Cybereducation: Effective Internet Teaching Techniques for the Information Age

Cybereducation is not a word I have run across in my readings. It is a word I have constructed myself after exploring the Internet and reading widely in the Futuristic literature. In this paper I invite you to accompany me on a cyberjourney. Before ·I begin the tour I ask your patience as I briefly review some popular works in Futurism. I believe this background is necessary to understand the enormity of the Information Revolution we are presently experiencing

Ambienti CSCL: gli spazi tecnologici per le comunità d’apprendimento

Gli strumenti in grado di favorire e supportare dinamiche di apprendimento collaborativo e cooperativo in rete sono molteplici e variamente caratterizzabili. Secondo una classica distinzione proposta da Antony Kaye (1994) possono essere individuate tre diverse classi di tecnologie che, combinate, possono fornire ambienti software per supportare attività di gruppo in grado di facilitare l’apprendimento: sistemi di comunicazione (sincroni e asincroni), sistemi per la condivisione di risorse (condivisione dello schermo, di programmi software o di file), sistemi di supporto ai processi di gruppo (calendari condivisi, sistemi per la gestione dei progetti, strumenti di votazione ecc.) ai quali potremmo probabilmente aggiungere una quarta categoria di software per la “simulazione collaborativa” (es. MUD, MOO, Muse, ecc.), introdotti soprattutto negli ultimi anni nel contesto dei giochi di ruolo e spesso impiegati anche nella didattica on­line. Questi ambienti, opportunamente selezionati e combinati, rappresentano la base tecnologica della maggior parte delle esperienze di apprendimento in rete.

Supporting Self-Directed Learning Process in a Virtual Collaborative Problem Based Learning Environment

The PBL process is a self-directed learning process. In the light of self-directed learning theory, the author argues that computational mechanisms can be used to support selfdirected learning for PBL groups in virtual learning environments. In this paper, an approach to the support of self-directed learning is proposed. This approach supports self-directed learning in a virtual PBL environment in two ways. Firstly, the shared workspaces together with their accompanying tools and documents allow students to actively engage in collaborative, creative, and unstructured PBL activities. Secondly, the process support tool helps students to organize, execute, and coordinate structured parts of PBL processes. This approach has been adopted to develop our prototype system CROCODILE

Student-Centred Assessments and their Impact on Learning – An IS Case Study

In higher education, one can find many different assessment methods ranging from the most traditional examination based assessment to computer-based on-line assessment and many other innovative assessment practices. Yet, achieving a high level of positive impact of assessment on student learning is always a major concern among academic practitioners. Choosing the right set of assessment modes, designing the assessment activities and evaluating their impact on student learning are some of the major challenges. This challenge is more pronounced in the recently emerging Information Systems (IS) programmes as there is an ever-growing wide variety of assessment methods matching with the ever-changing tools and techniques that evolve in the computer hardware and software disciplines. In such a dynamic context, IS courses in higher education are faced with a very short life-cycle and hence do not have the luxury of experimenting different assessment modes from time to time. They need to arrive at the right combination of assessments based on the prevailing situation. It is therefore a question as to which assessment methods are the best to be adopted and what is the impact of such assessments on student learning. This paper proposes a pragmatic four-step student-centred approach to identify and design suitable assessment methods and to examine their impact on student learning. The student-centred approach is illustrated through a study conducted for a particular IS course in a higher education setting. Due to the generic nature of this approach, it could be adopted in courses from other areas as well

E-learning : Tracer l'activité des apprenants pour favoriser leur appropriation des systèmes ?

National audienceLes nouvelles technologies de l'information et de la communication ont investi le domaine de l'enseignement et de la formation. Par ailleurs, les performances des solutions e-learning sont à ce jour jugées insatisfaisantes par les entreprises. Parmi les origines de cet état de fait, nous pensons que la méconnaissance de ce qui se passe en situation d'utilisation joue un rôle important. En effet, la compréhension de ce qui se joue dans les interactions entre apprenant(s) et système(s) est fondamentale pour améliorer l'appropriation de ces systèmes et leur utilisation efficiente. L'appropriation passant par les interactions offertes, nous considérons les traces informatiques d'interaction comme potentielles sources de facilitation de cette appropriation. Nous présentons dans cet article une recherche bibliographique de l'utilisation des traces informatiques d'interactions en les classant selon leur utilisateur et selon qu'elles sont visualisées en tant que traces ou non. Ces travaux sont mis en lien avec le processus d'appropriation en contexte de formation instrumentée

The pros and cons of using technology in primary education

The aim of this thesis is to examine computer technology as an educative tool in primary education and to discover how it\u27s affecting instruction and learning. The writer of this thesis believes that the integration of literacy and computer technology can be successful, provide that government, administration, faculty, parents and students work together

Colaboración en entornos telemáticos de aprendizaje a distancia: Un caso de estudio en Matemáticas

En este trabajo se presenta una propuesta de modelo de entorno telemático, en este caso, para el aprendizaje/entrenamiento a distancia en la resolución de ecuaciones lineales. Destinado a profesores y alumnos de Educación Primaria y Secundaria. El entorno funciona apoyado sobre la tecnología que proporciona Internet e intranet, presenta un interfaz de aplicación que se ejecuta desde el Web. En esta aplicación se incluyen algunas técnicas para soportar colaboración asíncrona alumno-profesor y alumno-alumno, basadas en el empleo de bases de datos donde se registran todas las acciones, y aprovechando los recursos de Internet como mecanismos de comunicación asistida por computadoraThis paper presents a model of telematic environment for distance learning/training, to solve linear equations. This system was developed to help teachers in Primary and Secondary Education. The environment operates using the technology that provides Internet and intranet. It presents an application interface that runs on the Web supporting asynchronous collaboration between learners and teachers. This system, based on database technology, takes advantage from the Internet resources and the communication mechanisms that the computer network provides