9 research outputs found

    A data-assisted approach to supporting instructional interventions in technology enhanced learning environments

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    The design of intelligent learning environments requires significant up-front resources and expertise. These environments generally maintain complex and comprehensive knowledge bases describing pedagogical approaches, learner traits, and content models. This has limited the influence of these technologies in higher education, which instead largely uses learning content management systems in order to deliver non-classroom instruction to learners. This dissertation puts forth a data-assisted approach to embedding intelligence within learning environments. In this approach, instructional experts are provided with summaries of the activities of learners who interact with technology enhanced learning tools. These experts, which may include instructors, instructional designers, educational technologists, and others, use this data to gain insight into the activities of their learners. These insights lead experts to form instructional interventions which can be used to enhance the learning experience. The novel aspect of this approach is that the actions of the intelligent learning environment are now not just those of the learners and software constructs, but also those of the educational experts who may be supporting the learning process. The kinds of insights and interventions that come from application of the data-assisted approach vary with the domain being taught, the epistemology and pedagogical techniques being employed, and the particulars of the cohort being instructed. In this dissertation, three investigations using the data-assisted approach are described. The first of these demonstrates the effects of making available to instructors novel sociogram-based visualizations of online asynchronous discourse. By making instructors aware of the discussion habits of both themselves and learners, the instructors are better able to measure the effect of their teaching practice. This enables them to change their activities in response to the social networks that form between their learners, allowing them to react to deficiencies in the learning environment. Through these visualizations it is demonstrated that instructors can effectively change their pedagogy based on seeing data of their students’ interactions. The second investigation described in this dissertation is the application of unsupervised machine learning to the viewing habits of learners using lecture capture facilities. By clustering learners into groups based on behaviour and correlating groups with academic outcome, a model of positive learning activity can be described. This is particularly useful for instructional designers who are evaluating the role of learning technologies in programs as it contextualizes how technologies enable success in learners. Through this investigation it is demonstrated that the viewership data of learners can be used to assist designers in building higher level models of learning that can be used for evaluating the use of specific tools in blended learning situations. Finally, the results of applying supervised machine learning to the indexing of lecture video is described. Usage data collected from software is increasingly being used by software engineers to make technologies that are more customizable and adaptable. In this dissertation, it is demonstrated that supervised machine learning can provide human-like indexing of lecture videos that is more accurate than current techniques. Further, these indices can be customized for groups of learners, increasing the level of personalization in the learning environment. This investigation demonstrates that the data-assisted approach can also be used by application developers who are building software features for personalization into intelligent learning environments. Through this work, it is shown that a data-assisted approach to supporting instructional interventions in technology enhanced learning environments is both possible and can positively impact the teaching and learning process. By making available to instructional experts the online activities of learners, experts can better understand and react to patterns of use that develop, making for a more effective and personalized learning environment. This approach differs from traditional methods of building intelligent learning environments, which apply learning theories a priori to instructional design, and do not leverage the in situ data collected about learners

    Investigating the Impact of Organised Technology-driven Orchestration on Teaching

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    Orchestration of learning involves the real-time management of activities performed by educators in learning environments, with a particular focus on the effective use of technology. While different educational settings present unique problems, the common challenges have been noted to primarily be as a result of multiple heterogeneous activities and their associated intrinsic and extrinsic constraints. In addition to these challenges, this thesis argues that the complexities of orchestration are further amplified due to the ad hoc nature of the approaches and techniques used to orchestrate learning activities. The thesis proposes a streamlined approach to technology-driven orchestration of learning, in order to address these challenges and complexities. Specifically, the thesis proposes an organised approach that focuses on three core aspects of orchestration: activity management, resource management and sequencing of learning activities. Orchestration was comprehensively explored in order to identify the core aspects essential for streamlining technology-driven orchestration. Proof-of-concept orchestration toolkits, based on the proposed orchestration approach, were implemented and evaluated in order to assess the feasibility of the approach, its effectiveness and its potential impact on the teaching experience. Comparative analysis and guided orchestration controlled studies were conducted to compare the effectiveness of ad hoc orchestration with streamlined orchestration and to measure the orchestration load, respectively. In addition, a case study of a course that employed a flipped classroom strategy was conducted to assess the feasibility of the proposed approach. The feasibility was further assessed by integrating a workflow, based on the proposed approach, that facilitates the sharing of reusable orchestration packages. The results from the studies suggest that the streamlined approach is more effective when compared to ad hoc orchestration and has a potential to provide a positive user experience. The results also indicate that the approach imposes acceptable orchestration load during scripting of learning activities. Case studies conducted in authentic educational settings suggest that the approach is feasible, and potentially applicable to useful practical usage scenarios. The long-term implications are that streamlining of technology-driven orchestration could potentially improve the effectiveness of educators when orchestrating learning activities

    Enhancing curriculum design and delivery with OER

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    This paper reports on the key findings from the EVOL-OER project which aims to develop a deeper understanding of the reuse of open educational resources (OERs) by academics in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This paper builds on the JISC OER Impact study by exploring and expanding on the Ratified quadrant of the study’s landscape of reuse framework (White & Manton, 2011). This paper puts forward a different four-quadrant diagram called ‘OER-enhanced curriculum’ to illustrate different approaches adopted by academics to embedding OER into curriculum design and delivery. Key issues in relation to motivation and challenges in reusing OER are discussed

    Interaction Design Patterns und CSCL-Scripts fĂŒr Videolernumgebungen

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    In den letzten Jahren haben Lernvideos im Bereich des informellen und formellen Lernens an Bedeutung gewonnen. Inwieweit Lernende bei der Nutzung von Videos unterstĂŒtzt werden und Lehrende didaktische Szenarien umsetzen können, hĂ€ngt jedoch von der eingesetzten Videolernumgebung ab. Es ist Anliegen der vorliegende Arbeit, Prinzipien des User Interface Designs sowie Komponenten und Mechanismen videobasierter Lehr-Lern-Szenarien in Bezug auf Videolernumgebungen zu identifizieren, zu beschreiben und technisch zu realisieren. Das Ziel besteht darin, Gestaltungsprinzipien in Form von Interaction Design Patterns zu erarbeiten und computergestĂŒtzte videobasierte Lehr-Lern-Szenarien mit Hilfe von CSCL-Scripts durch eine geeignete Spezifikation und Formalisierung zu realisieren. FĂŒr die Erarbeitung der Interaction Design Patterns wurden 121 Videolernumgebungen hinsichtlich 50 Kategorien in einer Inhaltsanalyse empirisch untersucht und dokumentiert. Unter BerĂŒcksichtigung Ă€hnlicher Patterns aus thematisch verwandten Pattern Languages und den Erfahrungen aus der Implementierung und dem Einsatz von Videolernumgebungen entstanden 45 Interaction Design Patterns fĂŒr verbreitete Lösungen fĂŒr wiederkehrende Probleme bei der Gestaltung und Entwicklung von Videolernumgebungen. Diese Patterns wurden auf Pattern Konferenzen diskutiert und im Anschluss evaluiert sowie bei der Konzeption, Entwicklung und Bewertung mehrerer Videolernumgebungen angewendet. Zudem wurde das Software Framework VI-TWO vorgestellt, mit dem sich fast alle Patterns auf einfache Weise in Web-Anwendungen realisieren lassen. Zur Spezifikation videobasierter CSCL-Scripts wurden existierende videobasierte und nicht videobasierte Scripts analysiert. Im Ergebnis unterschieden sich videobasierte CSCL-Scripts von allgemeinen CSCL-Scripts vor allem hinsichtlich der mit dem Video verknĂŒpften oder darin verankerten Aufgaben und AktivitĂ€ten. Videos werden dabei nicht als monolithische Einheiten, sondern als zeitkontinuierliche Medien betrachtet, in denen weitere Informationen zeitgenau verankert und LernaktivitĂ€ten stattfinden können. Außerdem ließen sich drei Typen videobasierter CSCL-Scripts identifizieren: (1) Scripts zur Analyse und Diskussion von Videoinhalten, (2) Peer Annotation Scripts einschließlich dem Peer Assessment und (3) Jigsaw-Scripts, die das problembasierte Lernen mit Hilfe von Videos ermöglichen. UnabhĂ€ngig davon variiert die KomplexitĂ€t der Scripts auf drei Stufen: (1) sofern voneinander abgegrenzte zeitliche Phasen von LernaktivitĂ€ten bestehen, (2) wenn darĂŒber hinaus die Teilnehmer innerhalb von Gruppen Aufgaben bearbeiten (intra-group) und (3) falls außerdem Aufgaben auch gruppenĂŒbergreifend bearbeitet werden (inter-group). Auf Grundlage der Spezifikation konnte ein Datenmodell und ein Modell fĂŒr die nutzerseitige Modellierung von Scripts verschiedener KomplexitĂ€tsstufen sowie Typen entwickelt und in dem CSCL-System VI-LAB realisiert werden. Diese Arbeit leistet in zweifacher Hinsicht einen Beitrag zur Forschung im Bereich E-Learning. Zum einen beschreiben die Interaction Design Patterns wiederkehrende User Interface Lösungen und stellen somit ein Hilfsmittel fĂŒr Designer, Software Entwickler und Lehrende bei der Gestaltung und Implementierung von Videolernumgebungen dar. Zum anderen wurden durch die Spezifikation und softwareseitige Umsetzung videobasierter CSCL-Scripts Voraussetzungen geschaffen, die den praktischen Einsatz und die weitere Untersuchung des kollaborativen Lernens mit Videos ermöglichen.:1 EinfĂŒhrung 19 1.1 Motivation 19 1.2 Herausforderungen und Forschungsfragen 20 1.2.1 Interaction Design Patterns 20 1.2.2 Videobasierte CSCL-Scripts 22 1.3 KapitelĂŒbersicht und Forschungsmethoden 25 1.3.1 KapitelĂŒbersicht 25 1.3.2 Forschungsmethoden je Kapitel 27 2 Lernen mit Videos 29 2.1 Terminologie, Einsatzfelder und Potentiale von Lernvideos 30 2.1.1 Begriffsbestimmung 30 2.1.2 Einsatzfelder und Szenarien fĂŒr das Lernen mit Videos 32 2.1.3 Potentiale des Medium Video 34 2.2 Videos im Kontext kognitiver Lerntheorien 36 2.2.1 Theorie der kognitiven Last 36 2.2.2 Kognitive Theorie des Lernens mit Multimedia 38 2.3 InteraktivitĂ€t audiovisueller Lernmedien 44 2.4 Lernformen 48 2.4.1 Rezeptives Lernen 49 2.4.2 Selbstgesteuertes Lernen 50 2.4.3 Kollaboratives Lernen 52 2.5 Zusammenfassung 56 3 Videolernumgebungen und Hypervideos 59 3.1 Terminologie und Modelle 60 3.1.1 Videolernumgebung 60 3.1.2 Terminologie: Video, Hypervideo und interaktives Video 62 3.1.3 Spezifikationen fĂŒr Hypervideo-Dokumente 65 3.1.4 Modelle des zeitlichen Layouts 66 3.2 Human Video Interface 69 3.2.1 Gestaltungsraum von Hypervideos 70 3.2.2 Usability-Herausforderungen von Human Video Interfaces 74 3.3 Technische Herausforderungen 76 3.3.1 Download und Cache-Management / Echte Nicht-LinearitĂ€t 77 3.3.2 Synchronisierung von Video und Annotationen 78 3.3.3 Adressierung und Abruf von Medienfragmenten 78 3.3.4 Deklarative AnsĂ€tze der ReprĂ€sentation von Multimedia 80 3.4 Produktion und Integration in Lernumgebungen 81 3.4.1 Produktion: Vorgehensweisen und Paradigmen 82 3.4.2 Integration in Lernumgebungen und Zusammenspiel mit Diensten im WWW 85 3.5 Zusammenfassung 87 4 Interaction Design Patterns fĂŒr Videolernumgebungen 91 4.1 EinfĂŒhrung in Design Patterns 92 4.1.1 Design Patterns 95 4.1.2 Mustersprache 101 4.1.3 Verwandte AnsĂ€tze im Interaction Design 104 4.1.4 Verwandte Pattern Languages 106 4.2 Systematische Elaboration von Design Patterns 109 4.2.1 Stand der Forschung bzgldem Pattern Mining 110 4.2.2 Inhaltsanalyse von Videolernumgebungen 112 4.2.3 Analyse und Integration Ă€hnlicher Muster bzwMustersprachen 128 4.2.4 Verfassen sowie Revision und Evaluation der Muster 130 4.2.5 Konstruktion der Pattern Language 135 4.3 Pattern Language fĂŒr Videolernumgebungen 140 4.3.1 Struktur der Pattern Language 140 4.3.2 Angrenzende Mustersprachen 144 4.3.3 ReprĂ€sentation in einer Wissensbasis 145 4.3.4 Anwendungs- und Einsatzszenarien 148 4.3.5 Exemplarische Interaction Design Patterns 151 4.4 Zusammenfassung 168 5 Videobasierte CSCL-Scripts 171 5.1 EinfĂŒhrung 172 5.1.1 Hintergrund zu Scripts und CSCL-Scripts 172 5.1.2 Definition videobasierter CSCL-Scripts 175 5.1.3 Mehrwert und Potentiale 177 5.1.4 Typisierung videobasierter CSCL-Scripts 178 5.2 Spezifikation videobasierter CSCL-Scripts 184 5.2.1 Script-Komponenten 185 5.2.2 Script-Mechanismen 194 5.3 Modellierung von CSCL-Scripts 197 5.3.1 KomplexitĂ€tslevel 200 5.3.2 Verwandte Systeme und AnsĂ€tze zur Modellierung von Scripts 201 5.3.3 Konzept fĂŒr eine formale ReprĂ€sentation 206 5.3.4 Konzept zur Modellierung im User Interface 209 5.4 Zusammenfassung 212 6 Realisierung von Patterns und Scripts 215 6.1 VI-TWO: JavaScript Framework fĂŒr interaktive Videos 216 6.1.1 Anforderungen 217 6.1.2 Verwandte Arbeiten 219 6.1.3 Architektur von VI-TWO 222 6.1.4 Videoplayer 224 6.1.5 Videoannotationen 225 6.1.6 MakrointeraktivitĂ€t in Kollektionen von Videos 229 6.1.7 Autorenwerkzeuge 232 6.2 VI-LAB: CSCL-System fĂŒr videobasierte CSCL-Scripts 235 6.2.1 Anforderungen 236 6.2.2 Architektur von VI-LAB 238 6.2.3 Modellierung videobasierter CSCL-Scripts 241 6.2.4 Monitoring 244 6.3 Anwendungsbeispiele fĂŒr VI-TWO und VI-LAB 246 6.3.1 Vi-Wiki 246 6.3.2 IWRM education 247 6.3.3 VI-LAB (Version 1) auf Basis von Wordpress 247 6.3.4 VI-LAB (Version 2) auf Basis von node.js 248 6.3.5 Theresienstadt explained 249 6.4 Zusammenfassung 252 7 Schlussbetrachtung 255 7.1 Beitrag der Arbeit zur Forschung 255 7.2 Kritische WĂŒrdigung 256 7.3 Ausblick 25

    OpenCases: case studies on openness in education

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    OpenCases is a study which is part of the OpenEdu Project. It is a qualitative study consisting of a review of literature on open education and nine in-depth case studies of higher education institutions, a consortium of universities, a private organisation and a national initiative. It analysed the rationale and enabling conditions for involvement in open education, open education activities, strategies, impact, challenges and prospects. The main outcome of this study is evidence that a large number of OER have reached a large group of learners. However, completion rates of MOOCs are low. Accreditation is not formalised and in general its impact on employability is not measure

    Mont Blanc in British Literary Culture 1786 – 1826

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    This thesis makes an original contribution to the field of Romantic literary studies by adopting a geocritical framework alongside more conventional literary analysis to consider the relationship between Mont Blanc and British literature in the Romantic period, with a primary focus on the years 1786-1826. Essential to this approach is a methodology that focusses on the relationship between texts and both material place and the associations of material place in the mind. The geo-centred research presented in this thesis has deployed a range of strategies that has involved mapping texts, experiencing and examining material place in detail, and contextualising Mont Blanc writings within a broader understanding of mountain activity and the realities of mountain environments. Pictorial evidence has been used to support these methodologies and textual analyses. An original contribution is made towards understanding a number of major canonical and lesser-known British writings of the Romantic period, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s ‘Chamouny; The Hour Before Sunrise. A Hymn’ (1802) and ‘Kubla Khan’ (1816), William Wordsworth’s The Prelude (1805), Percy Bysshe Shelley’s ‘Mont Blanc’ (1817), Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) and The Last Man (1826), and Lord Byron’s Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage Canto III (1816) and Manfred (1817). While a number of previously unrecognised connections between selected Mont Blanc-oriented writings over a forty year period have been revealed, the thesis also presents an experiment that has tested the potentialities of a geocritical methodology
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