Personalizing the design of computer‐based instruction to enhance learning

This paper reports two studies designed to investigate the effect on learning outcomes of matching individuals’ preferred cognitive styles to computer‐based instructional (CBI) material. Study 1 considered the styles individually as Verbalizer, Imager, Wholist and Analytic. Study 2 considered the bi‐dimensional nature of cognitive styles in order to assess the full ramification of cognitive styles on learning: Analytic/Imager, Analytic/ Verbalizer, Wholist/Imager and the Wholist/Verbalizer. The mix of images and text, the nature of the text material, use of advance organizers and proximity of information to facilitate meaningful connections between various pieces of information were some of the considerations in the design of the CBI material. In a quasi‐experimental format, students’ cognitive styles were analysed by Cognitive Style Analysis (CSA) software. On the basis of the CSA result, the system defaulted students to either matched or mismatched CBI material by alternating between the two formats. The instructional material had a learning and a test phase. Learning outcome was tested on recall, labelling, explanation and problem‐solving tasks. Comparison of the matched and mismatched instruction did not indicate significant difference between the groups, but the consistently better performance by the matched group suggests potential for further investigations where the limitations cited in this paper are eliminated. The result did indicate a significant difference between the four cognitive styles with the Wholist/Verbalizer group performing better then all other cognitive styles. Analysing the difference between cognitive styles on individual test tasks indicated significant difference on recall, labelling and explanation, suggesting that certain test tasks may suit certain cognitive styles

A New Competence-based Approach for Personalizing MOOCs in a Mobile Collaborative and Networked Environment

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a new disruptive development in higher education that combines openness and scalability in a most powerful way. They have the potential to widen participation in higher education. Thus, they contribute to social inclusion, the dissemination of knowledge and pedagogical innovation and also the internationalization of higher education institutions. However, one of the critical elements for a massive open language learning experience to be successful is to empower learners and to facilitate networked learning experiences. In fact, MOOCs are designed for an undefined number of participants, thus serving a high heterogeneity of profiles, with diverse learning styles and prior knowledge, and also contexts of participation and diversity of online platforms. Personalization can play a key role in this process. The iMOOC pedagogical model introduced the notion of diversity to MOOC design, allowing for a clear differentiation of learning paths and also virtual environments. In this article, the authors present a proposal based on the iMOOC approach for a new framework for personalizing and adapting MOOCs designed in a collaborative, networked pedagogical approach by identifying each participant's competence profile and prior knowledge, as well as the respective mobile communication device used to generate matching personalized learning. This article also shows the results obtained in a laboratory environment after an experiment has been performed with a prototype of the framework. It can be observed that creating personalized learning paths is possible and the next step is to test this framework with real experimental groups.Los cursos en línea masivos y abiertos (MOOC) son una nueva tendencia rompedora en la educación superior. Estos cursos combinan la propiedad de ser abiertos con la posibilidad de ser escalables de una forma muy potente. Tienen el potencial de permitir la participación en la educación superior para todas las personas, a todos los niveles. Por lo tanto, contribuyen a la inclusión social, la difusión del conocimiento y la innovación pedagógica, así como la internalización de las instituciones de educación superior. Sin embargo, uno de los elementos críticos para que tenga éxito una experiencia de aprendizaje de forma abierta y masiva es potenciar y facilitar una red de aprendizaje. De hecho, los MOOC no están diseñados para un número predefinido de participantes por lo que sirven para un alto número de perfiles heterogéneos, con diversidad de estilos de aprendizaje y conocimientos previos, pero también contextos de participación y diversidad de plataformas online. La personalización puede desempeñar un papel clave en este proceso. El modelo pedagógico iMOOC introdujo el principio de diversidad en el diseño de MOOC, permitiendo una clara diferenciación de caminos de aprendizaje y también entornos virtuales. En este artículo los autores presentan una propuesta basada en el enfoque de iMOOC, sobre un nuevo sistema para la personalización y adaptación de MOOC diseñados en un enfoque colaborativo y en una red pedagógica. El mecanismo es identificar cada competencia del perfil de los participantes, el conocimiento previo que estos tienen así como detectar sus respectivos dispositivos móviles, y se genera un camino de aprendizaje personalizado en base a estos parámetros. Este artículo también muestra los resultados obtenidos en un entorno de laboratorio después de un experimento llevado a cabo con un prototipo del sistema. Se puede observar que es posible crear caminos de aprendizaje personalizados y que el siguiente paso es probar este sistema con grupos experimentales reales

Adapting e-learning and learning services for people with disabilities

Providing learning materials and support services that are adapted to the needs of individuals has the potential to enable learners to obtain maximal benefit from university level studies. This paper describes EU4ALL project which has been exploring how to present customized learning materials and services for people with disabilities. A number of the technical components of the EU4ALL framework are described. This is followed with a brief description of prototype implementations. This is then followed by a discussion of a number of research directions that may enhance the adaptability, usability and accessibility of information and support systems can be used and consumed by a diverse user population

Designing location based learning experiences for people with intellectual disabilities and additional sensory impairments

The research reported here is part of a larger project which seeks to combine serious games (or games based learning) with location based services to help people with intellectual disability and additional sensory impairments to develop work based skills. Specifically this paper reports on where these approaches are combined to scaffold the learning of new routes and ultimately independent travel to new work and educational opportunities. A phased development methodology is applied in a user sensitive manner, to ensure that user feedback drives the ongoing development process. Methods to structure this include group feedback on conceptual storyboards, expert review of prototypes using usability heuristics relating to the main system goals, and finally co-discovery methods with student pairs exploring all three modes of the system in real world contexts. Aspects of developmental and cognitive psychological theories are also reviewed and it is suggested that combining games based learning approaches with location based services is an appropriate combination of technologies for an application specifically designed to scaffold route learning for this target audience

Investigating heuristic evaluation as a methodology for evaluating pedagogical software: An analysis employing three case studies

This paper looks specifically at how to develop light weight methods of evaluating pedagogically motivated software. Whilst we value traditional usability testing methods this paper will look at how Heuristic Evaluation can be used as both a driving force of Software Engineering Iterative Refinement and end of project Evaluation. We present three case studies in the area of Pedagogical Software and show how we have used this technique in a variety of ways. The paper presents results and reflections on what we have learned. We conclude with a discussion on how this technique might inform on the latest developments on delivery of distance learning. © 2014 Springer International Publishing

Museums and the Metaverse: Emerging Technologies to Promote Inclusivity and Engagement

Over the past two decades, museums have increasingly sought to build connections with the community and increase inclusivity of visitors. At the same time, emerging technologies, such as extended reality (XR) and virtual museums (VM) are increasingly adopted to engage with different generational expectations but also for the purposes of supporting inclusivity and neurodiverse populations. First such technologies were adopted to augment exhibitions in the physical museum space for edutainment. Since then, XR has expanded from room-size environments (CAVEs) and augmented exhibitions to the creation of entire virtual museums, such as The Museum of Pure Form and The Virtual Museum of Sculpture. Digital twins of museums are increasingly common, along with UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Such virtual experiences can be leveraged to prepare neurodiverse visitors prior to visiting a museum. This chapter will outline how existing approaches to social stories and sensory maps may be combined with XR experiences to support neurodiverse visitors and their families. While onsite, immersive technologies can be used both for engagement and to provide accommodations for greater inclusivity and diversity

Assessing BEAR: Tool Usability for Wireless CTF

Capture the Flag (CTF) is a common and popular type of event in the cyber security space with audiences ranging from large security conference participants to even those in middle or high school. Event participants bring their favorite set of tools and any level of knowledge they have to compete against other teams in solving cyber security related challenges. These types of challenges can range anywhere from reverse engineering programs and hacking WiFi to utilizing interesting command line commands and messing with browser developer consoles. There are plenty of general CTF events that happen throughout every month, as well as plenty of resources for those. However, CTFs focused on wireless technologies are not as prevalent. Just this last year a Wireless themed CTF, named Wireless CTF (WCTF), became publicly available to participate in. With this CTF as the target, a tool set will be put together in this thesis to help introduce some of WCTF\u27s topics: WiFi penetration testing, POCSAG radio signal decoding, and Morse Code Signal Decoding. Tools will be chosen based on the BEAR scoring rubric, created in this thesis, to assess a given tools usability, and chosen tools will be used against challenge topics found in WCTF to test the validity of the scoring rubric and evaluate changes in a participants knowledge of each topic

Bridging Educational Frontiers: AI-Adaptive Learning, Subscription Strategies, and the Quest for Global Online MBA Accessibility

This research dives deep into the rapidly evolving realm of postgraduate online education, mainly focusing on online MBA programs. The study unveils significant patterns and fresh perspectives through comprehensive content analysis and participant interviews. The transformative potential of AI in personalizing learning experiences has been recognized, with AI-AL tools highlighted as not just tools for automation but as dynamic partners in curating individualized learning experiences. Another significant discovery is the “resignated acceptance” phenomenon, revealing society's shift towards accepting technology’s omnipresence in education. Moreover, the rise of subscription-based models indicates a shift towards democratizing elite education, though questions arise regarding its long-term implications on educational quality. Practical implications suggest educational institutions could leverage AI to optimize student learning experiences and explore subscription-based pricing strategies to increase access. However, a balanced approach, ensuring the human touch in education remains, is crucial. Furthermore, emphasizing local collaborations when expanding into new regions is essential. This study underscores the importance of adapting to technological advancements while ensuring holistic, high-quality, and globally inclusive educational experiences.Tässä tutkimuksessa syvennytään nopeasti kehittyvään jatko-opintojen verkkokoulutuksen maailmaan, keskittyen erityisesti verkkoon perustuviin MBA-ohjelmiin. Tutkimus paljastaa merkittäviä malleja ja tuoreita näkökulmia kattavan sisällönanalyysin ja osallistujahaastattelujen kautta. Tekoälyn muutosvoima oppimiskokemusten personoinnissa on tunnustettu, ja "AI-AL" työkalut korostuvat ei vain automaation välineinä, vaan dynaamisina kumppaneina yksilöllisten oppimiskokemusten kuratoinnissa. Toinen merkittävä löydös on "resignated acceptance" ilmiö, joka paljastaa yhteiskunnan siirtymisen kohti teknologian kaikkialla läsnä olevan hyväksymistä koulutuksessa. Lisäksi tilauspohjaisten mallien nousu viittaa siirtymään kohti eliittikoulutuksen demokratisointia, vaikka herääkin kysymyksiä sen pitkän aikavälin vaikutuksista koulutuksen laatuun. Käytännön seurauksena koulutuslaitokset voisivat hyödyntää tekoälyä optimoidakseen opiskelijoiden oppimiskokemuksia ja tutkia tilauspohjaisia hinnoittelustrategioita lisätäkseen saatavuutta. Kuitenkin tasapainoinen lähestymistapa, joka varmistaa inhimillisen kosketuksen säilymisen koulutuksessa, on ratkaisevan tärkeää. Lisäksi on olennaista korostaa paikallisia yhteistyökumppanuuksia laajentuessa uusille alueille. Tämä tutkimus korostaa teknologisiin edistysaskeliin sopeutumisen tärkeyttä samalla varmistaen kokonaisvaltaiset, korkealaatuiset ja maailmanlaajuisesti inklusiiviset koulutuskokemukset