Strategies for improving the level of accessibility in the design of MOOC-based learning services

Access to MOOC platforms has barriers: there is a lack of accessibility to educational resources, communications tools and even the personalisation of user interfaces. Added to this are difficulties such as the need to develop specific digital or even social skills for those students with functional diversity. Therefore, a vision of the different strategies in relation to the achievement of accessibility (from the content to user preferences) is presented in this work; strategies which must be tackled with the aim of achieving a better level of accessibility during the design of new learning services based on MOOCs

A data mining approach to predict undergraduate students' performance

No presente artigo apresenta-se uma metodologia desenvolvida com base no algoritmo random forest, para prever precocemente e de forma rigorosa o desempenho académico de graduação dos estudantes de uma instituição de ensino superior politécnico. A abordagem seguida permitiu isolar 11 variáveis explicativas, a partir de um conjunto inicial de cerca de meia centena, que garantem uma boa capacidade preditiva do modelo (R2=0.79). Estas variáveis revelam aspetos fundamentais para a definição de estratégias de gestão centradas na promoção do sucesso académico.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Combining low-code development with ChatGPT to novel no-code approaches: a focus-group study

Low-code tools are a trend in software development for business solutions due to their agility and ease of use. There are a certain number of vendors with such solutions. Still, in most Western countries, there is a clear need for the existence of greater quantities of certified and experienced professionals to work with those tools. This means that companies with more resources can attract and maintain those professionals, whilst other smaller organizations must rely on an endless search for this scarce resource. We will present and validate a model designed to transform ChatGPT into a low-code developer, addressing the demand for a more skilled human resource solution. This innovative tool underwent rigorous validation via a focus group study, engaging a panel of highly experienced experts. Their invaluable insights and feedback on the proposed model were systematically gathered and meticulously analysed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Customers’ loyalty model in the design of e-commerce recommender systems

Recommender systems have been adopted in most modern online platforms to guide users in finding more suitable items that match their interests. Previous studies showed that recommender systems impact the buying behavior of e-commerce customers. However, service providers are more concerned about the continuing behavior of their customers, specifically customers’ loyalty, which is an important factor to increase service providers’ share of wallet. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the customers’ loyalty factors in online shopping towards e-commerce recommender systems. To address the research objectives, a new research model was proposed based on the Cognition-Affect-Behavior model. To validate the research model, a quantitative methodology was utilized to gather the relevant data. Using a survey method, a total of 310 responses were gathered to examine the impacts of the identified factors on customers’ loyalty towards Amazon’s recommender system. Data was analysed using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling. The results of the analysis indicated that Usability (P=0.467, t=5.139, p<0.001), Service Interaction (P=0.304, t=4.42, p<0.001), Website Quality (P=0.625, t=15.304, p<0.001), Accuracy (P=0.397, t=6.144, p<0.001), Novelty (P=0.289, t=4.406, p<0.001), Diversity (P=0.142, t=2.503, p<0.001), Recommendation Quality (P=0.423, t=7.719, p<0.001), Explanation (P=0.629, t=15.408, p<0.001), Transparency (P=0.279, t=5.859, p<0.001), Satisfaction (P=0.152, t=3.045, p<0.001) and Trust (P=0.706, t=14.14, p<0.001) have significant impacts on customers’ loyalty towards the recommender systems in online shopping. Information quality, however, did not affect the quality of the website that hosted the recommender system. The findings demonstrated that accuracy-oriented measures were insufficient in understanding customer behavior, and other quality factors, such as diversity, novelty, and transparency could improve customers’ loyalty towards recommender systems. The outcomes of the study indicated the significant impact of the website quality on customers’ loyalty. The developed model would be practical in helping the service providers in understanding the impacts of the identified factors in the proposed customers’ loyalty model. The outcomes of the study could also be used in the design of recommender systems and the deployed algorithm

Sistema de recomendação de objetos de aprendizagem digitais para e-learning: um estudo de caso em curso superior à distância da UFSC

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências da Educação, Programa Pós-Graduação em Ciência da Informação, Florianópolis, 2017.A adoção de plataformas de e-learning (aprendizagem eletrônica) para a educação a distância (EaD) de universidades ao redor do mundo, tem sido uma das opções para estudantes que buscam flexibilidade e formação por meio da autoaprendizagem. Nesse aspecto, abre-se espaço para estudos de meios de trazer benefícios aos estudantes, dentre eles, promover acesso às informações que possam propiciar melhorias no fluxo contínuo no processo de aprendizagem. Um Sistema de Recomendação de Objetos de Aprendizagem Digitais possibilita contribuir com esse processo, além de atenuar as dificuldades face às complexidades nos processos de recuperação de informação relevante, devido à sobrecarga informacional nos repositórios dos cursos assim como na web. Os estudos acerca desses sistemas tem como premissa a sugestão de objetos, relacionados ao nível em que o estudante se encontra, como forma de apoiá-lo e contribuir para sua evolução. Nesta perspectiva, a presente pesquisa tem como objetivo geral ?Analisar como um Sistema de Recomendação de Objetos de Aprendizagem Digitais pode contribuir com estudantes de curso superior em modalidade de e-learning.?. Como estudo de caso, adota-se o curso de Licenciatura em Letras ? Espanhol (EaD/UFSC). No referencial teórico aborda-se a Recuperação de Informação, os Sistemas de Recomendação no contexto do e-learning, os Objetos de Aprendizagem Digitais e as tecnologias de Agentes Inteligentes e ainda, se estabelece articulação com a Ciência da Informação. A pesquisa caracteriza-se, quanto aos objetivos, como pesquisa bibliográfica de caráter exploratório que emprega a técnica de análise de conteúdo; quanto à forma de abordagem, como pesquisa qualitativa e quanto à revisão teórica, uma revisão sistemática. Como resultados foram elaborados o Modelo de Banco de Dados para armazenamento dos dados, bem como o Fluxo de Informação do Sistema de Recomendação para e-learning, para representar os processos de acesso às informações organizadas e armazenadas no banco. Um dos pontos relevantes, caracterizado neste trabalho, é o fato de que um Sistema de Recomendação permite ampliar o poder de recomendação de Objetos de Aprendizagem Digitais do professor. Sob a perspectiva de planejamento e organização da informação para uso, conclui-se ser viável a continuidade nas pesquisas para que os Sistemas de Recomendação possam ser adotados não somente no ambiente de estudo de caso desta pesquisa, assim como em quaisquer outros ambientes de aprendizagem com adoção de novas formas (modelos, técnicas, alvos, entre outros) de implementação.Abstract : The adoption of e-learning platforms for distance education by universities around the world has been one of the options for students seeking flexibility and training through self-learning. In this context, research is required on ways to benefit the students, promoting access to information that can improve the continuous flow of the learning process. A Recommender System of Digital Learning Objects can contribute to this process and, additionally, alleviate the difficulties faced in the complex processes of retrieving relevant information, due to the informational overload in the course?s repositories as well as on the web. Studies about these systems are based on the suggestion of objects, related to the level at which the student is at, as a way to support and contribute to their evolution. In this perspective, the present research has as general objective: "To analyze how a Recommender System of Digital Learning Objects can support the students of e-learning graduation course". As a case study, it has been chosen the e-learning degree in Letters - Spanish (EaD / UFSC). In the theoretical reference it is addressed the Information Retrieval, the Recommender Systems in the context of e-learning, the Digital Learning Objects and the Intelligent Agents technologies, and it is also established the relation with Information Science. The research is characterized as regards to the objectives as: an exploratory bibliographic research that employs the technique of content analysis; qualitative research; and a systematic review. As result, the Database Model was developed, as well as the Information Flow of the Recommender System for e-learning, to represent the processes for accessing the information organized and stored in the database. One of the key points characterized in this work is the fact that a Recommender System improves the quality of the teacher?s recommendations of Digital Learning Objects. From the perspective of planning and organizing information, it was concluded that follow up research is viable so that Recommender Systems can be adopted not only in the case study of this research, but in any other learning environment adopting new methods (models, techniques, targets, among others) of implementation

Les systèmes de recommandations pour soutenir l'agentivité des enseignantes et des enseignants au collégial dans leur développement professionnel

L’objectif général de cette thèse est de contribuer au soutien du développement professionnel des enseignantes et des enseignants au collégial en investiguant leur agentivité avec le numérique. L’agentivité est définie ici comme la capacité à définir et à poursuivre des objectifs de développement professionnel. Cette recherche, qui met en œuvre une méthodologie d’expérimentation de devis, s’est déroulée en trois phases. Dans une première phase, nous avons investigué des besoins d’enseignantes du collégial en nous intéressant aux buts que devait soutenir une plateforme numérique soutenant l’exercice de l’agentivité. Pour y parvenir, trois ateliers de codesign ont été menés et analysés sous l’angle du modèle de l’expérience utilisateur de Hassenzahl (2003). Ces ateliers, inspirés des Future Workshop (Muller et Druin, 2012), ont permis d’identifier des buts motivationnels des participantes, c’est-à-dire ce qu’elles souhaitaient qu’une plateforme misant sur l’exercice d’agentivité puisse combler : faire du développement professionnel une priorité, poser un regard réflexif sur l’innovation, faciliter l’accès aux ressources, et faciliter les échanges et le partage. Les ateliers ont aussi permis d’identifier des buts fonctionnels et opérationnels, c’est-à-dire les fonctionnalités qui permettent de combler les besoins motivationnels. Parmi eux, plusieurs se sont révélés être liés aux systèmes de recommandations, qui sont des outils et techniques qui suggèrent les items les plus susceptibles d’intéresser un utilisateur (Ricci et al., 2015). C’est pourquoi une revue systématique de la littérature a été réalisée afin d’identifier notamment les techniques utilisées et les façons d’évaluer les systèmes de recommandations utilisés dans un contexte d’apprentissage. Dans cette deuxième phase de cette recherche doctorale, ce sont 56 articles scientifiques revus par les pairs, parus entre 2008 et 2018, qui ont été analysés sous trois grandes questions et une cinquantaine d’aspects. Ils ont permis d’orienter le développement de la plateforme, dont l’implantation et les améliorations ont constitué la troisième et dernière phase. Cette phase s’est déroulée en trois itérations de conception, intervention, analyse et amélioration. Durant chacune des itérations, les six participantes ont expérimenté la plateforme, répondu à un questionnaire et reçu une rétroaction personnalisée. Le questionnaire visait à analyser le potentiel de la plateforme pour répondre aux buts motivationnels identifiés à la première phase, à analyser la satisfaction à l’égard des ressources recommandées (Erdt et al., 2015), de même qu’à analyser l’expérience utilisateur (Hassenzahl, 2003). Pour des fins d’analyse, les réponses aux questionnaires ont été croisées avec les données entrées par le personnel enseignant dans la plateforme ainsi que les actions faites dans la plateforme et entrées au journal d’évènements. Cette analyse nous a permis d’observer une augmentation de la perception du soutien à l’agentivité des enseignantes, en particulier la capacité de la plateforme à faciliter l’accès aux ressources pour mieux connaitre les occasions de développement professionnel et pour accéder aux activités de développement professionnel les plus appropriées. Au fil des itérations, nous avons également observé une augmentation de la satisfaction à l’égard des ressources recommandées grâce à une approche basée sur le contenu. La variation de la moyenne globale des aspects hédoniques et pragmatiques est elle aussi positive à chacune des itérations. C’est dire que le codesign d’un environnement numérique dans le cadre d’une recherche avec des enseignantes a été une forme de développement professionnel, et le codesign en contexte de développement professionnel a favorisé l’exercice de l’agentivité des participantes. Le design itératif de cette recherche a contribué à faire du développement professionnel une priorité, un besoin identifié durant la phase de codesign. Cette étude a permis d’identifier et de mettre en œuvre des pistes permettant de faciliter l’exercice de l’agentivité des enseignantes et des enseignants.The general objective of this thesis is to contribute to supporting the professional development of college teachers by investigating their agency with the support of digital technology. Agency is defined here as the ability to define and pursue professional development goals. This research, which implements a design-based research methodology, was carried out in three phases. In the first phase, we investigated the needs of college teachers by looking at the goals that a digital platform supporting the exercise of agency should support. To achieve this, three codesign workshops were conducted and analyzed from the perspective of Hassenzahl's (2003) user experience model. These workshops, inspired by the Future Workshop (Muller & Druin, 2012), made it possible to identify the participants' “be-goals”, i.e., what they wanted a platform based on the exercise of agency to achieve: to make professional development a priority, to take a reflective look at innovation, to facilitate access to resources, and to facilitate exchanges and sharing. The workshops also made it possible to identify “do-goals” and “motor-goals”, i.e., the functionalities that make it possible to meet be-goals. Among them, several were found to be related to recommendation systems, which are tools and techniques that suggest the items most likely to interest a user (Ricci et al., 2015). For this reason, a systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify the techniques used and the ways to evaluate the recommendations systems used in a learning context. In this second phase of this doctoral research, 56 peer-reviewed scientific articles, published between 2008 and 2018, were analyzed under three main questions and about 50 aspects. They were used to help guide the development of the platform, whose implementation and improvements constituted the third and final phase. This phase took place in three iterations of design/implementation, intervention, analysis and improvement. During each iteration, the six participants experimented with the platform, answered a questionnaire and received personalized feedback. The questionnaire aimed to analyze the platform's potential to meet the motivational goals (“be-goals”) identified in the first phase, to analyze satisfaction with the recommended resources (Erdt et al., 2015), and to analyze the user experience (Hassenzahl, 2003). For analysis purposes, the responses to the questionnaires were cross-referenced with the data entered by the teaching staff in the platform as well as the actions taken in the platform and entries in the event log. This analysis allowed us to observe an increase in the perception of support for teachers' agency, in particular the platform's ability to facilitate access to resources to learn more about professional development opportunities and to access the most appropriate professional development activities. Over the iterations we also observed an increase in satisfaction with the recommended resources through a content-based approach. The variation in the overall average of the hedonic and pragmatic aspects is also positive in each iteration. This means that codesigning a digital environment in the context of research with female teachers was a form of professional development, and codesigning in a professional development context promoted the participants' exercise of agency. The iterative design of this research contributed to making professional development a priority, a need identified during the codesign phase. This study made it possible to identify and implement avenues to facilitate teachers' exercise of agency

Comparative Study of e-Practice in an American University and an Australian University

The overall aim of this study was to further comparative understanding of e-practice in Australian and American universities. The study used one Faculty in an Australian university and one Faculty in an American university as examples. The theoretical focus was on the cultural context as well as on practice in the e-learning area. The variables of instructivism and constructivism were explored for establishing the differing cultural context of the two countries. The pedagogical, performance appraisal, instructional design, technological, administrative and support service were investigated to establish e-practice differences between the two countries. Studies 1 to 3 used both a qualitative and quantitative methodology in order to ascertain the current status of e-learning. Participants were students, lecturers and administrative staff of one Faculty in an Australian university and one Faculty in an American university engaged with e-learning programs. Study 1 investigated the dominant cultural dimensions of the two universities. The results of this study showed that the dominant e-learning approach of one Faculty in an American university was toward constructivism while the dominant e-learning approach of one Faculty in an Australian university was toward instructivism. In Study 2, the current status of e-learning practice was investigated in the two universities using a quantitative methodological approach.«br /» The results indicated that the level of e-practice in all aspects of e-learning was above average in both universities. Participants of the American university rated their system consistently higher in most aspects of e-practice than the Australian university participants. In Study 3, the current issues of e-learning practice in four aspects, namely pedagogy, culture, technology and e-practice, that need to be improved, were investigated by applying a qualitative method. The results of interviews identified pedagogical challenges in approaches to learning, effective learning practice, assessment method and learning content as areas that need attention. Cultural sensitivity, effective cultural practice and key technological challenges as well as issues like faculty policies, quality, learning management system, and online support were revealed as areas that could improve the e-learning systems in both universities.Although both America and Australia have shown progress in the field of e-practice, it is apparent that the quality and quantity of e-practice factors in an Australian university needs to be sped up. This is despite the fact that the context of e-learning in an Australian university studied has been improved by Asian cultural contact. From this perspective applying the pattern and technology that has been used in the American university could help to guide an Australian university e-learning system practice in the future