of concept construction, conceptual change and scientific reasoning. Moreover, students with a higher level of scientific reasoning were more able to successfully change their alternative conceptions. It concludes that collaborative learning approach has major implications for teaching difficult topics in science and enhancing students’ learning outcomes. Hence, this intervention should be integrated into the existing school science curriculum. Keywords: Biology instruction, Collaborative learning, e-Learning, School science curriculum, Secondary educatio

The Collaborative Professional Learning Cycle (CPLC): implementing a voice and choice approach to teacher professional development

Existing research consistently supports the idea that there are 5 effective practices in professional development for educators. However, there is limited research pertaining to the utilization of co-teaching as an effective practice of professional development. The purpose of this study was to design and implement a process of professional learning that incorporates co-teaching and allows teachers to have voice and choice in professional development and to investigate the effects of this implementation. Through reviewing research on professional development practices, various professional development models, district impact on professional development, and democratic practices, I was able to create a professional learning model. What I call the “Collaborative Professional Learning Cycle” (CPLC) focuses on the needs of teachers where professional learning happens with instructional coaches as outlined by the needs of teachers. The 5 components of a Collaborative Professional Learning Cycle are: (a) Identify the problem, (b) Research, (c) Plan, (d) Implement, and (e) Revise/Reflect. In order to put my model into action, I implemented the CPLC with two sets of instructional coaches and teachers. I used 2 elementary general education classroom teachers and paired them with 2 district level instructional coaches. The school is a rural Title I school with 18 classroom teachers. The school serves approximately 370 students. I received interest from 12 of the 18 eligible staff members. While implementing the Collaborative Professional Learning Cycle, I investigated what participants experienced during the CPLC and its different phases and components. I also examined whether participating in the CPLC caused the teachers’ instructional practices to change. To gather data during implementation, I used the Instructional Quality Assessment (IQA), individual interviews, participant observation, and individual surveys. I analyzed this data using Spradley’s (2016) coding process. The findings from my study of implementation of the CPLC confirmed that teachers are eager to have a different modality of professional development. The Collaborative Professional Learning Cycle is an approach to professional development that can meet the needs of teachers because it is continuous, collaborative, and intentional. The study also showed that this approach to professional development can cause change in a teacher’s instructional practices and motivate teachers to implement new strategies. As a result of implementation of CPLC, coaches were inspired to continue using this kind of professional development to provide teachers with coaching and instruction that is aligned to a teacher’s needs

Supporting teacher learning for pedagogical innovation through collaborative co-design: issues and challenges

This study reports on an in-depth analysis of two teachers’ implementation of one collaboratively designed curriculum unit in the context of the school’s participation in an e-learning initiative to integrate ICT use in the grade 5 General Studies curriculum. The analysis reveals significant differences in the actual implementation as well as in the students’ learning outcomes achieved. While both teachers ventured beyond their comfort zone to provide more opportunities for student interactions and explorations, the enacted implementations reflect differences in the learning goals they targeted and their knowledge of practice. Visualizations of learning analytics did not trigger further exploration among teachers, though these reveal strong links between learning outcomes and the enacted curriculum. Findings raise questions about collaborative instructional design as a model for organizing teacher learning for pedagogical innovation, and the paper proposes design principles and further research to better facilitate innovation-focused professional development.published_or_final_versio

Instructional strategies in the EGRET course: an international graduate forum on becoming a researcher

In today’s knowledge economy, graduate students in the field of Computer Science are increasingly required to develop sophisticated, multi-faceted knowledge of conducting research across multiple contexts and countries. This paper reports the experience of teaching a course to prepare Computer Science graduate students for conducting research in the international community. The course emphasized development of skills critical for a successful research career in computer science, and included construction of knowledge as well as hands-on application of instructional content. The intended learning outcomes included (a) gaining familiarity with research design and methodologies in computer science, (b) preparing and delivering research presentations, (c) reviewing the literature, (d) reading and writing research papers, (e) writing and evaluating research proposals, and (f) networking in the international research community. In this paper, we describe an innovative instructional design that emphasized international collaboration with graduate students from another university on a different continent, namely the Open University in the UK. Our instructional strategies included (a) remote participation of graduate students across universities and countries in real-time, using technologies for synchronous computer mediated communication, (b) incorporation of collaborative activities using online tools scaffolding students’ construction of sophisticated knowledge of key research activities, and (c) providing students with opportunities for hands-on practical application of concepts in collaborative research activities

Designing Wise Communities that Engage in Creative Problem Solving: An Analysis of an Online Design Model

Addressing the conference theme of “design thinking,” this paper discusses an instructional design model, WisCom (Wisdom Communities) that we developed to build a wise learning community online, to solve open-ended, ill-structured problems such as solving a health crisis or an environmental disaster, which requires the exchange of multiple perspectives, inter-disciplinary thinking, creative problem solving, and social construction of knowledge. Based on socio-constructivist, sociocultural theories of learning and mediated cognition (Vygotsky, 1978), distributed cognition (Hutchins, 1995; Pea, 1993), group cognition (Stahl, 2006), research on how people learn (Bransford, Vye, Bateman, Brophy, & Roselli, 2004), and distance education design principles (Moore & Kearsley, 2011), WisCom specifies three components that must be designed to create a wise community online that engages in creative problem solving and transformational learning: (1) a cohesive learning community involved in negotiation of meaning and collaborative learning; (2) knowledge innovation – moving the learning community from data, information, and knowledge to wisdom, providing opportunities for reflection, sharing of perspectives, knowledge construction and preservation within the community, and (3) learner support and e-mentoring to achieve the communities’ learning goals

Designing for interaction

At present, the design of computer-supported group-based learning (CS)GBL) is often based on subjective decisions regarding tasks, pedagogy and technology, or concepts such as ‘cooperative learning’ and ‘collaborative learning’. Critical review reveals these concepts as insufficiently substantial to serve as a basis for (CS)GBL design. Furthermore, the relationship between outcome and group interaction is rarely specified a priori. Thus, there is a need for a more systematic approach to designing (CS)GBL that focuses on the elicitation of expected interaction processes. A framework for such a process-oriented methodology is proposed. Critical elements that affect interaction are identified: learning objectives, task-type, level of pre-structuring, group size and computer support. The proposed process-oriented method aims to stimulate designers to adopt a more systematic approach to (CS)GBL design according to the interaction expected, while paying attention to critical elements that affect interaction. This approach may bridge the gap between observed quality of interaction and learning outcomes and foster (CS)GBL design that focuses on the heart of the matter: interaction

Designing electronic collaborative learning environments

Electronic collaborative learning environments for learning and working are in vogue. Designers design them according to their own constructivist interpretations of what collaborative learning is and what it should achieve. Educators employ them with different educational approaches and in diverse situations to achieve different ends. Students use them, sometimes very enthusiastically, but often in a perfunctory way. Finally, researchers study them and—as is usually the case when apples and oranges are compared—find no conclusive evidence as to whether or not they work, where they do or do not work, when they do or do not work and, most importantly, why, they do or do not work. This contribution presents an affordance framework for such collaborative learning environments; an interaction design procedure for designing, developing, and implementing them; and an educational affordance approach to the use of tasks in those environments. It also presents the results of three projects dealing with these three issues