RTST Trend Report: lead theme Contextualisation

Specht, M., Börner, D., Tabuenca, B., Ternier, S., De Vries, F., Kalz, M., Drachsler, H., & Schmitz, B. (2012). RTST Trend Report: lead theme Contextualisation. Deliverable 1.7 of STELLAR network of excellence. Heerlen, The Netherlands.In summary this trend-scouting report highlights different design dimensions of contextualizing learning. On the one hand designing educational context: the components and constituents of the educational setting, which also have to be orchestrated in an instructional design or the process of orchestration (Luckin, 2010, Specht, 2009) on the other hand bridging and linking learning contexts for seamless learning support: Wong et al. define design dimensions of seamless learning experiences and which gaps they identify and what challenges must be tackled to create seamless learning experiences (Wong, 2011).STELLAR Network of Excellence, Grant 23191

Do tangible interfaces enhance learning?

Conceptual work on tangible interfaces has focused primarily on the production of descriptive frameworks. While this work has been successful in mapping out a space of technical possibilities and providing a terminology to ground discussion, it provides little guidance on the cognitive or social effects of using one type of interface or another. In this paper we look at the area of learning with tangible interfaces, suggesting that more empirically grounded research is needed to guide development. We provide an analytic framework of six perspectives, which describes latent trends and assumptions that might be used to motivate and guide this work, and makes links with existing research in cognitive science and education

Enhancing learning with technology

Specht, M., & Klemke, R. (2013, 26-27 September). Enhancing Learning with Technology. In D. Milosevic (Ed.), Proceedings of the fourth international conference on eLearning (eLearning 2013) (pp. 37-45). Belgrade Metropolitan University, Belgrade, Serbia. http://econference.metropolitan.ac.rs/We are living in a technology-enhanced world. Also learning is affected by recent, upcoming, and foreseen technological changes. This paper gives a bird’s eye view to technological trends and reflects how learning can benefit from them

Innovation und Trends für Mobiles Lernen

Der Beitrag zeigt aktuelle Trends im Bereich der mobilen und ubiquitären Lerntechnologien auf, welche die klassischen Konzepte von Mobilem Lernen erweitern: a) Mobiler und allgegenwärtiger Zugang zu Lerninhalten b) unterbrechungsfreie Lernunterstützung oder "Seamless Learning Support", die nahtlose Integration von Lernunterstützung in gemischten Lernszenarien, c) Smartphones und Sensoren im Mobilen Lernen, d) Mobile Gaming und mobile Augmented Reality und e) situierte eingebettete Displays. Anhand dieser Trends werden die Konsequenzen für das didaktische Design und darunter liegende Lernkonzepte diskutiert

A Framework for Adaptive Learning Design in a Web-Conferencing Environment

Many recent technologies provide the ability to dynamically adjust the interface depending on the emerging cognitive and collaborative needs of the learning episode. This means that educators can adaptively re-design the learning environment during the lesson, rather than purely relying on pre-emptive learning design thinking. Based on a three-semester design-based research study this paper explores how adaptive learning design can be used to provide learning environments that enable more effective collaboration and representation of information. The analysis culminates in a framework for adaptive learning design of a web-conferencing environment that depends on the type of knowledge being represented and the nature of interaction anticipated. Heuristics for adaptive learning design in synchronous multimodal environments are presented, and the potential role of students as co-designers is also discussed

Design and Implementation of Online Learning Environments

This thesis describes a systematic approach in the design and implementation of online learning environments. This approach incorporates the principles of human learning as well as the best practices in software engineering. This thesis implements a conceptual model for the design, and it describes how software elements can be developed to comply with the model. In the context of this research two online environments are developed and analyzed. The end product of this approach is a robust and reusable software architecture, a framework for design, and an effective and engaging model suited to online learning environments

Player–Game Interaction and Cognitive Gameplay: A Taxonomic Framework for the Core Mechanic of Videogames

Cognitive gameplay—the cognitive dimension of a player’s experience—emerges from the interaction between a player and a game. While its design requires careful consideration, cognitive gameplay can be designed only indirectly via the design of game components. In this paper, we focus on one such component—the core mechanic—which binds a player and game together through the performance of essential interactions. Little extant research has been aimed at developing frameworks to support the design of interactions within the core mechanic with cognitive gameplay in mind. We present a taxonomic framework named INFORM (Interaction desigN For the cORe Mechanic) to address this gap. INFORM employs twelve micro-level elements that collectively give structure to any individual interaction within the core mechanic. We characterize these elements in the context of videogames, and discuss their potential influences on cognitive gameplay. We situate these elements within a broader framework that synthesizes concepts relevant to game design. INFORM is a descriptive framework, and provides a common vocabulary and a set of concepts that designers can use to think systematically about issues related to micro-level interaction design and cognitive gameplay

Player–Game Interaction and Cognitive Gameplay: A Taxonomic Framework for the Core Mechanic of Videogames

Cognitive gameplay—the cognitive dimension of a player’s experience—emerges from the interaction between a player and a game. While its design requires careful consideration, cognitive gameplay can be designed only indirectly via the design of game components. In this paper, we focus on one such component—the core mechanic—which binds a player and game together through the performance of essential interactions. Little extant research has been aimed at developing frameworks to support the design of interactions within the core mechanic with cognitive gameplay in mind. We present a taxonomic framework named INFORM (Interaction desigN For the cORe Mechanic) to address this gap. INFORM employs twelve micro-level elements that collectively give structure to any individual interaction within the core mechanic. We characterize these elements in the context of videogames, and discuss their potential influences on cognitive gameplay. We situate these elements within a broader framework that synthesizes concepts relevant to game design. INFORM is a descriptive framework, and provides a common vocabulary and a set of concepts that designers can use to think systematically about issues related to micro-level interaction design and cognitive gameplay