Towards analytics for educational interactive e-Books: The case of the reflective designer analytics platform (RDAP)

This paper presents an analytics dashboard that has been developed for designers of interactive e-books. This is part of the EU-funded MC Squared project that is developing a platform for authoring interactive educational e-books. The primary objective is to develop technologies and resources that enhance creative thinking for both designers (authors) and learners. The learning material is expected to offer learners opportunities to engage creatively with mathematical problems and develop creative mathematical thinking. The analytics dashboard is designed to increase authors' awareness so that they can make informed decisions on how to redesign and improve the e-books. This paper presents architectural and design decisions on key features of the dashboard and discusses future steps with respect to the potential for exploratory data analysis

Designing a Mediation Vocabulary for Authoring Learning Analytics

This paper provides a knowledge representation process for authoring of learning experiences that capture feedback designed in the context of learning environments. The paper reports on a year long study with designers who are creating mathematical teaching and learning resources as part of an EU project (M C Squared). In this paper we examine the knowledge representation process we used in design and creation of a mediation vocabulary. The model to be designed has to provide different layers of ‘knowledge integration’ and thus offers insights into the importance of knowledge mediation in the emergence of new learning environments and experiences. Hence, authoring of designs and feedback through use of ontologies to form part of the annotating of the learning activities. The annotations form part of the context to be used as part of the learning analytics

Reflective Analytics for Interactive e-books

This paper presents an analytics platform that has been developed for designers and teachers who build and use interactive e-books for learning. The analytics dashboard aims to increase awareness of the use of the e-books so that designers (and teachers in their role as designers) can make informed decisions on how to redesign and improve them taking into account both the overall learning design and the data from their usage. This paper presents architectural and design decisions on key features of the dashboard, and the evaluation of a high-fidelity prototype. We discuss findings related to use of the dashboard for exploratory data analysis and inquiry and how these generalise and can be taken into account by our future work or that of others

Feedback authoring for exploratory learning objects: AuthELO

This paper presents a tool for the configuration of logging and authoring of automated feedback for exploratory learning objects (ELOs). This tool has been developed in the context of a larger project that is developing a platform for authoring interactive educational e-books. This platform comprises an extendable set of diverse widgets that can be used to generate instances of exploratory activities that can be employed in various learning scenarios. AuthELO was designed and developed to provide a simple, common and efficient authoring interface that can normalise the heterogeneity of these widgets and give the ability to non-experts to easily modify — if not program themselves — the feedback that is provided to students based on their interaction. We describe the architecture and design characteristics of AuthELO and present a small-scale evaluation of the prototype that shows promising results

Constructionist Attempts at Supporting the Learning of Computer Programming: A Survey

Although programming is often seen as a key element of constructionist approaches, the research on learning to program through a constructionist strategy is somewhat limited, mostly focusing on how to bring the abstract and formal nature of programming languages into \u201cconcrete\u201d, possibly tangible objects, graspable even by children with limited abstraction power. We survey the literature in programming education and analyse some programming languages designed to help novices from a constructionist perspective

Feedback Authoring for Exploratory Activities: The Case of a Logo-Based 3D Microworld

This paper presents AuthELO an authoring environment that can be used for the configuration of logging and authoring of automated feedback for exploratory learning objects (ELOs). ELOs are web components (widgets) that can be integrated with learning platforms to synthesise highly interactive learning environments. AuthELO has been developed in the context of the MCSquared project that is developing a platform for authoring interactive educational e-books. This platform comprises an extendable set of diverse widgets that can be used to generate instances of exploratory activities that can be employed in various learning scenarios. AuthELO was designed and developed to provide a simple, common and efficient authoring interface that can normalise the diversity of these widgets and give the ability to non-experts to easily develop or customise the feedback that is provided to students using a data-driven approach. In this paper we describe the architecture and design characteristics of AuthELO and a small-scale evaluation with activities in a logo-based 3D microworld called Malt+. We reflect on both the challenges of the authoring process and the pedagogical potential of the feedback when these activities are used by students

Social Addictive Gameful Engineering (SAGE): A Game-based Learning and Assessment System for Computational Thinking

At an unrivaled and enduring pace, computing has transformed the world, resulting in demand for a universal fourth foundation beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic: computational thinking (CT). Despite increasingly widespread acceptance of CT as a crucial competency for all, transforming education systems accordingly has proven complex. The principal hypothesis of this thesis is that we can improve the efficiency and efficacy of teaching and learning CT by building gameful learning and assessment systems on top of block-based programming environments. Additionally, we believe this can be accomplished at scale and cost conducive to accelerating CT dissemination for all. After introducing the requirements, approach, and architecture, we present a solution named Gameful Direct Instruction. This involves embedding Parsons Programming Puzzles (PPPs) in Scratch, which is a block-based programming environment currently used prevalently in grades 6-8. PPPs encourage students to practice CT by assembling into correct order sets of mixed-up blocks that comprise samples of well-written code which focus on individual concepts. The structure provided by PPPs enable instructors to design games that steer learner attention toward targeted learning goals through puzzle-solving play. Learners receive continuous automated feedback as they attempt to arrange programming constructs in correct order, leading to more efficient comprehension of core CT concepts than they might otherwise attain through less structured Scratch assignments. We measure this efficiency first via a pilot study conducted after the initial integration of PPPs with Scratch, and second after the addition of scaffolding enhancements in a study involving a larger adult general population. We complement Gameful Direct Instruction with a solution named Gameful Constructionism. This involves integrating with Scratch implicit assessment functionality that facilitates constructionist video game (CVG) design and play. CVGs enable learner to explore CT using construction tools sufficiently expressive for personally meaningful gameplay. Instructors are enabled to guide learning by defining game objectives useful for implicit assessment, while affording learners the opportunity to take ownership of the experience and progress through the sequence of interest and motivation toward sustained engagement. When strategically arranged within a learning progression after PPP gameplay produces evidence of efficient comprehension, CVGs amplify the impact of direct instruction by providing the sculpted context in which learners can apply CT concepts more freely, thereby broadening and deepening understanding, and improving learning efficacy. We measure this efficacy in a study of the general adult population. Since these approaches leverage low fidelity yet motivating gameful techniques, they facilitate the development of learning content at scale and cost supportive of widespread CT uptake. We conclude this thesis with a glance at future work that anticipates further progress in scalability via a solution named Gameful Intelligent Tutoring. This involves augmenting Scratch with Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) functionality that offers across-activity next-game recommendations, and within-activity just-in-time and on-demand hints. Since these data-driven methods operate without requiring knowledge engineering for each game designed, the instructor can evolve her role from one focused on knowledge transfer to one centered on supporting learning through the design of educational experiences, and we can accelerate the dissemination of CT at scale and reasonable cost while also advancing toward continuously differentiated instruction for each learner

The student-produced electronic portfolio in craft education

The authors studied primary school students’ experiences of using an electronic portfolio in their craft education over four years. A stimulated recall interview was applied to collect user experiences and qualitative content analysis to analyse the collected data. The results indicate that the electronic portfolio was experienced as a multipurpose tool to support learning. It makes the learning process visible and in that way helps focus on and improves the quality of learning. © ISLS.Peer reviewe

Virtual Reality in Mathematics Education (VRiME):An exploration of the integration and design of virtual reality for mathematics education

This thesis explores the use of Virtual Reality (VR) in mathematics education. Four VR prototypes were designed and developed during the PhD project to teach equations, geometry, and vectors and facilitate collaboration.Paper A investigates asymmetric VR for classroom integration and collaborative learning and presents a new taxonomy of asymmetric interfaces. Paper B proposes how VR could assist students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in learning daily living skills involving basic mathematical concepts. Paper C investigates how VR could enhance social inclusion and mathematics learning for neurodiverse students. Paper D presents a VR prototype for teaching algebra and equation-solving strategies, noting positive student responses and the potential for knowledge transfer. Paper E investigates gesture-based interaction with dynamic geometry in VR for geometry education and presents a new taxonomy of learning environments. Finally, paper F explores the use of VR to visualise and contextualise mathematical concepts to teach software engineering students.The thesis concludes that VR offers promising avenues for transforming mathematics education. It aims to broaden our understanding of VR's educational potential, paving the way for more immersive learning experiences in mathematics education