Digital anthropology and educational eGames: learning through behavioural patterns in digital, game-based contexts

The selected publications are focused on the relations between users, eGames and the educational context, and how they interact together, so that both learning and user performance are improved through feedback provision. A key part of this analysis is the identification of behavioural, anthropological patterns, so that users can be clustered based on their actions, and the steps taken in the system (e.g. social network, online community, or virtual campus). In doing so, we can analyse large data sets of information made by a broad user sample,which will provide more accurate statistical reports and readings. Furthermore, this research is focused on how users can be clustered based on individual and group behaviour, so that a personalized support through feedback is provided, and the personal learning process is improved as well as the group interaction. We take inputs from every person and from the group they belong to, cluster the contributions, find behavioural patterns and provide personalized feedback to the individual and the group, based on personal and group findings. And we do all this in the context of educational games integrated in learning communities and learning management systems. To carry out this research we design a set of research questions along the 10-year published work presented in this thesis. We ask if the users can be clustered together based on the inputs provided by them and their groups; if and how these data are useful to improve the learner performance and the group interaction; if and how feedback becomes a useful tool for such pedagogical goal; if and how eGames become a powerful context to deploy the pedagogical methodology and the various research methods and activities that make use of that feedback to encourage learning and interaction; if and how a game design and a learning design must be defined and implemented to achieve these objectives, and to facilitate the productive authoring and integration of eGames in pedagogical contexts and frameworks. We conclude that educational games are a resourceful tool to provide a user experience towards a better personalized learning performance and an enhance group interaction along the way. To do so, eGames, while integrated in an educational context, must follow a specific set of user and technical requirements, so that the playful context supports the pedagogical model underneath. We also conclude that, while playing, users can be clustered based on their personal behaviour and interaction with others, thanks to the pattern identification. Based on this information, a set of recommendations are provided Digital Anthropology and educational eGames 6 /216 to the user and the group in the form of personalized feedback, timely managed for an optimum impact on learning performance and group interaction level. In this research, Digital Anthropology is introduced as a concept at a late stage to provide a backbone across various academic fields including: Social Science, Cognitive Science, Behavioural Science, Educational games and, of course, Technology-enhance learning. Although just recently described as an evolution of traditional anthropology, this approach to digital behaviour and social structure facilitates the understanding amongst fields and a comprehensive view towards a combined approach. This research takes forward the already existing work and published research onusers and eGames for learning, and turns the focus onto the next step — the clustering of users based on their behaviour and offering proper, personalized feedback to the user based on that clustering, rather than just on isolated inputs from every user. Indeed, this pattern recognition in the described context of eGames in educational contexts, and towards the presented aim of personalized counselling to the user and the group through feedback, is something that has not been accomplished before

Scénarisation pédagogique pour des EIAH ouverts (une approche dirigée par les modèles et spécifique au domaine métier)

Dans cette thèse, nous nous sommes intéressés à l ouverture des EIAH (EnvironnementsInformatiques pour l'Apprentissage Humain), pour répondre à leur faible déploiement dansles établissements de formation, en facilitant leur appropriation par des usagers. Notre travailde recherche s'inscrit dans le cadre du projet REDiM (Réingénierie des EIAH Dirigée par lesModèles) mené au LIUM (Laboratoire d'Informatique de l'Université du Maine), dont un desobjectifs est d intégrer les enseignants dans le processus de conception des scénariospédagogiques d un EIAH.Nous proposons une approche d ingénierie et de réingénierie pour rendre un EIAH ouvertà la conception et à l adaptation de ses scénarios pédagogiques par les enseignantsutilisateurs. Nous avons défini un processus de conception basé sur la modélisationde scénarios pédagogiques ouverts (SPO), qui permet l instrumentation des enseignantspour les aider dans la conception continue (i.e. qui se poursuit dans l usage) d une activitéd apprentissage. Nous faisons trois propositions scientifiques :- Un modèle de représentation des SPO, qui permet de les structurer en variantes enfonction des contextes d exécution. Nous qualifions ce modèle de rationnel puisqu il s appuieprincipalement sur l approche du Design Rationale que nous avons adaptée à notreproblématique.- Un processus itératif et incrémental d ingénierie et de réingénierie qui guide lesenseignants pour concevoir et adapter des SPO conformes au modèle que nous avonsdéfini.- Une méthode dirigée par les modèles et spécifique au domaine métier pour instrumenterle processus d ouverture des scénarios pédagogiques d un EIAH existant. Cette méthoded instrumentation, reposant sur l IDM (Ingénierie Dirigée par les Modèles) et le DSM(Domain-Specific Modeling), implique les enseignants utilisateurs de l EIAH, considérés icicomme des experts du domaine. Elle est structurée en plusieurs phases qui amènentprogressivement à définir, de façon spécifique à l EIAH considéré, un langage d expressiondes SPO (ADSGEML - Adaptive Domain-Specific Graphical Educational ModelingLanguage) et un éditeur associé permettant la conception et l adaptation des SPO dansl univers métier de l EIAH.Afin d évaluer et de raffiner nos propositions, nous les avons appliquées sur l EIAH Hop3x , préalablement conçu au LIUM dans le cadre d un autre projet pour pratiquer laprogrammation orientée objet. Nous avons donc élaboré un ADSGEML et un environnementd édition graphique pour permettre aux enseignants de concevoir et d adapterdynamiquement des sessions ouvertes de Hop3x, à un niveau élevé d abstraction.In this thesis, we are interested in opening TEL systems (Technology EnhancedLearning) up in order to respond to the problem of their low deployment in teachinginstitutions, we need to facilitate their adoption by users. Our research work is part ofthe REDiM (French abbreviation which means Model-Driven Re-engineering of TELsystems ) project led by the LIUM Computer Science Laboratory of Le MansUniversity in France. One of the main objectives of this project is to involve teachersin the design process of learning scenarios of a TEL system.We propose an engineering and re-engineering approach for opening TEL systemsin order to facilitate for teachers the design and adaptation of pedagogical scenarios.We defined a design process based on the modeling of Open Pedagogical Scenarios(OPS), which allows the building of supports helping teachers in the continuousdesign of a learning activity (i.e. design which continues in the use process). Wemake three scientific proposals:- A model of OPS representation which defines a structure based on variantsaccording to execution contexts. We consider this model to be rational because it isbased mainly on the Design Rationale approach that we have adapted for ourresearch problem.- An iterative and incremental engineering and re-engineering process that guidesteachers to design and adapt OPS according to the rational model that we define inthis work.- A model-driven and domain-specific method for supporting the process of openingpedagogical scenarios of a legacy TEL system. This method, based on the MDE(Model-Driven Engineering) and DSM (Domain-Specific Modelling), involves teachersusing the TEL system, as they are considered to be domain experts. Our method isdivided into several phases that lead progressively to define the TEL system sADSGEML (Adaptive Educational Graphical Domain-Specific Modelling Language)and an associate editor allowing the design and adaptation of OPS in the businessfield of the TEL system to open for teachers.To evaluate and refine our proposals, we have applied them on the TEL system"Hop3x" which was designed at LIUM under another project for practicing objectorientedprogramming. We therefore developed an ADSGEML and a graphicalediting environment to enable teachers to design and adapt dynamically the openHop3x s learning sessions at a high level of abstraction.LE MANS-BU Sciences (721812109) / SudocSudocFranceF

Approche Domain-Specific Modeling pour l'opérationnalisation des scénarios pédagogiques sur les plateformes de formation à distance

Ce travail de recherche porte sur la spécification et l opérationnalisation des scénarios pédagogiques sur les plateformes de formation à distance dans une perspective d'ingénierie et de réingénierie des EIAH (Environnements Informatique pour l Apprentissage Humain). En se situant dans une approche centrée plateformes, nous supposons que les plateformes disposent de leur propre paradigme de conception. Pour cela, nous proposons aux développeurs et à la communauté de développement des plateformes un processus spécifique d identification et d explicitation du langage de conception pédagogique des plateformes de formation par le biais d un métamodèle. Nous exploitons l approche outillée Domain-Specific Modeling comme cadre pratique pour le développement de langages et d'outils de conception graphiques basés sur le métamodèle du langage de conception pédagogique. Afin de répondre à des besoins récurrents d'opérationnalisation de scénarios pédagogiques, nous utilisons également ce métamodèle pour la spécification des modules d import/export intégrés au sein des plateformes. Ces modules permettent d opérationnaliser les scénarios conformes au langage identifié et également d exporter les scénarios existants sur les plateformes afin de permettre leur adaptation par les outils développés. Nous avons expérimenté nos propositions théoriques sur deux plateformes de formation Moodle et Ganesha. Enfin, nous avons vérifié la cohérence de notre approche par la mise à l essai des outils développés. Par le biais de notre approche, nous favorisons une opérationnalisation de ces scénarios sans pertes d information ni de sémantique.In the engineering and reengineering perspective of Technology Enhanced Learning, our research work concerns the specification and the operationalization of learning scenarios on learning platforms. By positioning in an approach centered LMS instructional design, we suppose that each learning platform has its own instructional design language. So, we propose a specific process for its identification and formalization through a metamodel. Based on this metamodel, we use the Domain-Specific Modeling approach as a practical framework for the development of languages and graphical design tools. This metamodel is also used to specify the import/export modules that are integrated into the platforms in order to meet the recurring needs of the operationalization of learning scenarios. These modules allow also the extraction of the existing scenarios on platforms to enable their adaptation on the developed tools. Our theoretical propositions have been tested on two learning platforms: Moodle and Ganesha. On the other hand, the consistency of our approach was checked and validated by implementing and testing the developed tools. Through our approach, we promote scenarios operationalization without loss of information or semantics.LE MANS-BU Sciences (721812109) / SudocSudocFranceF