A Petri nets-based approach to modeling SCORM sequence

[[abstract]]In order to adapt teaching in accordance with the abilities of individual students in the distance learning environment, more research emphasis is needed on constructing personalised courseware. The new version of SCORM 1.3 (scalable content object reference model) attempts to add the sequence concept into this course standard. The concept describes how the sequencing process is invoked, what occurs during the sequencing process and the potential outputs of the sequencing process. As a result, we apply the valuable features of Petri nets to decrease the complexity of the sequencing definition model in the SCORM 1.3 specification and construct a framework within various instructional strategies by piecing subnets together.[[conferencetype]]國際[[conferencedate]]20040627~20040630[[booktype]]紙

Supporting Mobile Connectivity: from Learning Scenarios to Multichannel Devices: Special Issue on "Learning as a Ubiquitous and Continuous Communication Attitude"

Guest Editor: Piet KommersInternational audienceThe introduction of distance learning does not only bring a wider audience, but also much more diversity among the learners: first, because it can be integrated more easily into a Life-long Learning strategy; secondly, because the learners are not restricted to a sing le area and thus learners from different countries and with different cultures follow the curriculum. We have observed this in various DL diplomas in which we participate. In this article, we will shed some light on the difficulties and challenges arising from these multi-cultural settings. Based on our research work, we would like to insist on two particular points which are the necessity to adapt the pedagogical settings (e.g. pedagogical scenarios) according to the learners' behaviour to overcome unforeseen problems due to cultural differences and the importance of considering mobile technologies to overcome limited access to the technology in developing countries and to ensure continuous interaction among learners and with tutors

Armadillo 1.1: An Original Workflow Platform for Designing and Conducting Phylogenetic Analysis and Simulations

In this paper we introduce Armadillo v1.1, a novel workflow platform dedicated to designing and conducting phylogenetic studies, including comprehensive simulations. A number of important phylogenetic and general bioinformatics tools have been included in the first software release. As Armadillo is an open-source project, it allows scientists to develop their own modules as well as to integrate existing computer applications. Using our workflow platform, different complex phylogenetic tasks can be modeled and presented in a single workflow without any prior knowledge of programming techniques. The first version of Armadillo was successfully used by professors of bioinformatics at Université du Quebec à Montreal during graduate computational biology courses taught in 2010–11. The program and its source code are freely available at: <http://www.bioinfo.uqam.ca/armadillo>

A Dynamic Associative e-learning model based on a spreading activation network

This paper proposes a dynamic semantic model for e-learning system based on the psycholinguistic theories of human memory, Spreading Activation Network (SAN). This work employs a SAN as a technique to provide the interface's action selection mechanism in an uncertain environment.Presenting information to an e-learning environment is a challenge, mostly, because of the hypertext/hypermedia nature and the richness of the context and information provides. This paper proposes a dynamic semantic model for e-learning system based on the psycholinguistic theories of human memory, Spreading Activation Network (SAN). This work employs a SAN as a technique to provide the interface's action selection mechanism in an uncertain environment. The paper combines the SAN with the temporal logic to provide an e-learning system that a learning activity level evolves according to their expected contextual relevance. The system differs from the other e-learning by representing dynamic associations between learning activities and the relevance subjects. This system equipped with an Event-Triggered learning interface (context) adaptation component. This component provides multiple parallel processes for perception. These processes provide context screen selection and learning task operation based upon the user current situation. The SAN attempts to achieve a number of goals in an unpredictable complex dynamic environment. Spreading activation explains the predictive top-down effect of knowledge. It supports general heuristics which may be used as the first step of more elaborated methods. This model is suited to deal with the interaction between semantic and episodic memories, as well as many other practical issues regarding e-learning, including the retroactive effect of semantics over perception. The system uses the SAN to activate the most suitable interface screen (context) in response to the current conditions (learning activities) while the system continues working towards the learning objective goal. The paper presents our efforts to realize such e-learning system. The proposed paradigm has been implemented to develop a prototypical system, and the experiments also illustrate the robustness of such an e-learning framework

A Conceptual Framework for Digital Libraries for K-12 Mathematics Education: Part 1, Information Organization, Information Literacy, and Integrated Learning

This article is the first of two that present a six-part conceptual framework for the design and evaluation of digital libraries meant to support mathematics education in K-12 settings (see also pt. 2). This first article concentrates on (1) information organization, (2) information literacy, and (3) integrated learning with multimedia materials. The second article reviews (4) adoption of new standards for mathematics education, (5) integration of pertinent changes in educational policy, and (6) ensuring pedagogic and political accountability. Each article concludes with specific recommendations for digital libraries meant to support K-12 mathematics education appropriate to the topics the article discusses. This framework, which may be of some use to researchers and educators in many settings and countries, emphasizes the importance of communication, community building, and learning activities that use different media for the design of digital functionalities and online collections of mathematics learning materials. The major goal of the framework described here is to consider how to bring the larger computationally intensive collections called digital libraries closer to the existing structures and practices of learners and teachers while recognizing the new functionalities and learning opportunities that digital libraries offer

An analytical framework for workflow technology adoption in local government authorities

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.The focus of the study is to develop a novel framework of workflow technology adoption (WAF) for public policy making. Workflow technology (WfT) has emerged to support both technological and economic importance for private and public organisations to meet competitive business and computational environment. Despite all the benefits of WfT, there has been limited adoption by policy makers. One of the reasons for this is the lack of a theoretical framework for researchers and a tool for decision makers that help in evaluating WfT adoption. Due to the limited knowledge on workflow adoption, from the socio-technical and organisational side, an academic challenge is to identify the key factors that influence adoption. To overcome these limitations, the proposed workflow adoption framework is based on the amalgamation of Technology, Organisation, Environment and Task Technology Fit theories that is evaluated and extended by using a qualitative multiple case study approach. Qualitative content analysis of the empirical data collected from three UK local government authorities resulted in a novel framework for WfT adoption, particularly for the policy making context, that has 17 factors, which influence adoption decisions. Findings revealed that attitude, organisation structure and competition did not have any influential role due to immense managerial support, constructive communication and thorough training provided to employees. Also, competition as an environmental factor had no influence over the adoption of WfT, since public services do not compete like in the private sector over market share, instead imitative pressure emerged due to close collaboration with neighbouring LGAs. It was also found that stakeholders and timescale had influence on the decisions and collection proved to be an important task characteristic of the LGAs. The major contribution of the framework is that it provides an understanding of the phenomenon by identifying key factors from the contextual perspective (i) technological set (complexity, relative advantage, compatibility and timescale), (ii) organisational set (managerial support, cost, information intensity and stakeholders), (iii) environmental set (government regulations and imitative pressure). In addition, it identifies functional fit of WfT with the task requirements by classifying functions (communication, information processing and process structuring) and policy making task characteristics (generation, choice, collection and combination) and then analysing the fit. Together it provides a holistic understanding of the phenomenon that aids informed decision making relevant to WfT adoption. Although, the literature has emphasised the technical aspects so far, this study contributes to future studies through organisational and managerial knowledge, classifying WfT’s functions and policy making task characteristics. Practical implications exist for the policy makers who can adopt the WAF as a recommendation tool to make informed decisions and achieve competitive advantage. Keywords: Workflow technology, IT adoption, decision making, policy making process and e-government

A hybrid e-learning framework: Process-based, semantically-enriched and service-oriented

Despite the recent innovations in e-Learning, much development is needed to ensure better learning experience for everyone and bridge the research gap in the current state of the art e-Learning artefacts. Contemporary e-learning artefacts possess various limitations as follows. First, they offer inadequate variations of adaptivity, since their recommendations are limited to e-learning resources, peers or communities. Second, they are often overwhelmed with technology at the expense of proper pedagogy and learning theories underpinning e-learning practices. Third, they do not comprehensively capture the e-learning experiences as their focus shifts to e-learning activities instead of e-learning processes. In reality, learning is a complex process that includes various activities and interactions between different roles to achieve certain gaols in a continuously evolving environment. Fourth, they tend more towards legacy systems and lack the agility and flexibility in their structure and design. To respond to the above limitations, this research aims at investigating the effectiveness of combining three advanced technologies (i.e., Business Process Modelling and Enactment, Semantics and Service Oriented Computing – SOC–) with learning pedagogy in order to enhance the e-learner experience. The key design artefact of this research is the development of the HeLPS e-Learning Framework – Hybrid e-Learning Framework that is Process-based, Semantically-enriched and Service Oriented-enabled. In this framework, a generic e-learning process has been developed bottom-up based on surveying a wide range of e-learning models (i.e., practical artefacts) and their underpinning pedagogies/concepts (i.e., theories); and then forming a generic e-learning process. Furthermore, an e-Learning Meta-Model has been developed in order to capture the semantics of e-learning domain and its processes. Such processes have been formally modelled and dynamically enacted using a service-oriented enabled architecture. This framework has been evaluated using a concern-based evaluation employing both static and dynamic approaches. The HeLPS e-Learning Framework along with its components have been evaluated by applying a data-driven approach and artificially-constructed case study to check its effectiveness in capturing the semantics, enriching e-learning processes and deriving services that can enhance the e-learner experience. Results revealed the effectiveness of combining the above-mentioned technologies in order to enhance the e-learner experience. Also, further research directions have been suggested.This research contributes to enhancing the e-learner experience by making the e-learning artefacts driven by pedagogy and informed by the latest technologies. One major novel contribution of this research is the introduction of a layered architectural framework (i.e., HeLPS) that combines business process modelling and enactment, semantics and SOC together. Another novel contribution is adopting the process-based approach in e-learning domain through: identifying these processes and developing a generic business process model from a set of related e-learning business process models that have the same goals and associated objectives. A third key contribution is the development of the e-Learning Meta-Model, which captures a high-abstract view of learning domain and encapsulates various domain rules using the Semantic Web Rule Language. Additional contribution is promoting the utilisation of Service-Orientation in e-learning through developing a semantically-enriched approach to identify and discover web services from e-learning business process models. Fifth, e-Learner Experience Model (eLEM) and e-Learning Capability Maturity Model (eLCMM) have been developed, where the former aims at identifying and quantifying the e-learner experience and the latter represents a well-defined evolutionary plateau towards achieving a mature e-learning process from a technological perspective. Both models have been combined with a new developed data-driven Validation and Verification Model to develop a Concern-based Evaluation Approach for e-Learning artefacts, which is considered as another contribution

Modelbased accounting and charging systems for digital products in the e-learning

In der Arbeit wurde ein Konzept entwickelt, das eine modellbasierte Betrachtung des Pricings digitaler Produkte ermöglicht

On workflow enabled e-learning services

Workflow technology provides a suitable platform to define and manage the coordination and allocation of business process activities. We introduce the Flex-eL (Flexible electronic Learning) environment that has been built upon workflow technology. The workflow functionality of Flex-eL manages the coordination of learning and assessment activities of the course process between students and teaching staff. It provides a unique environment for teachers to design and develop process-centric courses and to monitor student progress. It allows students to learn at their own pace while observing the learning guidelines and checkpoints modelled into the course process by teaching staff. We also report on the successful deployment of the concept and system for a university course and our experiences from the implementation