Cross-project learning : a study based on the Israeli electronics defence industry

This thesis alms to develop a comprehensive understanding of cross-project learning in multiple-project environments. Cross-project learning is the process through which technologies are transferred and reused within organisations. Recent years have seen a growing interest in cross-project learning. However, research in this area has emphasised the rational, classical approach to crossproject learning. Also, the majority of research on cross-project learning has largely been on the automobile industry in Japan and the USA. Thirdly, research in this field has failed to assess the impact that cross-project learning has had on other organisational processes in product development. The conclusions of these studies are context-specific, fragmented and lack any critical assessment of the process of introducing cross-project learning. This study argues that a rather different approach to cross-project learning is needed. A three-level analysis is applied in the present study that highlights operational, dysfunctional and strategic aspects in cross-project learning. The empirical core of the research is the evidence from three in-depth case studies conducted in the Israeli electronics defence industry. Three different approaches to cross-project learning have been identified at the operational level, offering organisational mechanisms and managerial practices that have not previously been reported. At the dysfunctional operations level, the study reveals that the introduction of innovations in cross-project learning has impacted the past harmony between expertise development and knowledge management practices. The findings suggest that this harmony has broken down while the knowledge management and expertise development practices have been further transformed and developed. Lastly, at the strategic level of analysis, two potential cross-project learning strategies have been detected: exploit product success and design to reuse. A contingency model that emphasises the evolutionary development path of 'modes of reusability', subject to the 'strategic development' of the studied companies, concludes this study

New learning opportunities in a networked world: developing a research agenda on innovative uses of ICTS for learning and teaching

IDRC Project Title: Developing a Research Agenda on Expanding New Digital Learning Opportunities in Developing Countries;IDRC Project Number: 107628The report describes outcomes of the activities carried out for the project “New Learning Opportunities in a Networked World: Developing a Research Agenda on Innovative uses of ICTs for Learning and Teaching”. The research consists of three main activities, namely desk research, written expert consultation and group concept mapping study involving a 2-day workshop and a follow-up with experts who could not attend the workshop. These activities are interconnected elements of the consultative approach to establishing a research agenda.International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canad

Innovation in Mobile Learning: A European Perspective

In the evolving landscape of mobile learning, European researchers have conducted significant mobile learning projects, representing a distinct perspective on mobile learning research and development. Our paper aims to explore how these projects have arisen, showing the driving forces of European innovation in mobile learning. We propose context as a central construct in mobile learning and examine theories of learning for the mobile world, based on physical, technological, conceptual, social and temporal mobility. We also examine the impacts of mobile learning research on educational practices and the implications for policy. Throughout, we identify lessons learnt from European experiences to date

An exploration of online information spaces that support instructional design and teacher professional development

Members in online communities of practice (CoPs) take advantage of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to exchange practical or work-related knowledge in asynchronous online environments. Practical knowledge represents individuals' mental models allowing them to interact with the environment and perform tasks. With ICTs, practical knowledge accumulates over time and becomes an integral part of online CoPs. Due to ease of implementation, content management systems (CMSs) and social media platforms, primarily Facebook, have enabled the emergence of large online CoPs. However, research has shown that online CoPs are not conducive information spaces for seeking solutions independently, and hashtags used for topic organization are not representative of the wealth of practical knowledge. This three-article dissertation describes design recommendations for supporting the information needs of community members by analyzing the practical knowledge in instructional design and technology (IDT) that rely on a CMS and the Facebook platform and conducting usability testing to improve an existing teacher professional development CoP. By applying natural language processing (NLP) and usability testing, quantitative and qualitative approaches were implemented to examine the practical knowledge and help guide the design of information spaces that enable members to search for solutions through better topic representations or categories. The results of the first study showed that the e-learning development CoP emphasized producing online articles related to educational technology and the lack of transparency in evaluating such materials. The results of the second study showed that the four IDT CoPs on the Facebook platform were characterized by the lack of effective topic structures representative of the accumulated knowledge and the lack of community protocols for curating knowledge and taking corrective actions toward misinformation. The third study relied on usability testing to design an information space to support educators' ability to align materials with Missouri teacher standards. This three-article dissertation suggests five design features that online CoPs can implement in addressing the shortcomings of asynchronous online environments, including (1) improving topic organization, (2) establishing community protocols, (3) increasing transparency, (4) improving search functions, and (5) leveraging NLP in future web technologies. Lastly, the dissertation discussed the results of the three published studies, offered recommendations for improving online CoPs as conducive information spaces, and provided future directions.Includes bibliographical references

BECTA research project: International Baccalaureate E-Learning Laboratory (iBEL): evaluation report

The International Baccalaureate E-Learning Laboratory (iBEL) investigated the role that design-for-learning (D4L) plays in fostering independent learning on the International Baccalaureate programme using integrated open source platforms, namely Moodle and LAMS. Results from the project indicate these technologies increased independent learning, especially when teachers provided a clear framework by linking to pre-selected, reliable resources, and structured these through appropriate activities. Visual design was highly valued and learners enjoyed using resources containing rich media. In subject disciplines such as Modern Foreign Languages and English they were motivated by the integration of social learning tools, notably forum, glossary tools and chat. Students expected the use of technologies to form a part of their learning. Some teachers found that the use of the technologies assisted with long-term planning and enhanced their relationships with students. Adoption of a D4L system is more likely to succeed if introduced as a repository for existing content to which activities are later added and where it supports flexibility, fits the way that practitioners normally plan for learning, integrates easily with F2F teaching, contains a variety of easy to use tools, and accommodates the integration and updating of existing resources created by staff, such as Word, pdf and PowerPoint

Un modelo conceptual para el diseño de videojuegos educativos

La presente tesis doctoral se enmarca dentro del conjunto de trabajos relacionados con procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje asistido por ordenador, y más concretamente en aquellos que hacen uso de videojuegos como medio y soporte para alcanzar las metas didácticas propuestas. A pesar de que distintos estudios sugieren que el uso de juegos de ordenador dentro de los procesos de aprendizaje puede reportar importantes beneficios en términos de motivación del alumno e incrementar el interés de los alumnos por el tema de estudio; la adopción de esta tecnología en el ámbito educativo se ha visto obstaculizada por la falta de modelos, métodos y herramientas que ayuden a reducir los elevados costes tradicionalmente asociados con la creación de este tipo de artefactos y la dificultad de obtener elementos que asocien de manera adecuada el propósito educativo y lúdico del juego. El diseño de un videojuego educativo exitoso es una tarea que requiere de conocimientos técnicos y una variedad de habilidades en los diferentes aspectos que implica su diseño, y que aumenta con el tiempo debido a la complejidad y sofisticación de los actuales videojuegos. El objetivo final de esta tesis es asistir a educadores en el proceso de diseño de videojuegos que puedan dar soporte a actividades educativas. Con este fin, se propone un modelo conceptual para videojuegos educativos que permita especificar diseños de este tipo de artefactos de software que sean fácilmente adaptables y reusables. Un modelo de estas características servirá de soporte a la tarea de diseño del videojuego al permitir acelerar su definición a través de la reutilización de partes y componentes de diseños previos. El modelo propuesto toma en consideración los aspectos de un videojuego educativo considerados como más significativos en la literatura para conseguir una experiencia de juego educativa y lúdica, y define para cada uno de ellos, un conjunto de entidades de diseño a través de los cuales el educador puede describir un determinado diseño. Por otra parte, la organización de los elementos del modelo facilita la reutilización de las piezas de diseño previos de videojuegos educativos, lo que hará posible la rápida reproducción de nuevas variantes del mismo juego, que se pueden utilizar para que coincidan con diferentes propósitos de aprendizaje o dominios. La completitud del modelo y la capacidad de reutilización y adaptación de los diseños especificados en términos de sus elementos, ha sido demostrada a través de un caso de estudio consistente en el diseño de un conjunto de videojuegos educativos para la preparación de niños en los procedimientos de respuesta a situaciones de emergencia. La validez del modelo y su capacidad para permitir la especificación de videojuegos que sirven a su propósito lúdico y educacional fue constatada a través de un segundo caso de estudio en el que estudiantes y alumnos de un colegio de primaria de Madrid hicieron uso de varios videojuegos implementados a partir de los diseños desarrollados en el primer caso. El modelo propuesto podrá servir como punto de partida para el desarrollo de métodos de diseño y herramientas que den soporte de una manera más directa a educadores y diseñadores no solo durante la fase inicial de diseño, sino también a lo largo de la fase de producción, a través de herramientas de autoría, motores y plataformas de juego que puedan interpretar diseños especificados en términos de los elementos del modelo.This thesis falls within the set of works related to processes of computer-assisted learning, and more specifically within those that make use of video games to achieve educational goals, also known as educational or serious games. Although various studies suggest that the use of computer based educational games can bring significant benefits in terms of student motivation and interest, the broad adoption of this technology in the field of education has been hampered by the lack of models, methods and tools that help to reduce the high costs traditionally associated with the creation of this type of artifacts and the difficulty of obtaining elements that combine properly the educational and recreational purpose of the game. The design of a successful educational videogame is a task that requires technical knowledge and a variety of skills in the different aspects involved in the design of videogames, which increases over time due to the complexity and sophistication of current technologies. The ultimate goal of this thesis is to assist educators in the design of videogames that can support educational activities. To this end, this thesis proposes a conceptual model for educational videogames that allows to specify designs that are easily customizable and reusable. A model with these characteristics will serve as support for the videogame design speeding up its definition through the reuse of parts and components of previous designs. The proposed model takes into consideration educational videogame aspects recognized frequently in the literature as fundamental to get an educational and entertaining gaming experience, and defines a set of entities of design through which the educator can describe a particular design for each of them. Moreover, the organization of the elements of the model facilitates the reuse of design parts of other educational videogames, what will make it possible the generation of new variants of the same game, used to match different learning purposes or domains. The completeness of the model and the ability to reuse and adapt the designs have been demonstrated through a case study consisting of the design of a set of educational videogames for the preparation of children in home and school risks. The validity of the model and its ability to allow the specification of videogames that serve its ludic and educational purpose was confirmed through a second case of study in which students and teachers of a primary school of Madrid made use of several video games, implemented from designs developed in the first case. The model proposed could serve as a base for the further development of design methods and tools that could support educators and designs during the production phase, for example by means of tools and platforms to create and interpret game designs specified in terms of the elements of the model.Programa Oficial de Doctorado en Ciencia y Tecnología InformáticaPresidente: Manuel Alonso Castro Gil.- Vocal: Jesús Ángel Velázquez Iturbid

Some Research Questions and Results of UC3M in the E-Madrid Excellence Network

32 slides.-- Contributed to: 2010 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON), Madrid, Spain, 14-16 April, 2010.-- Presented by C. Delgado Kloos.Proceedings of: 2010 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON), Madrid, Spain, 14-16 April, 2010Universidad Carlos III de Madrid is one of the six main participating institutions in the eMadrid excellence network, as well as its coordinating partner. In this paper, the network is presented together with some of the main research lines carried out by UC3M. The remaining papers in this session present the work carried out by the other five universities in the consortium.The Excellence Network eMadrid, “Investigación y Desarrollo de Tecnologías para el e-Learning en la Comunidad de Madrid” is being funded by the Madrid Regional Government under grant No. S2009/TIC-1650. In addition, we acknowledge funding from the following research projects: iCoper: “Interoperable Content for Performance in a Competency-driven Society” (eContentPlus Best Practice Network No. ECP-2007-EDU-417007), Learn3: Hacia el Aprendizaje en la 3ª Fase (“Plan Nacional de I+D+I” TIN2008-05163/ TSI), Flexo: “Desarrollo de aprendizaje adaptativo y accesible en sistemas de código abierto” (AVANZA I+D, TSI-020301- 2008-19), España Virtual (CDTI, Ingenio 2010, CENIT, Deimos Space), SOLITE (CYTED 508AC0341), and “Integración vertical de servicios telemáticos de apoyo al aprendizaje en entornos residenciales” (Programa de creación y consolidación de grupos de investigación de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid).Publicad

Investigating an Online Course for Player Psychosocial Development in Elite Sport (Professional Football)

The scope of this study was to examine the perceived effectiveness of an online course based on an applied psychological model (The Four Pillars ©). The course was developed for the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) for young professional players, to assist in the process of transition into the professional game and to promote psychosocial development. We investigated how an online course might assist in the process of professional and psychosocial development by providing contextually relevant and evidence-based sport psychological concepts and principles that are relevant for maintaining a career in elite sport (football) and transitioning into the professional game. A total of n=219 16-18-year-old professional players and n=18 club staff members completed the eight modules of the online course. A post-course online survey was completed by both sets of participants and data was collected online. Both qualitative and quantitative data was collected. Qualitative data was based on thematic analysis of experiences given by the participants while quantitative data explored associations and differences between coaches and players. Findings indicate that both coaches and players found the online course beneficial in raising awareness of the demands that elite professional football can place upon mental health, and providing the potential to develop psychological literacy around relevant psychological coping and performance skills that may promote improved performance and provide a protective mechanism for mental health. Future studies should focus on the real-world effectiveness of the online course in the development of psychological skills and the protection of mental health.publishedVersio

Investigating an Online Course for Player Psychosocial Development in Elite Sport (Professional Football)

The scope of this study was to examine the perceived effectiveness of an online course based on an applied psychological model (The Four Pillars ©). The course was developed for the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) for young professional players, to assist in the process of transition into the professional game and to promote psychosocial development. We investigated how an online course might assist in the process of professional and psychosocial development by providing contextually relevant and evidence-based sport psychological concepts and principles that are relevant for maintaining a career in elite sport (football) and transitioning into the professional game. A total of n=219 16-18-year-old professional players and n=18 club staff members completed the eight modules of the online course. A post-course online survey was completed by both sets of participants and data was collected online. Both qualitative and quantitative data was collected. Qualitative data was based on thematic analysis of experiences given by the participants while quantitative data explored associations and differences between coaches and players. Findings indicate that both coaches and players found the online course beneficial in raising awareness of the demands that elite professional football can place upon mental health, and providing the potential to develop psychological literacy around relevant psychological coping and performance skills that may promote improved performance and provide a protective mechanism for mental health. Future studies should focus on the real-world efficacy of the online course in the development of psychological skills and the protection of mental health. Keywords: Psychological literacy, Psycho-social development, Professional football, Elite sport, Academy, Mental health

Experts on e-learning: insights gained from listening to the student voice!

The Student Experience of e-Learning Laboratory (SEEL) project at the University of Greenwich was designed to explore and then implement a number of approaches to investigate learners’ experiences of using technology to support their learning. In this paper members of the SEEL team present initial findings from a University-wide survey of nearly a 1000 students. A selection of 90 ‘cameos’, drawn from the survey data, offer further insights into personal perceptions of e-learning and illustrate the diversity of students experiences. The cameos provide a more coherent picture of individual student experience based on the totality of each person’s responses to the questionnaire. Finally, extracts from follow-up case studies, based on interviews with a small number of students, allow us to ‘hear’ the student voice more clearly. Issues arising from an analysis of the data include student preferences for communication and social networking tools, views on the ‘smartness’ of their tutors’ uses of technology and perceptions of the value of e-learning. A primary finding and the focus of this paper, is that students effectively arrive at their own individualised selection, configuration and use of technologies and software that meets their perceived needs. This ‘personalisation’ does not imply that such configurations are the most efficient, nor does it automatically suggest that effective learning is occurring. SEEL reminds us that learners are individuals, who approach learning both with and without technology in their own distinctive ways. Hearing, understanding and responding to the student voice is fundamental in maximising learning effectiveness. Institutions should consider actively developing the capacity of academic staff to advise students on the usefulness of particular online tools and resources in support of learning and consider the potential benefits of building on what students already use in their everyday lives. Given the widespread perception that students tend to be ‘digital natives’ and academic staff ‘digital immigrants’ (Prensky, 2001), this could represent a considerable cultural challenge