Improving the Unreliability of Competence Information:an Argumentation to Apply Information Fusion in Learning Networks

Miao, Y., Sloep, P. B., Hummel, H., & Koper, R. (2009). Improving the Unreliability of Competence Information: an Argumentation to Apply Information Fusion in Learning Networks [Special issue]. International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning (IJCEELL), 19(4/5/6), 366-380.Automated competence tracking and management is crucial for an effective and efficient lifelong competence development in learning networks. In this paper, we systematically analyze the problem of unreliability of competence information in learning networks. In tracking the development of competences in learning networks, a large amount of competence information can be gathered from diverse sources and diverse types of sources. Individual information is more or less credible. This paper investigates information fusion technologies that may be applied to address the problem and that show promise as candidate solutions for achieving an improved estimate of competences by fusing information coming from multiple sources and diverse types of sources.The work on this publication has been sponsored by the TENCompetence Integrated Project that is funded by the European Commission's 6th Framework Programme, priority IST/Technology Enhanced Learning. Contract 027087 [http://www.tencompetence.org

Ten-Competence:Life-Long Competence Development and Learning

Koper, R., & Specht, M. (2008). Ten-Competence: Life-Long Competence Development and Learning. In M-A. Cicilia (Ed.), Competencies in Organizational e-learning: concepts and tools (pp. 234-252). Hershey: IGI-Global.In most solutions for supporting learning today, one single approach is leading the selection, installation, and usage of information technology (IT)-based tools. Either content-based approaches lead to the creation of a content-based infrastructure with course management systems and content repositories, or a collaboration background leads to the usage of virtual classrooms and collaborative learning environments. The TEN-Competence project aims forward for integration of the different tools, perspectives, and learning environments in a common open source infrastructure based on today’s standards on the level of knowledge resources, learning activities, competence development programs, and learning networks. TEN-Competence will integrate tools in a service-oriented architecture (SOA) and evaluate the approach in a variety of pilot applications for lifelong competence development.This work has been sponsored by the EU project TENCompetenc

Reusing ontologies in Competence Development programmes: RuleML and its capabilities

We want to solve several tasks with this paper - to show how different domain ontologies can be used in Learning Networks for Lifelong Competence Development (LN4LCD), to design experiments with reusing of a given domain ontology in different LN4LCD, to analyse the existing ontology languages in order to choose a suitable one (supporting the process of reuse of a domain ontology), and to show how how such ontology can be incorporated in different Learning Designs

Review of Learning in ICT-enabled Networks and Communities

This report is part of a project launched by IPTS with DG Education and Culture to study the innovations for learning, which are emerging in the new collaborative and informal settings enabled by ICT. The report gathers and analyses evidence from learning opportunities that are emerging in ICT-enabled networks and communities. In these new virtual spaces, participation is motivated by an interest to a topic, by creative production and by search for social connection. Online networks and communities emerge both within and across organisations as well as in a completely open and bottom-up manner. Accessing, following, and contributing to the communities can lead to a range of learning outcomes. New technologies afford tools and means for people to participate in communities in a personally meaningful way. However, not all individuals are necessarily equipped with skills or knowledge to benefit from these opportunities for their lifelong learning. Major challenges relate both to the initial barriers for accessing online communities with confident and critical digital competence and skills for self-regulated learning. Finding ways to identify, assess and certify relevant learning and new skills that can be obtained and practiced in these environments is a major task. The report argues that educational institutions should find ways to connect with and learn from these new learning approaches and settings in order to bring about their own transformation for the 21st century, and to support competence building for new jobs and personal development with a learner-centred and lifelong perspective.JRC.J.4-Information Societ

Learning networks for professional development:Current research approaches and future trends

Learning networks are technology supported communities through which learners share knowledge with each other and jointly develop new knowledge (Sloep & Berlanga, 2011). This way, learning networks enrich the experience of continuous professional development and lifelong learning. Examples of learning networks for professional development are communities of employees who want to improve customer services, lawyers who want exchange knowledge and experience, and communities of teachers who exchange their experiences and seek for collaboration. Learning networks that support activities for educational professionals is enjoying increasing interest, see for instance Cloudworks (http://cloudworks.ac.uk/), Tapped-In (http://tappedin.org), or eTwinning (www.etwinning.net). However, the full potential and added value of these networks could be maximised if new frameworks, tools and techniques would be developed (Schlager, et al., 2009). A case in point is the European project Teacher’s Lifelong Learning Networks (Tellnet). This project aims to study professional development networks by exploring analysis and visualisation techniques to identify relevant structures and patterns, and to specify performance indicators for facilitating collaboration, innovation and creativity of teachers. Tools are investigated to foster peer-support, collaboration, and increase social capital. Moreover, specific future scenarios on the role of teacher networks for learning are developed, bringing together the evidence found with emerging social and technical trends in Europe. The above mentioned eTwinning network is taken as study case. eTwinning promotes teacher and school collaboration through the use of ICT. It is a large online network (over 150.000 European teachers) in which teachers can work with each other and learn from each other. Through this network, collaborative cross-border school projects can be started on a wide variety of subjects, e.g. having multiple primary school students working together and learning about different cultures. Additionally, teachers can attend a variety of professional development activities, such as online Groups or Learning Labs to improving both personal and professional teaching skills. The aim of this symposium is to present current Tellnet efforts that aim to understand and enhance learning networks for professional development. This includes contributions that attempt to answer questions such as: how network learning can contribute to successful continuous professional development and competence building? How could learning analytics be used in order to identify benefits of learning networks, such as social capital? What will be the role of networks in the coming years? Answering these questions requires a holistic approach that considers pedagogical and technical underpinnings, as well as individual, social and organizational aspects

A note on organizational learning and knowledge sharing in the context of communities of practice

Please, cite this publication as: Antonova, A. & Gourova, E. (2006). A note on organizational learning and knowledge sharing in the context of communities of practice. Proceedings of International Workshop in Learning Networks for Lifelong Competence Development, TENCompetence Conference. September 12th, Sofia, Bulgaria: TENCompetence. Retrieved June 30th, 2006, from http://dspace.learningnetworks.orgThe knowledge management (KM) literature emphasizes the impact of human factors for successful implementation of KM within the organization. Isolated initiatives for promoting learning organization and team collaboration, without taking consideration of the knowledge sharing limitations and constraints can defeat further development of KM culture. As an effective instrument for knowledge sharing, communities of practice (CoP) are appearing to overcome these constraints and to foster human collaboration.This work has been sponsored by the EU project TENCompetenc

A European research agenda for lifelong learning

It is a generally accepted truth that without a proper educational system no country will prosper, nor will its inhabitants. With the arrival of the post-industrial society, in Europe and elsewhere, it has become increasingly clear that people should continue learning over their entire life-spans lest they or their society suffer the dire consequences. But what does this future lifelong learning society exactly look like? And how then should education prepare for it? What should people learn and how should they do so? How can we afford to pay for all this, what are the socio-economic constraints of the move towards a lifelong-learning society? And, of course, what role can and should the educational establishment of schools and universities play? This are questions that demand serious research efforts, which is what this paper argues for

Personal profiling to stimulate participation in learning networks

Today continuous acquisition of new competences and updating existing capacities is crucial to personal empowerment and job performance. Due to the dynamics of the rapid technological change our society experiences, traditional, classroom-based methods of learning fail to meet the learning demands of today’s lifelong learners. People as self-directed learners will learn via informal knowledge sharing in ad hoc learning communities and Learning Networks. The Personal competence Manager under construction in the TENCompetence project aims to support the knowledge development of learners in social interaction with their peers in learning communities. Social encounters in Learning Networks need various cues to allow them to help meet a person’s learning needs. From the multiple suggestions to bootstrap learning interaction that are available, we will in this paper look at the role personal profiling and context portfolio information can play. Our particular focus will be building a common ground for communication and trust ultimately to enhance the learning process

Non-commissioned Officers' learning through Work in the Finnish Army

Lifelong learning and competence development is crucial to organizations' success in today's world. As part of public governance in Finland the Finnish Defence Forces view themselves as a learning organization and workplace learning is considered to be a central tool for competence development in the military. A case study about learning through work was conducted in one army unit's three companies. The case study was a part of a larger study analysing networked learning in the conscript-training companies of the Finnish Defence Forces. The study aims to bridge the located research-gap by providing theoretical insights on the collective and individual workplace learning practices of instructors. Theoretical tools offered by knowledge-creation theory and cultural-historical activity theory were used. The knowledge-creation metaphor of learning views learning as collective artefact-mediated activity to produce something new. Cultural-historical activity theory highlights the meaning of culturally-mediated tools and artefacts in moulding the object of activity. A second important point of entry for the study was the realisation that studying individuals learning activities required to situate the learning individuals in their activity system. Drawing from these theoretical foundations workplace learning was understood as object-oriented activity in which tools and personal networks of the subjects play a major role in the individual and collective learning processes. Combining the theoretical foundations with analysing documents and norms concerning competence development in the FDF provided the starting point for an abductive process the researcher used to state the research questions. The analysis focused on the agency of the non-commissioned officers and the expansive and restrictive features of the studied companies as well as the tools, artefacts and personal networks important to learning. Empirical data was collected with semi-structured interviews and egocentric network interviews. The data was analysed with phenomenography and the visualised egocentric networks were analysed qualitatively. The preliminary results suggested that the organization viewed itself as expansive and supportive towards learning. However social affordances and active guidance towards learning were lacking. Active agency was required to succeed in the studied military organization and certain tools were well-known and commonly used in competence development, but new tools were not actively developed. It seems that there is a need to actively create and consolidate new learning practices. Personal networks play a major role in the instructors learning and they can be surprisingly broad and different, which suggests that they are carefully and personally constructed through one's work history