Educational use cases from a shared exploration of e-books and iPads

E-books and e-book readers are becoming increasingly widely available, particularly for the general reader, and there have been many studies on their adoption. However, less is known about their use for educational and academic purposes. We report here on work carried out on e-books and e-book applications using iPads by academic and teaching staff. After considering pedagogical issues and reporting survey results, we identify a spiral of six key use case areas for e-books. This spiral of use cases moves from basic e-book use, through situational reading, e-books and learning, using multiple learning resources, collaborative/group learning, to e-book production. We discuss each of these use case areas and provide guidelines that will be of interest to practitioners and researchers alike

Mass Collaboration and Learning: Structure and Methods

The rapid emergence of social networks and collaborative communities supported by the Internet and associated innovative technologies, and the increasing demand for continuous improvement and fostering lifelong learning have led to unprecedented waves of novelty in the ways people create and share knowledge in different spheres. In this regard, mass collaboration (MC) through Internet-based solutions has opened new windows of opportunity to collaborate massively and learn collectively in ways that seemed impossible even a few decades ago. Learning ecosystems can benefit from mass collaboration where large numbers of minds collectively drive intellectual efforts to learn in the form of knowledge building and sharing. Mass collaborative learning (MCL) is a new paradigm that represents a significant shift away from the traditional teacher-centered approach towards a self-directed model in virtual communities in which contributing members take on creative roles to maximize their learning and that of their peers. Furthermore, MCL provides greater opportunities for distributed contributors to engage in virtual global learning and take the advantage of powerful social communities of experts and counterparts. Even though MCL opens up an apparently limitless field for promoting social inclusion in effective learning, not all aspects, features, and characteristics of this phenomenon are quite clear and discovered at present. In order to design, implement, and exploit such a learning approach, influencing constituents should be identified, and appropriate conditions need to be provided. However, existing literature offers limited information, guidance, and support for the creation, operation, coordination, and development of MCL initiatives. In this context, there are a number of identified critical issues, specific problems, gaps, and inconsistencies, and this thesis is correspondingly conducted to propose a Meta-Governance framework for MCL initiatives (MGF-MCL). This framework, by benefiting from various other related ideas, models, and methods, tries to give further insights into an integrated perspective of the most complex concerning issues and also some internal and external aspects of governance for the MCL initiatives. Furthermore, the MGF-MCL intends to provide some directions, guidance, and support for the implementation, operation, and development of MCL initiatives. In this thesis work, in order to (a) guide our research endeavor, (b) concretize our research design, (c) design, develop, validate, and apply the MGF-MCL, and (d) understand the practical value of our findings, we have followed the design science research process (DSRP) approach. We have evaluated the validity and applicability of the MGF-MCL through a mix of methods namely, case studies in EU projects, peer-review publications, and an MCL illustration case. A number of scenarios made within the case studies have brought together several industry and academic experts to evaluate the validity and applicability of MGF-MCL. The peer reviews of contributed publications also assessed the quality of the work and helped to establish the validity of MGF-MCL based upon the expert knowledge of other researchers. The MCL illustration case provided empirical evidence, relying on observation and experimentation. In terms of research, the findings of our work offer direction and support for the creation, operation, and implementation of MLC initiatives.A rápida emergência de redes sociais e comunidades colaborativas apoiadas pela Internet e tecnologias inovadoras associadas, e a crescente procura de melhorias contínuas e a promoção da aprendizagem ao longo da vida levaram a ondas de inovação sem precedentes na forma como as pessoas criam e partilham conhecimentos em diferentes esferas. A este respeito, a colaboração em massa (MC) através de soluções baseadas na Internet abriu novas janelas de oportunidade para colaborar massivamente e aprender colectivamente de formas que pareciam impossíveis mesmo há algumas décadas atrás. Os ecossistemas de aprendizagem podem beneficiar da colaboração em massa, onde grandes números de mentes impulsionam colectivamente os esforços intelectuais para aprender sob a forma de construção e partilha de conhecimento. A aprendizagem colaborativa em massa (MCL) é um novo paradigma que representa uma mudança significativa da abordagem tradicional centrada no professor para um modelo auto-dirigido em comunidades virtuais em que os membros contribuintes assumem papéis criativos para maximizar a sua aprendizagem e a dos seus pares. Além disso, a MCL oferece maiores oportunidades a contribuintes geograficamente distribuídos para se envolverem na aprendizagem global virtual e tirarem partido das ricas comunidades sociais de especialistas e homólogos. Embora a MCL abra um campo aparentemente ilimitado para promover a inclusão social na aprendizagem efectiva, nem todos os aspetos, facetas e características deste fenómeno são totalmente claros e conhecidos actualmente. A fim de conceber, implementar, e explorar uma tal abordagem de aprendizagem, devem ser identificados os constituintes relevantes, e devem ser criadas condições de suporte apropriadas. Contudo, a literatura existente apenas oferece de forma limitada informação, orientação e apoio para a criação, operação, coordenação e desenvolvimento de iniciativas MCL. Neste contexto, há uma série de questões críticas, problemas específicos, lacunas e inconsistências identificados, e esta tese é correspondentemente desenvolvida para propor um quadro de Meta-Governança para iniciativas MCL (MGF-MCL). Este quadro, ao beneficiar de várias outras ideias, modelos e métodos relacionados, tenta fornecer uma perspectiva integrada das questões mais complexas e também de alguns aspectos internos e externos de governação para as iniciativas MCL. Além disso, o MGF-MCL pretende fornecer alguma orientação e apoio para a implementação, operação e desenvolvimento das iniciativas MCL. Neste trabalho de tese, a fim de (a) orientar o nosso esforço de investigação, (b) concretizar o nosso projecto de investigação, (c) conceber, desenvolver, validar, e aplicar o MGF-MCL, e (d) compreender o valor prático dos resultados, seguimos a abordagem do "DESIGN SCIENCE RESEARCH PROCESS" (DSRP). Avaliámos a adequação e aplicabilidade do MGF-MCL através de uma combinação de métodos, nomeadamente, estudos de caso em projetos da UE, publicações com revisão por pares e, um caso de ilustração MCL. Vários cenários feitos no âmbito dos estudos de caso envolveram vários peritos da indústria e da academia para avaliar a validade e a aplicabilidade do MGF-MCL. As revisões por pares das publicações produzidas neste trabalho também permitiram aferir a qualidade do trabalho e ajudaram a estabelecer a validade do MGF-MCL com base no conhecimento especializado de outros investigadores. O caso da ilustração de MCL forneceu uma evidência empírica, apoiando-se na observação e experimentação. Em termos de investigação, os resultados do nosso trabalho oferecem orientação e apoio para a criação, operação e implementação de iniciativas MLC

Gamification effects on learning and transfer of training

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração, 2019.O objetivo geral deste trabalho é avaliar os efeitos da gamificação na aprendizagem (generalização e transferência de treinamento) em eventos presenciais para gestores de uma instituição financeira brasileira. Foi utilizado um delineamento misto, qualitativo e quantitativo, com fontes primárias e secundárias de informação, e medidas repetidas de variáveis dependentes. Os estudos qualitativos compreenderam a construção de um treinamento gerencial gamificado, testes situacionais de avaliação da generalização de aprendizagem e critérios de correção das respostas aos testes. Os estudos quantitativos incluíram dois quase-experimentos. No primeiro, o delineamento incluiu três grupos Experimental 1, treinamento com gamificação; Experimental 2, treinamento sem gamificação; e o Grupo controle, sem treinamento; e medidas repetidas, com a aplicação de pré-teste e pós-teste de generalização da aprendizagem. O segundo quase-experimento, comparou estes três grupos quanto à transferência do treinamento, definida como o desempenho dos gerentes treinados nos registros de avaliação de desempenho dos membros de sua equipe em arquivos de dados da organização. Foi adotado um delineamento com os três grupos e medidas repetidas com sete medidas pré intervenção e sete medidas pós intervenção. A variável dependente é a transferência de treinamento e foi mensurada por meio de cinco taxas criadas com base em critérios. Os resultados obtidos no primeiro quase-experimento indicam que o grupo com a gamificação não mostrou melhores resultados de aprendizagem no nível de generalização quando comparado aos grupos com treinamento tradicional. No segundo quase-experimento, entretanto, o treinamento com gamificação mostrou mais resultados positivos com relação à transferência de treinamento do que os demais grupos. Esta pesquisa contribui de forma inovadora para os campos de estudo da gamificação e da aprendizagem nas organizações, pois: (1) realizou quase-experimento usando a gamificação em um treinamento para gestores de uma instituição financeira; (2) mediu a generalização da aprendizagem, utilizando testes situacionais; e (3) mediu a transferência de treinamento avaliando dados objetivos dos desempenhos dos gestores no local de trabalho, tal como registrados em fontes secundárias de dados disponíveis na organização. Propõem-se expandir as pesquisas de gamificação dentro das organizações, utilizando amostras maiores e avaliando seus impactos na melhoria dos resultados de negócios.Gamification has emerged as a strategy that promises to help organizations promote behavior change in individuals. The main objective of this work is to evaluate the effects of gamification on learning (generalization and transfer of training) in two classroom events for managers of a Brazilian financial institution. This research method includes qualitative and quantitative approach, with primary and secondary sources of information, and repeated measures of dependent variables. Qualitative studies include the construction of the training events, situational tests to evaluate the generalization and criteria to correct the responses to tests and results on transfer of training. Quantitative studies included two quasi-experiments. In the first, the design included three groups Experimental 1, training with gamification; Experimental 2, training with expositions and discussions; and the Control Group, without training; and repeated measures, with the application of pretest and posttest of generalization. The second quasi-experiment compared these three groups on the transfer of training, measured by rates of trained managers performances, data obtained from files recording their team members’ evaluation; the repeated measures happened in seven pre-intervention measures and seven post-intervention. The results obtained in the first quasi-experiment indicate that the group with gamification did not show better learning results at the level of generalization when compared to the groups with traditional training. In the second quasi-experiment, the training with gamification showed more positive results regarding the transfer of training than the other groups, although only in a few of the hypotheses. This research contributes in an innovative way to the gamification study’s field and learning in organizations, because: (1) it performed quasi-experiment using gamification in a training for managers of a financial institution; (2) measured the generalization of learning, using situational performance tests; and (3) measured the transfer of training by evaluating objective data on managers' performances in the workplace. As a research agenda, it is proposed to expand the gamification research within organizations using larger samples and evaluating impacts on improving business results

An Ontology based Text-to-Picture Multimedia m-Learning System

Multimedia Text-to-Picture is the process of building mental representation from words associated with images. From the research aspect, multimedia instructional message items are illustrations of material using words and pictures that are designed to promote user realization. Illustrations can be presented in a static form such as images, symbols, icons, figures, tables, charts, and maps; or in a dynamic form such as animation, or video clips. Due to the intuitiveness and vividness of visual illustration, many text to picture systems have been proposed in the literature like, Word2Image, Chat with Illustrations, and many others as discussed in the literature review chapter of this thesis. However, we found that some common limitations exist in these systems, especially for the presented images. In fact, the retrieved materials are not fully suitable for educational purposes. Many of them are not context-based and didn’t take into consideration the need of learners (i.e., general purpose images). Manually finding the required pedagogic images to illustrate educational content for learners is inefficient and requires huge efforts, which is a very challenging task. In addition, the available learning systems that mine text based on keywords or sentences selection provide incomplete pedagogic illustrations. This is because words and their semantically related terms are not considered during the process of finding illustrations. In this dissertation, we propose new approaches based on the semantic conceptual graph and semantically distributed weights to mine optimal illustrations that match Arabic text in the children’s story domain. We combine these approaches with best keywords and sentences selection algorithms, in order to improve the retrieval of images matching the Arabic text. Our findings show significant improvements in modelling Arabic vocabulary with the most meaningful images and best coverage of the domain in discourse. We also develop a mobile Text-to-Picture System that has two novel features, which are (1) a conceptual graph visualization (CGV) and (2) a visual illustrative assessment. The CGV shows the relationship between terms associated with a picture. It enables the learners to discover the semantic links between Arabic terms and improve their understanding of Arabic vocabulary. The assessment component allows the instructor to automatically follow up the performance of learners. Our experiments demonstrate the efficiency of our multimedia text-to-picture system in enhancing the learners’ knowledge and boost their comprehension of Arabic vocabulary

Video Augmentation in Education: in-context support for learners through prerequisite graphs

The field of education is experiencing a massive digitisation process that has been ongoing for the past decade. The role played by distance learning and Video-Based Learning, which is even more reinforced by the pandemic crisis, has become an established reality. However, the typical features of video consumption, such as sequential viewing and viewing time proportional to duration, often lead to sub-optimal conditions for the use of video lessons in the process of acquisition, retrieval and consolidation of learning contents. Video augmentation can prove to be an effective support to learners, allowing a more flexible exploration of contents, a better understanding of concepts and relationships between concepts and an optimization of time required for video consumption at different stages of the learning process. This thesis focuses therefore on the study of methods for: 1) enhancing video capabilities through video augmentation features; 2) extracting concept and relationships from video materials; 3) developing intelligent user interfaces based on the knowledge extracted. The main research goal is to understand to what extent video augmentation can improve the learning experience. This research goal inspired the design of EDURELL Framework, within which two applications were developed to enable the testing of augmented methods and their provision. The novelty of this work lies in using the knowledge within the video, without exploiting external materials, to exploit its educational potential. The enhancement of the user interface takes place through various support features among which in particular a map that progressively highlights the prerequisite relationships between the concepts as they are explained, i.e., following the advancement of the video. The proposed approach has been designed following a user-centered iterative approach and the results in terms of effect and impact on video comprehension and learning experience make a contribution to the research in this field

A Framework for ‍Classification, Rating, and Extraction from Learners’ Annotations to Produce Learning Contents in E-Learning Systems

Nowadays e-learning has an important role as a collaborative learning environment in education. Obviously one of the most important challenges in e-learning is to produce appropriate learning contents for learners. One solution could be selecting and edit appropriate annotations being placed by learners. Due to the possibility of adding annotations to a specific learning content, exploiting learners’ annotations can help course author to improve his/her learning content. Regarding to concepts’ ontology and contents’ annotations, it is possible to edit certain contents in content hierarchy. Furthermore, it is possible to create learning contents by selecting high rated learners’ annotations and presenting them to other learners. Being an implicit method related content annotation that can be easily edited or removed are considered as the advantages of the proposed method of using annotations for editing contents. In this paper a framework for using learners’ annotations for selecting and editing learning contents in e-learning systems is presented. The details of annotations classification and method of rating annotations will be discussed. In addition, the proposed solution is tested and advantages of annotations are analyzed in order to produce feedbacks for authors and the conclusions are shown

Digital Storytelling for Employability

This publication results from the research work undertaken by the partner institutions involved in the KA3-ICT Project Transversal Lifelong Learning Programme, Learn about finding jobs from digital storytelling(143429-2008-LLP-RO-KA3-KA3MP), with the main purpose of enhancing graduates' employability possibilities. For graduating students looking for a job it is perhaps harder than ever to meet success on the job market. They must use every tool they know to express themselves and to reflect their knowledge, competences and skills. The book aims to explain the main aspects of using digital storytelling as a method for employability, career development, reflection, assessment, consultancy, presentation and communication. Through digital storytelling, students begin to comprehend how all the elements of writing a narrative work together and how to manipulate them for the best effects in readers and viewers. Also, sharing and evaluating digital stories among peers is an excellent way to foster self-expression and tolerance and to create an engaged community of learners