Designing for online learning communities

This paper investigates the development of sense of community among learners engaging in online learning where the principles of collaborative learning are considered key instructional strategies. In particular this paper explores the development of learner\u27s sense of community as an outcome of engaging in instructor initiated activities that are intended to promote community development. The paper discusses design principles for the development of sense of community identified in contemporary literature. In addition it reports a case study that sought to identify the forms of engagement and activity that promote community development, the manner in which students responded to these and the resulting sense of community

Herramientas informáticas para la Gestión del Conocimiento: un estudio de la situación actual

En este documento describimos una clasificación para sistemas de gestión del conocimiento basándonos en dos características técnicas que consideramos fimdamentales: el apoyo que prestan al trabajo colaborativo y el enfoque que tiene el sistema para proporcionar una estructura al conocimiento que maneja. Utilizando esta clasificación, hacemos un análisis de los que a criterio nuestro son los sistemas para la gestión del conocimiento mas interesantes tanto en el ámbito comercial, como en el desarrollo de proyectos de investigación. Este análisis lo ampliamos para los sistemas que cumplen con las dos características en las que basamos la clasificación y que denominamos Sistemas integrales para la Gestión del Conocimiento pretendiendo que esto sirva como una referencia técnica de estos sistemas

Annual Report, 2000-2001

Submitted by Charles E. Stegman, Dean, Aug. 1998-Aug. 1999; Interim Dean Sharon Hunt, Aug. 15, 2000 ; Dean Reed Greenwood, Aug. 2001-200

Desarrollo de software EUD centrado en el usuario final

Ponencia presentada en el XIII Congreso Internacional de Interacción Persona-Ordenador, organizado por AIPO en Elche, en octubre de 2012.Ponencia resumida publicada por ACM en inglés. Disponible en: http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2379636.2379660Recientemente, el auge de las TIC ha motivado que usuarios no programadores hayan tomado un papel activo en el entorno de la computación construyendo y personalizando artefactos software, lo que ha provocado una tendencia que aboga por transformar al usuario final en programador o diseñador de proyectos software. Este hecho puede desequilibrar las competencias profesionales, introducir un factor de riesgo implícito y producir un impacto socio-económico importante. En este artículo se analiza esta problemática y se proponen directrices que permitan potenciar los principios de diseño y asistir al usuario final en las tareas más complejas de personalización de soluciones software relacionadas con su dominio, en vez de que éste acabe programando y/o gestionando proyectos software. Para ello, se introducirán tres herramientas de soporte, y se evaluarán con respecto a su usabilidad alcanzada para demostrar el alcance y adecuación de dichas herramientas para el usuario final experto en su dominio pero no en computación.The growth of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) has recently motivated end users, with no computer science skills, to take an active role in the computing world by building and customizing software artifacts on their own according to specific needs. This trend has gradually transformed end users into programmers or software designers, thus taking part in technical development activities. However, this fact may introduce a risk factor and produce a significant socioeconomic impact in the way software is produced by such users, unbalancing the roles of both programmers and end users by giving technical roles to unskilled users. This article discusses such issues and proposes guidelines for enhancing design principles and assisting end users in most complex parts of domain-software customization, rather than enabling the user to program or manage software directly. To this end, in this paper three supporting tools are introduced to provide end users with authoring environments to easily customize software. The tools have been created under a user-centered paradigm, also evaluated in order to measure its usability and demonstrate the scope and adequacy for the end-user’s domain.Esta investigación ha sido subvencionada por el Ministerio de Educación, proyectos TIN2011-24139 y TIN2011-15009-E

Providing end-user facilities to simplify ontology-driven web application authoring

This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Interacting with Computers. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Interacting with Computers, Interacting with Computers 17, 4 (2007) DOI: 10.1016/j.intcom.2007.01.006Generally speaking, emerging web-based technologies are mostly intended for professional developers. They pay poor attention to users who have no programming abilities but need to customize software applications. At some point, such needs force end-users to act as designers in various aspects of software authoring and development. Every day, more new computing-related professionals attempt to create and modify existing applications in order to customize web-based artifacts that will help them carry out their daily tasks. In general they are domain experts rather than skilled software designers, and new authoring mechanisms are needed in order that they can accomplish their tasks properly. The work we present is an effort to supply end-users with easy mechanisms for authoring web-based applications. To complement this effort, we present a user study showing that it is possible to carry out a trade-off between expressiveness and ease of use in order to provide end-users with authoring facilities.The work reported in this paper is being partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (MCyT), projects TIN2005-06885 and TSI2005-08225-C07-06

Comparisons Of Proctored Versus Non-Proctored Testing Strategies In Graduate Distance Education Curriculum

The authors studied the testing pattern grades in four e-campus courses at Troy University with 76 graduate students. In their research, the authors found significant differences in average test grade scores between tests taken electronically without a proctor as compared to those administered using a live or a remote proctor overall. To control for differences among courses, a statistical test was solely conducted on the courses which had the same instructor, same text, and similar tests with comparable results; students scored significantly lower on proctored exams versus non-proctored exams. To enhance the quality of courses in the online environment, the researchers recommend several “best practices” pedagogical strategies based on their findings and an extensive literature review

Autoría de documentos web dinámicos mediante ontologías y técnicas de programación por demostración

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Escuela Politécnica Superior, Departamento de Ingeniería Informática. Fecha de lectura: 16-09-200

Multimedia teaching cases

SUMMARY The summary presents an overview of the dissertation and major findings of my research: · Research Area, Questions and Design · Frame of Reference - Domain Knowledge · Major Findings Research Area, Questions and Design This dissertation investigates development and use of multimedia teaching cases, as applied in business education. Teaching cases present companies, and the current problems or opportunities they are facing. (Barnes, Christensen and Hansen 1994, Maufette- Leenders, Erskine and Leenders 1997, Heath 1998, Manninen 1997.) The primary characteristic is that the case is based on real events. Very often the case description follows a decision-making situation. (Mauffette-Leenders, Erskine, and Leenders 1997, Hazard 2000.) The case is prepared by students and then discussed in class. The objective of the class discussion is to analyse the company's situation and come up with viable strategies for the future (Leenders and Erskine 1989, Heath 1998, Orngreen and Bielli 2001). Cases were introduced to business education already in 1910 at the Harvard Business School, and have since then gained widespread use throughout the world (Leenders and Erskine 1989). Traditionally teaching cases have been written descriptions, but the teaching cases in this dissertation are multimedia cases. The use of multimedia teaching cases is a relatively new phenomenon. Because of the novelty of the approach, research on how to apply these or developing them is extremely limited. Though I investigate both a use and a development perspective, the use dimension is investigated with the purpose to inform development. In particular the dissertation results in a set of roles and tools influencing the development process, which is also seen in my three research questions: 1. Which roles and tools characterise the development and use of multimedia teaching cases for business education? 2. How are these roles and tools applied to the multimedia development process, and how do they support or restrain the development. 3. How are the development roles and tools, and the use roles and tools interrelated, and how do they relate to a development model for multimedia teaching cases