Review of Key Competencies in the Knowledge Society Conference 2010: E-Learning and Computer Competency Research in the Age of Social Media

In September 2010, I attended the Key Competencies in the Knowledge Society(KCKS) conference, held as part of the International Federation for Information Processing World Computer Congress (WCC) in Brisbane, Australia. The WCC is held every two years in a host nation and was organised by the Australian Computer Society. The uniqueness of this conference is the mix of commercial and corporate sectors, non profit organisations, government departments, schools and academic researchers from many countries who present academic and commercial research. My key observation of the conference was that social media and technological devices are educational tools now becoming indispensable for learning and acquiring information and knowledge. With the large array of Web 2.0 tools currently in existence students are now authors of content in their learning (Gray et al., 2010). The issue of how to develop competent skills to use Web 2.0 tools in this fashion was the central concern of the researchers at the conference

Supporting Teachers' Networked Learning Skills for More Online Engagement

Rajagopal, K., Berlanga, A. J., & Sloep, P. B. (2012). Supporting Teachers' Networked Learning Skills for More Online Engagement. In V. Hodgson, C. Jones, M. de Laat, D. McConnell, T. Ryberg, & P. Sloep (Eds.), Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Networked Learning 2012 (pp. 422-428). April, 2-4, 2012, Maastricht, The Netherlands.This article looks into professional networks and their evolution into their current state as blended networks. The eTwinning network, a network of European schools, is described as an example of such a professional network for teachers, where studies from the TellNet project show that many teachers in the online network are isolated. As the eTwinning network wants to evolve into supporting more continuous professional development activities, the current disengagement of members needs to be resolved. Several potential underlying causes for the disengagement are described, as well as an approach to technical support that aims to engage the members in gaining the most from their participation in the network.The work on this publication has been sponsored by the Teachers’ Lifelong Learning Networks (Tellnet) project that is funded by the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme. Ref. 505594-LLP-1-2009-1-BE-Ka4-KA4SRM [http://www.tellnet.eun.org

Assessment of Knowledge and Competencies in 3D Virtual Worlds: A Proposal

Proceedings of: Key Competencies in the Knowledge Society World Computer Congress (KCKS 2010). Brisbane, Australia, September 20-23, 2010.Digital natives demand a more active approach to learning. Moreover, the acquisition and assessment of competencies, rather than the mere transmission of information, is becoming more relevant in the Knowledge Society. 3D virtual worlds are a promising environment to meet both of these requirements. In a 3D virtual world, learners are immersed in a rich environment that allows them to have an active experience through their avatars and interaction devices. The learning process in traditional learning management systems has been widely studied, but there is relatively little literature about the use of 3D virtual worlds for learning, although the expectations are high and the possibilities opened immense. This paper focuses on an important part of the teaching and learning process: the assessment. Our aim is to present a set of techniques adapted to this novel 3D medium that allows assessing knowledge, skills, and competencies by using the elements inherent to 3D virtual worlds (avatars, synthetic characters, smart objects) and take advantage of the new dimension introduced.This research is supported by the following projects: The Spanish project “Learn3: Towards Learning of the Third Kind” (TIN2008-05163/TSI) within the Spanish “Plan Nacional de I+D+I”, the Madrid regional project “eMadrid: Investigación y Desarrollo de tecnologías para el e-learning en la Comunidad de Madrid” (S2009/TIC-1650), the European eContentPlus Project “iCoper: Interoperable Content for Performance in a Competency-driven Society” (PPI-2008-A-12).Publicad

Key Competencies in the Knowledge Society: IFIP TC 3 International Conference, KCKS 2010 Held as Part of WCC 2010 Brisbane, Australia, September 20-23, 2010, Proceedings

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Visual abstracts to disseminate research on Twitter: a quantitative analysis

The Web has indisputably changed the way researchers share information. Web-based scholarly communication allows to rapidly disseminate research findings, to reach a broader audience, to transversely connect different contents through hypertext linkages, to update and correct texts if needed, and to integrate multimedia materials. Moreover, it allows interactivity and real-time exchange between authors and readers. Such features are even more evident in the context of the so-called Web 2.0, which involves user-generated content, data sharing, and collaborative efforts. The diffusion of social software and web-based applications has lead to a new use of the Web as a platform for generating, re-purposing and consuming scientific content. Social media brought additional advantages and challenges: they help to fulfill the demand for cheap, instant communication in a context of growing collaborative and interdisciplinary research, but they also, for example, add complexity in terms of quantification of the impact of scientific articles. Nevertheless, researchers are now using social media platforms in every phase of the research lifecycle, from identifying opportunities to disseminating findings. In particular, Twitter, the microblogging platform that allows users to post/publish short messages up to 140 (now 280) characters, has emerged as a powerful tool in scholarly communication. Indeed, it connects researchers around the world (both within and outside one\u2019s research field), giving them the chance to communicate and discuss research findings with the rest of the scientific community, to provide and receive post-publication critiques, and to increase the reach and the impact of their work. Recently, also scientific journals adopted social media, and Twitter in particular, to disseminate research findings published on their pages and websites. In the field of biomedical research, this led to the development of new strategies of dissemination..

Pembangunan modul pedagogi kelas berbalik berasaskan pembelajaran reflektif untuk politeknik premier

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk membangunkan modul pedagogi kelas berbalik berasaskan pembelajaran reflektif di politeknik premier untuk mengatasi masalah pelajar dalam menghubung kait kemahiran dengan pengetahuan. Metodologi kajian reka bentuk dan pembangunan yang dipelopori oleh Richey dan Klein (2014) telah digunakan dengan melibatkan tiga fasa kajian. Data fasa pertama, analisis keperluan, telah dikutip dengan menggunakan borang soal selidik terhadap 200 pelajar program Diploma Kejuruteraan Mekanikal dari tiga politeknik premier. Data dianalisis menggunakan statistik deskriptif dengan menggunakan perisian Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Data untuk bahagian pertama dalam fasa kedua, peringkat reka bentuk modul telah dikutip dengan menggunakan teknik Fuzzy Delphi yang melibatkan 23 orang panel pakar dalam bidang Kurikulum, Teknik dan Vokasional, Kejuruteraan Mekanikal, dan Teknologi Pengajaran. Analisis adalah berdasarkan respons pakar terhadap soal selidik yang menggunakan skala Likert Linguistik Fuzzy. Nilai ambangan d dihitung untuk mendapatkan konsensus pakar terhadap semua item yang terdapat dalam soal selidik. Data untuk bahagian kedua dalam fasa kedua, peringkat pembangunan pula melibatkan pemurnian modul dari segi rancangan mengajar dan bahan pembelajaran dalam format video bagi topik daya vektor oleh empat orang panel pakar. Fasa ketiga menggunakan kaedah kuasieksperimental untuk menilai keberkesanan modul. Perbandingan pencapaian antara kumpulan rawatan dan kawalan telah dilaksanakan melalui pra-ujian dan pasca-ujian. Dapatan kajian fasa pertama menunjukkan bahawa pelajar mempunyai kemahiran dan akses kepada alatan teknologi dan komputer, serta mempunyai persepsi yang positif terhadap penggunaan komputer dan e-pembelajaran

OnCreate and the virtual teammate: an analysis of online creative processes and remote collaboration

This paper explores research undertaken by a consortium of 10 universities from across Europe as part of an EU Erasmus Strategic Partnership project called OnCreate. Recent research and experiences prove the importance of the design and implementation of online courses that are learner-centred, include collaboration and integrate rich use of media in authentic environments. The OnCreate project explores the specific challenges of creative processes in such environments. The first research phase comprises a comparative qualitative analysis of collaboration practices in design-related study programmes at the ten participating universities. A key outcome of this research was in identifying the shortcomings of the hierarchical role models of established Learning Management Systems (such as Moodle or Blackboard) and the tendency towards evolving 'mash-up' environments to support creative online collaboration

Fostering information security culture through intergrating theory and technology

Today information can be seen as a basic commodity that is crucial to the continuous well-being of modern organizations. Many modern organizations will be unable to do business without access to their information resources. It is therefor of vital importance for organizations to ensure that their infor- mation resources are adequately protected against both internal and external threats. This protection of information resources is known as information security and is, to a large extent, dependent on the behavior of humans in the organization. Humans, at various levels in the organization, play vital roles in the pro- cesses that secure organizational information resources. Many of the prob- lems experienced in information security can be directly contributed to the humans involved in the process. Employees, either intentionally or through negligence, often due to a lack of knowledge, can be seen as the greatest threat to information security. Addressing this human factor in information security is the primary focus of this thesis. The majority of current approaches to dealing with the human factors in information security acknowledge the need to foster an information security culture in the organization. However, very few current approaches attempt to adjust the "generic" model(s) used to define organizational culture to be specific to the needs of information security. This thesis firstly proposes, and argues, such an adapted conceptual model which aims to improve the understanding of what an information security culture is. The thesis secondly focuses on the underlying role that information security educational programs play in the fostering of an organizational information security culture. It is argued that many current information security edu- cational programs are not based on sound pedagogical theory. The use of learning taxonomies during the design of information security educational programs is proposed as a possible way to improve the pedagogical rigor of such programs. The thesis also argues in favor of the use of blended and/or e-learning approaches for the delivery of information security educational content. Finally, this thesis provides a detailed overview demonstrating how the various elements contributed by the thesis integrates into existing trans- formative change management processes for the fostering of an organizational information security culture

Formas de experimentar la alfabetización en información: la fenomenografía como herramienta para evaluar el impacto después de los estudios de postgrado

Esta tesis investiga las experiencias en alfabetización en información de un grupo de antiguos alumnos de postgrado de El Colegio de México. La pregunta de investigación clave en esta investigación fue: ¿Cómo experimentan la alfabetización en información un grupo de antiguos alumnos de postgrado del Centro de Estudios Demográficos, Urbanos y Ambientales que tomaron un curso sobre el tema? Las respuestas a esta pregunta servirán para evaluar el curso de alfabetización en información que este grupo de antiguos alumnos tomó, en diferentes momentos, entre2004 y 2010. La metodología cualitativa que se utilizó para esta evaluación es la fenomenografía, un enfoque de investigación diseñado para el estudio de la experiencia humana, y como método se empleó la entrevista. La fenomenografía estudia las formas cualitativamente distintas en que las personas experimentan un fenómeno. Durante el estudio se entrevistaron a 19 antiguos alumnos que en cuatro distintos programas y en diferentes años académicos tomaron el curso. La mayoría de estas personas ahora ocupan posiciones como profesores e investigadores. Con base en el enfoque de investigación fenomenográfico, se identificaron seis categorías descriptivas que resumen la forma en que los antiguos alumnos experimentan la alfabetización en información: 1) El curso como un asunto incomprensible. 2) El curso como un elemento de utilidad en la academia. 3) El curso como un apoyo en la búsqueda de información. 4) El curso como un apoyo para trabajar el aparato crítico. 5) El curso como una ventaja comparativa. 6) El curso como un beneficio para alumnos y colegas. Esta investigación contribuye al campo de la evaluación de la alfabetización en información debido a que propone una metodología que ha sido poco utilizada en Iberoamérica. Adicionalmente, se aplica en un grupo de antiguos alumnos de postgrado, lo cual resulta una novedad, debido a que rara vez se investiga el impacto que tiene la alfabetización en información fuera de la universidad.This thesis investigated the information literacy experiences of a group of graduate alumni of El Colegio de México. The key research question in this research was: How does a group of graduate alumni from the Center for Demographic, Urban and Environmental Studies experience information literacy after they took a course on the subject ? The answers to this question will serve to evaluate the information literacy course that this group of former students took, at different times, between 2004 and 2010. The qualitative methodology that was used for this evaluation is the phenomenography, a research approach designed to the study of human experience, and as an interview method was used. Phenomenography studies the qualitatively different ways in which people experience a phenomenon. During the study, 19 alumni were interviewed. They took the course in four different programs and in different academic years. Most of these people now occupy positions as professors and researchers.Based on the phenomenographic research approach, six descriptive categories were identified that summarize the way in which alumni experience information literacy: 1)The course as an incomprehensible topic. 2) The course as an element of utility in the academy. 3) The course as a support in the search for information. 4) The course as a support to work the references. 5) The course as a comparative advantage. 6) The course as a benefit for students and colleagues. This research contributes to the field of information literacy assessment because it proposes a methodology that has been little used in Ibero-America. Additionally, it is applied in a group of graduated alumni, which is a novelty, because the impact of information literacy outside the university is rarely investigated.Esta tesis se llevó a cabo gracias al apoyo de una beca otorgada por la Fundación Carolina, como parte de su Programa de Doctorado y Estancias cortas postdoctorales. La beca fue financiada de manera conjunta con El Colegio de México, A.C.Programa Oficial de Doctorado en Documentación: Archivos y Bibliotecas en el Entorno DigitalPresidente: Mercedes Caridad Sebastián.- Secretario: Luis Fernando Ramos Simón.- Vocal: Francisco Javier García Marc

Desenvolvimento e implementação de um modelo de Blended-Learning com objectos de aprendizagem no ensino superior

Tese de doutoramento em Ciências da Educação (ramo conhecimento em Tecnologia Educativa)O ensino superior é actualmente confrontado com profundas mudanças decorrentes da aplicação do Processo de Bolonha com vista à criação de um Espaço Europeu de Ensino Superior e à passagem para um modelo de aprendizagem centrado no aluno e assente no desenvolvimento de competências. Neste enquadramento, as tecnologias de informação e comunicação assumem um papel preponderante no desenvolvimento de novos modelos de organização do ensino e aprendizagem. A necessidade de encontrar um método de ensino que não passe exclusivamente por sessões de natureza colectiva e que atribua aos alunos um papel mais activo na aprendizagem levou ao desenvolvimento e implementação de um modelo de blendedlearning com base no Modelo Múltiplas Perspectivas, um modelo para ensino a distância que visa a aquisição de conhecimentos de nível avançado em domínios complexos através da aprendizagem independente e dos recursos de comunicação existentes nos sistemas de gestão de aprendizagem (LMS). O Modelo Múltiplas Perspectivas resultou de vários contributos: da Teoria da Flexibilidade Cognitiva (TFC) manteve o processo de desconstrução; dos resultados dos estudos realizados com hiperdocumentos TFC substituiu as travessias temáticas por questões no fórum e dos objectos de aprendizagem centrou o estudo no caso como entidade auto-suficiente, que é combinado com outros casos num módulo de uma unidade curricular ou de um curso. Começou-se por definir os limites, a estrutura e as características dos objectos de aprendizagem baseado neste modelo, assim como, as especificações necessárias para facilitar a sua reutilização. Na sua criação utilizou-se as ferramentas eXeLearning+ e Reload e recorreu-se às normas SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model), LOM (Learning Object Metadata) e às licenças Creative Commons. Os conteúdos, a usabilidade e o potencial dos objectos de aprendizagem foram avaliados por peritos, e a sua qualidade gráfica e compreensão foram avaliadas por alunos. Com o objectivo de se aplicar e avaliar o modelo de blended-learning proposto recorreu-se à metodologia de investigação-acção. Esta metodologia envolveu três ciclos de estudos ao longo dos quais o modelo foi aplicado, avaliado e reformulado até satisfazer os objectivos de ensino e aprendizagem a que se propôs. No estudo participaram 40 alunos do 1.º ano do ensino superior tendo sido estudadas as temáticas de arquitectura de computadores, redes de computadores e segurança e privacidade. A aprendizagem presencial foi importante para os aprendentes se familiarizarem com o LMS e iniciarem a exploração da temática. Os aprendentes consideraram que os casos disponibilizados, sob a forma de objectos de aprendizagem, os ajudaram a compreender mais facilmente a matéria e os prepararam para resolver situações problemáticas. O chat mostrou ser uma boa ferramenta para esclarecer dúvidas e socializar, promovendo uma maior aproximação entre os aprendentes e entre estes e o professor. Os aprendentes referiram que as sessões de chat os ajudaram a perceber que não dominavam determinados assuntos do módulo e facilitaram a comunicação entre estes e o professor. Estes também indicaram que a criação das respostas às questões disponibilizadas no fórum os obrigou a um maior envolvimento com as matérias dos módulos, permitindo-lhes perceber que não dominavam determinados assuntos dos módulos, e que os comentários do professor às respostas contribuíram para a sua aprendizagem. A análise dos resultados permite concluir que a maioria dos aprendentes gostou muito ou bastante de ter aprendido estas temáticas online, estando receptivos a fazer mais módulos online e preferindo esta metodologia relativamente à aprendizagem presencial e à aprendizagem totalmente online. Por seu lado, os resultados dos testes de conhecimentos revelam a existência de diferenças estatisticamente significativas nos três módulos. Este modelo de blended-learning constitui assim uma opção válida para todos os professores que procuram métodos de ensino mistos baseados em objectos de aprendizagem.Higher education is now facing major changes resulting from the Bologna Process. This process aims to create a European Higher Education and it promotes a learning model centred on students and on the development of skills. In this context, information and communication technologies play a significant role in the development of new organisational models for teaching and learning. The need to find a teaching method which not only includes collective sessions but also gives individual students a more active role in learning has led us to develop and implement a blended-learning Multiple Perspectives Model. A distance-learning model that aims at acquiring advanced knowledge in complex areas through the independent learning and communication resources provided by learning management systems (LMS). The Multiple Perspectives Model is based on several contributions: from the Cognitive Flexibility Theory (CFT) it has retained the deconstruction process; based on the results of studies performed with CFT hyperdocuments, thematic criss-crossing have been replaced by forum questions; and as far as learning objects are concerned the study has been focused on the case as a self-sufficient entity combined with other cases in a course module or unit. Based on this model we started by defining the limits, the structure and characteristics of learning objects as well as the necessary specifications to facilitate its reuse. To create them we used eXeLearning+ and Reload as well as SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) and LOM (Learning Object Metadata) standards and Creative Commons licenses. The contents, usability and potential of learning objects have been evaluated by experts and its graphic quality and understandability have been evaluated by students. An action-research approach was used in the study of the blended-learning model. This research involved three study cycles where the model has been applied, evaluated and reformulated until the aims of the blended-learning model were achieved. The modules focused on Computer Architecture, Computer Networks, and Safety and Privacy. The study involved the participation of 40 first-year students. Face-to-face learning helped learners to familiarise themselves with the LMS and start thematic exploration. Learners found that the cases provided as learning objects have made it much easier for them to understand the subject matter and prepared them to solve new situations. The chat turned out to be a good tool to answer questions and socialise, promoting closer interactions between learners and instructors and among learners themselves. The learners referred that chat sessions helped them to recognise gaps in some topic matters and facilitated communication with the instructor. They also referred that drawing up the answers to the questions provided in the forum led to their greater involvement in module contents and helped them realise that there were gaps in their understanding of subject matters and also that the instructor’s feedback greatly contributed to their learning. The results showed that most learners enjoyed this learning experience and were open to take more online modules, preferring blended-learning to face-to-face or to distance-learning. The results from the tests, in turn, reveal that learning occurs in the three modules, and statistical differences were achieved from pre-test to post-test. This blended-learning model is a valid option for all instructors seeking an approach based on learning objects