Security in online learning assessment towards an effective trustworthiness approach to support e-learning teams

(c) 2014 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other users, including reprinting/ republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted components of this work in other works.This paper proposes a trustworthiness model for the design of secure learning assessment in on-line collaborative learning groups. Although computer supported collaborative learning has been widely adopted in many educational institutions over the last decade, there exist still drawbacks which limit their potential in collaborative learning activities. Among these limitations, we investigate information security requirements in on-line assessment, (e-assessment), which can be developed in collaborative learning contexts. Despite information security enhancements have been developed in recent years, to the best of our knowledge, integrated and holistic security models have not been completely carried out yet. Even when security advanced methodologies and technologies are deployed in Learning Management Systems, too many types of vulnerabilities still remain opened and unsolved. Therefore, new models such as trustworthiness approaches can overcome these lacks and support e-assessment requirements for e-Learning. To this end, a trustworthiness model is designed in order to conduct the guidelines of a holistic security model for on-line collaborative learning through effective trustworthiness approaches. In addition, since users' trustworthiness analysis involves large amounts of ill-structured data, a parallel processing paradigm is proposed to build relevant information modeling trustworthiness levels for e-Learning.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

A collective intelligence approach for building student's trustworthiness profile in online learning

(c) 2014 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other users, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted components of this work in other works.Information and communication technologies have been widely adopted in most of educational institutions to support e-Learning through different learning methodologies such as computer supported collaborative learning, which has become one of the most influencing learning paradigms. In this context, e-Learning stakeholders, are increasingly demanding new requirements, among them, information security is considered as a critical factor involved in on-line collaborative processes. Information security determines the accurate development of learning activities, especially when a group of students carries out on-line assessment, which conducts to grades or certificates, in these cases, IS is an essential issue that has to be considered. To date, even most advances security technological solutions have drawbacks that impede the development of overall security e-Learning frameworks. For this reason, this paper suggests enhancing technological security models with functional approaches, namely, we propose a functional security model based on trustworthiness and collective intelligence. Both of these topics are closely related to on-line collaborative learning and on-line assessment models. Therefore, the main goal of this paper is to discover how security can be enhanced with trustworthiness in an on-line collaborative learning scenario through the study of the collective intelligence processes that occur on on-line assessment activities. To this end, a peer-to-peer public student's profile model, based on trustworthiness is proposed, and the main collective intelligence processes involved in the collaborative on-line assessments activities, are presented.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

An information security model based on trustworthiness for enhancing security in on-line collaborative learning

L'objectiu principal d'aquesta tesi és incorporar propietats i serveis de la seguretat en sistemes d'informació en l'aprenentatge col·laboratiu en línia, seguint un model funcional basat en la valoració i predicció de la confiança. Aquesta tesi estableix com a punt de partença el disseny d'una solució de seguretat innovadora, basada en una metodologia pròpia per a oferir als dissenyadors i gestors de l'e-learning les línies mestres per a incorporar mesures de seguretat en l'aprenentatge col·laboratiu en línia. Aquestes guies cobreixen tots els aspectes sobre el disseny i la gestió que s'han de considerar en els processos relatius a l'e-learning, entre altres l'anàlisi de seguretat, el disseny d'activitats d'aprenentatge, la detecció d'accions anòmales o el processament de dades sobre confiança. La temàtica d'aquesta tesi té una naturalesa multidisciplinària i, al seu torn, les diferents disciplines que la formen estan íntimament relacionades. Les principals disciplines de què es tracta en aquesta tesi són l'aprenentatge col·laboratiu en línia, la seguretat en sistemes d'informació, els entorns virtuals d'aprenentatge (EVA) i la valoració i predicció de la confiança. Tenint en compte aquest àmbit d'aplicació, el problema de garantir la seguretat en els processos d'aprenentatge col·laboratiu en línia es resol amb un model híbrid construït sobre la base de solucions funcionals i tecnològiques, concretament modelatge de la confiança i solucions tecnològiques per a la seguretat en sistemes d'informació.El principal objetivo de esta tesis es incorporar propiedades y servicios de la seguridad en sistemas de información en el aprendizaje colaborativo en línea, siguiendo un modelo funcional basado en la valoración y predicción de la confianza. Esta tesis establece como punto de partida el diseño de una solución de seguridad innovadora, basada en una metodología propia para ofrecer a los diseñadores y gestores del e-learning las líneas maestras para incorporar medidas de seguridad en el aprendizaje colaborativo en línea. Estas guías cubren todos los aspectos sobre el diseño y la gestión que hay que considerar en los procesos relativos al e-learning, entre otros el análisis de la seguridad, el diseño de actividades de aprendizaje, la detección de acciones anómalas o el procesamiento de datos sobre confianza. La temática de esta tesis tiene una naturaleza multidisciplinar y, a su vez, las diferentes disciplinas que la forman están íntimamente relacionadas. Las principales disciplinas tratadas en esta tesis son el aprendizaje colaborativo en línea, la seguridad en sistemas de información, los entornos virtuales de aprendizaje (EVA) y la valoración y predicción de la confianza. Teniendo en cuenta este ámbito de aplicación, el problema de garantizar la seguridad en los procesos de aprendizaje colaborativo en línea se resuelve con un modelo híbrido construido en base a soluciones funcionales y tecnológicas, concretamente modelado de la confianza y soluciones tecnológicas para la seguridad en sistemas de información.This thesis' main goal is to incorporate information security properties and services into online collaborative learning using a functional approach based on trustworthiness assessment and prediction. As a result, this thesis aims to design an innovative security solution, based on methodological approaches, to provide e-learning designers and managers with guidelines for incorporating security into online collaborative learning. These guidelines include all processes involved in e-learning design and management, such as security analysis, learning activity design, detection of anomalous actions, trustworthiness data processing, and so on. The subject of this research is multidisciplinary in nature, with the different disciplines comprising it being closely related. The most significant ones are online collaborative learning, information security, learning management systems (LMS), and trustworthiness assessment and prediction models. Against this backdrop, the problem of securing collaborative online learning activities is tackled by a hybrid model based on functional and technological solutions, namely, trustworthiness modelling and information security technologies

A methodological approach to modelling trustworthiness in online collaborative learning

(c) 2014 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other users, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted components of this work in other works.Trustworthiness and technological security solutions are closely related to online collaborative learning as they can be combined with the aim of reaching information security requirements for e-Learning participants and designers. In this paper, we justify the need of trustworthiness models as a functional requirement devoted to improve information security. To this end, we propose a methodological approach to modelling trustworthiness in online collaborative learning. Our proposal sets out to build a theoretical approach with the aim to provide e-Learning designers and managers with guidelines for incorporating security into online collaborative activities through trustworthiness assessment and prediction.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

E-Learning Security Challenges, Implementation and Improvement in Developing Countries: A Review

The application of e-learning technology in teaching and learning environment in developing countries has created a significant impact especially to students and staff. Despite the fact that it attended a high level of acceptability, there are various security threats and implementation challenges militating against effective utilization of the e-learning platform. This paper, reviewed the impact associated with security vulnerabilities and implementation issues that impede successful e-learning implementation. Specifically, the review examined the effect of security challenges in e-learning and viability of e-learning implementation. This review found that there is need to develop a viable and holistic approach model that combines both biometric fingerprint and cryptography authentication techniques for the e-learning platform. It is recommended that there is need for adequate and uninterruptable bandwidth and power supply for e-learning sustainability. Keywords: security challenges, implementation, e-learning, ICT and trustworthiness

Towards a normalized trustworthiness approach to enhance security in on-line assessment

(c) 2014 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other users, including reprinting/ republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted components of this work in other works.This paper proposes an approach to enhance information security in on-line assessment based on a normalized trustworthiness model. Among collaborative e-Learning drawbacks which are not completely solved, we have investigated information security requirements in on-line assessment (e-assessment). To the best of our knowledge, security requirements cannot be reached with technology alone, therefore, new models such as trustworthiness approaches can complete technological solutions and support e-assessment requirements for e-Learning. Although trustworthiness models can be defined and included as a service in e-assessment security frameworks, there are multiple factors related to trustworthiness which cannot be managed without normalization. Among these factors we discuss trustworthiness multiple sources, different data source formats, measure techniques and other trustworthiness factors such as rules, evolution or context. Hence, in this paper, we justify why trustworthiness normalization is needed and a normalized trustworthiness model is proposed by reviewing existing normalization procedures for trustworthy values applied to e-assessments. Eventually, we examine the potential of our normalized trustworthiness model in a real online collaborative learning course.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Predicting trustworthiness behavior to enhance security in on-line assessment

(c) 2014 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other users, including reprinting/ republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted components of this work in other works.Over the last decade, information security has been considered a key issue in e-Learning design. Although security requirements can be met with advanced technological approaches and these solutions offer feasible methods in many e-Learning scenarios, on-line assessment activities usually show specific issues that cannot be solved with technology alone. In addition, security vulnerabilities in on-line assessment impede the development of an overall model devoted to manage secure on-line assessment. In this paper, we propose an innovative approach to enhance technological security solutions with trustworthiness. To this end, we endow previous trustworthiness models with prediction features by composing trustworthiness modeling and assessment, normalization methods, history sequences, and neural network-based approaches. In order to validate our approach, we present a peer-to-peer on-line assessment model carried out in a real online course.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Expanding the context for student learning of science: The conceptual development of the New Zealand Science Learning Hub

Student engagement in science is an issue of international concern. Research indicates that one way to increase engagement in science is to involve students in authentic and relevant contexts that promote an enquiry-based stance. A key aspect to engaging students is to provide teachers with educative materials. In today’s world teachers and students look to web-based materials for their own development and learning. This paper will provide a conceptual framework for the development of the New Zealand Science Learning Hub as well as describing the process of its development, its component parts and their relationship to the conceptual frame

The Global People landscaping study: intercultural effectiveness in global education partnerships

The Context The Higher Education sector in the UK is experiencing a period of rapid and competitive internationalisation. The market for higher education, at undergraduate and post graduate levels, is now truly global: many potential students can make choices about study destinations between an enormous range of institutions in any of the five continents. The audience for research is also global, with a proliferation of domestic and international journals, a multitude of international conferences in every discipline and widely disseminated international indices, ranking universities in terms of their publication and teaching performance. In particular, the recent growth of the major Asian economies has re-shaped the profile of many UK universities both in the composition of their student bodies and also in the number, nature and importance of their overseas partnerships. This Study It is within this context that the Global People project has been established, with the objective of providing knowledge and resources that will support those in the UK Higher Education sector who work, or wish to work, in international collaborations. Phases 1 and 2 of the eChina Programme (see Section1, Introduction) generated a great deal of learning about managing international education projects and Phase 3 of the Programme, the Global People project, was instigated with the aim of capturing this emergent knowledge for the benefit of others. This current report is a Landscaping Study that argues for the value of developing intercultural competence in order to better understand, create and manage productive and enjoyable partnerships with educational institutions outside the UK. Our arguments are supported by data from a wide range of research in disciplines as diverse as applied linguistics and international management. Key Findings a) The need for cultural awareness and sensitivity to diversity has been well established from studies in a range of disciplines. The high risks of mishandling intercultural interaction have prompted the development of a substantial literature both on perceived cultural differences and on the competencies that might be acquired to deal with this challenge. Although this concern has been driven by the financial requirements of international business, the internationalisation of Higher Education has imposed similar requirements on universities engaging in international collaboration. The challenge for academics and project managers is, within limited resources, to develop effective ways of identifying and acquiring the competencies needed to be interculturally effective. b) Interest in the cultural values of Chinese society has never been higher as global interaction with China, through business, government, education and science expands exponentially. There is a real danger in generalising about any nation’s cultural values and especially one where society and economy are changing so rapidly. However, the recent literature on China – from a number of disciplinary perspectives – argues that the influence of traditional Confucian values on Chinese behaviour is still strong. This means that values such as propriety, trustworthiness and the desire for harmony are still reflected in behaviour that is more relationship-based, restrained and consensual than may be normal in Western business relations. Working with Chinese partners will still be facilitated by an understanding of the centrality of social networks to Chinese private and public life and interaction in working teams will benefit from an appreciation of the Chinese respect for hierarchy and reluctance to pass judgement openly on colleagues. c) The majority of the work done on the impact of culture on e-learning has focused on issues of content and materials design. Too frequently this has been a concern for adaptation of existing materials for a local audience, rather than collaborative development of new materials by an intercultural team. As a consequence, there is limited insight into the complexities of designing and delivering learning programmes in different cultural contexts. What the research does show is that learning styles and preferences can vary between cultures and that this is related to the varying pedagogies dominant in particular national cultures. Understanding the implications of this diversity of pedagogies and reconciling cultural differences remain substantial challenges for those adapting or designing online learning programmes across a variety of cultures. d) Research into the performance of international teams offers many insights into good management practice. Principles of team selection, development, leadership and collaboration are well-established in the literature on global management and multinational partnerships. These principles recognise the importance of organisational culture, occupational culture and team roles as additional dimensions to that of national culture in influencing behaviour in project groups. International collaborations are viewed as complex dynamic systems which move through a life cycle, with valuable opportunities for reflection, learning and performance improvement. The implementation of transparent, and mutually agreed, norms, procedures and objectives is regarded as crucial to effective collaboration. e) At the level of the individual, an extensive literature exists on the competencies required to be effective in intercultural interaction. There is an apparently high degree of consensus on the core competencies that should be acquired by the culturally effective individual. Chief among these are self-awareness, cultural knowledge, language proficiency, openness, flexibility and communication skills. However, in many cases there is, at best, limited data to support the theories put forward. There is also a lack of clarity in the use of terminology, with no guarantee that researchers are using terms in the same way. The more detailed, applied research has succeeded in teasing out the knowledge and skills that may be critical in successful interaction by further breaking down broad competencies (e.g. ‘openness’) into more detailed behaviours (‘openness to new thinking; positive acceptance of different behaviour). A Way Forward A major obstacle to accessing and utilising the current knowledge and guidance on intercultural effectiveness is its dispersion across a large number of disciplines and the consequent disparity of the conceptual models and terminology employed. A framework for understanding intercultural effectiveness in international projects has a very high potential value to a wide range of professionals engaged in cross-cultural collaboration. There is substantial learning to be gained from the insights of different research disciplines but these insights need to be brought together in a way that practitioners from any field can access them without specialist knowledge. These ambitions have materialised in the form of the Toolbook, which is specifically designed to be used as a self-explanatory guide, complete with tools to stimulate awareness-raising and to encourage reflection on available resources and current practices

High School Student Reactions to an Interdisciplinary Teaching Method in Agricultural Education

Tomorrow’s agricultural workforce will face challenges in the form of complex problems that transcend disciplinary boundaries, including food security. Addressing these complex issues requires professionals to work within and across disciplines in ways that may not have been required in previous generations. Teaching using an interdisciplinary approach may be one approach to helping students develop the skills needed to address these problems. The purpose of this study was to explore student reactions to being taught with an interdisciplinary teaching method in a secondary agricultural education context. Overall, students reacted favorably to this interdisciplinary teaching approach. Several student characteristics contributed to their reactions. Multiple aspects of the facilitation process also impacted student reactions, as did specific features of the interdisciplinary approach. The interdisciplinary teaching approach produced several learning outcomes beyond the technical concepts, including gaining new perspectives and critical thinking. Recommendations for teachers and recommendations for additional research are provided