E-Learning

E-learning enables students to pace their studies according to their needs, making learning accessible to (1) people who do not have enough free time for studying - they can program their lessons according to their available schedule; (2) those far from a school (geographical issues), or the ones unable to attend classes due to some physical or medical restriction. Therefore, cultural, geographical and physical obstructions can be removed, making it possible for students to select their path and time for the learning course. Students are then allowed to choose the main objectives they are suitable to fulfill. This book regards E-learning challenges, opening a way to understand and discuss questions related to long-distance and lifelong learning, E-learning for people with special needs and, lastly, presenting case study about the relationship between the quality of interaction and the quality of learning achieved in experiences of E-learning formation

The Panhellenic Project: assessing learning engagement using Web 2.0 technologies

High attrition rates have been a consistent occurrence among online learners, creating the challenge of how to design online instruction for the type of learning that encourages student engagement. With new technologies constantly evolving, the question becomes how educators can use these new web-based applications to engage students and possibly resolve the problem of high attrition among online learners? The purpose of this study was to assess the level of learning engagement through student participation in The Panhellenic Project, an instructional design model that integrated constructivist learning principles with Web 2.0 technologies. Additionally, the usefulness of structured orientations to the Web 2.0 technologies and the effectiveness of these technologies was also investigated. Using a mixed-methods case study design, The Panhellenic Project was framed around a collaborative group activity where undergraduate students worked in teams with the task of creating a three-dimensional virtual ancient Greek Parthenon and one ancient Olympic game event within the Second Life virtual world. A project wiki was established for student-participants to research sports history as well as share knowledge, information and resources. An informational blog with project resource information was developed as a Second Life learning reference. Multiple sources were used to capture data including the Survey of Student Engagement, pre- and post-project questionnaires, and electronic discourse analysis of wiki posts and Second Life chat transcripts. Research finding showed that the majority of the student-participants were engaged in The Panhellenic Project and that learning had occurred over the length of project implementation. The structured orientation and training sessions were perceived as effective in connecting theoretical and practical knowledge, though not effective for teaching students to use the Second Life virtual world. Overall, the level of difficulty experienced in learning the application influenced student-participant perceptions about the effectiveness of the Web 2.0 technologies used in this study. Further, analysis of the data revealed that the participants consistently demonstrated constructivist learning activities through interaction with other learners, collaborative teamwork and the sharing of multiple perspectives as they completed The Panhellenic Project

An andragogical framework for benchmarking elearning at Technikon Free State (TFS)

Thesi

Developing an Online Learning Community: A Strategy for Improving Lecturer and Student Learning Experiences

Many researchers and practitioners are appealing for more innovative approaches where online lecturer use of technology is guided by a clear philosophy of learning to engage students in more meaningful learning. This research aimed to better understand teaching and learning in an online learning environment through the development and application of an appropriate pedagogical framework to facilitate successful learning experiences. To achieve this aim, a qualitative interpretive methodology was adopted to case study an online lecturer and his 14 students' experiences in a semester long fully online asynchronous graduate Research Methods course in a New Zealand tertiary institution. The study had three phases. Phase 1, the Review Phase, was a baseline survey to elicit the views of various online lecturers and their students on the nature of online learning and how learning can be successfully facilitated in such environments. The findings and recommendations from the literature led to identifying five guiding principles to frame the development of a pedagogical intervention. The principles, which map onto five key sociocultural ideas, depict learning as a mediated, situated, distributed, goal-directed and participatory activity within a socially and culturally determined learning community. Phase 2, the Designing the Intervention and Implementation Phase, concerned designing an intervention to facilitate student learning experiences. An emergent and iterative strategy, the negotiated intervention strategy, framed the collaborative design process used by the researcher to work with the case study lecturer. Teaching strategies supporting each of the guiding principles were shared with the lecturer, planned for and implemented in the case study course. Phase 3, the Evaluation Phase, examined how successful the intervention was in terms of three planes of participant development: personal, interpersonal and community. The key findings from this research highlight successful online teaching and learning experiences as involving active and changing participation in a learning community. This participation is framed and shaped by the use of authentic and relevant tasks that situate activity; interaction and teamwork to tap into cognition as distributed; goal-directed activities; and Web-based technological tools and activities to mediate action. Participation is realised through the kinds of roles members of the community adopt in support of intellectual, social and emotional development over time. Overall, the findings confirm the value of a sociocultural approach in the design and facilitation of online learning experiences. The notion of participation in a learning community through the adoption of different roles provides a useful orientation for understanding lecturer and student responsibilities and strategies to serve different purposes of teaching and learning. These ideas inform our understanding of appropriate conditions for successful teaching and learning and have important implications for guiding teaching-learning practices in online learning environments

An investigation into the development of English language reading comprehension among Thai undergraduate students using an online blended learning approach

This study investigated the use of a blended learning approach to the teaching of English reading comprehension in a Thai university. The study revealed while Thai learners experienced many difficulties with developing their reading comprehension, the blended learning program assisted in reducing the difficulties they experienced. The study also revealed that participants not only made significantly higher progress in the blended learning program but also enhanced their capacity for autonomous learning

Tutorització Intel·ligent de Comunitats Virtuals d'Aprenentatge

L’evolució de la tecnologia ha produït canvis profunds en els paradigmes de l'ensenyament i, particularment, en l'aplicació d'aquests a l’aprenentatge en línia (e-learning). De fet va ser la pròpia revolució tecnològica la que va fer néixer aquest nou model d'aprenentatge virtual i, actualment, poques són les institucions que no compten amb alguna aplicació de l'e-learning, ja sigui com a alternativa al model educatiu tradicional o com a complement (blended learning). La introducció de l'e-learning, i en general de les Tecnologies de la Informació i Comunicació (TIC), al món educatiu ha fet que la teoria instructivista de l'educació tradicional s'hagi desplaçat cap a un paradigma constructivista, generant un model molt més centrat en l'alumne. Les eines educatives han anat evolucionant cap aquest nou paradigma, on la personalització i l’adaptació són fils conductors, i els Sistemes Tutors Intel·ligents (STI) en són un bon exemple. Tanmateix, l'arribada de la Web 2.0 ha desencadenat un moment social que ha acabat marcant de nou el món educatiu. El desplegament de la teoria connectivista, sorgida de l'aplicació de la Web Social en l’àmbit educatiu, i la implantació de múltiples iniciatives d'e-learning han afavorit la proliferació d'Entorns Virtuals d'Aprenentatge (EVA) i de diferents tecnologies educatives basades en Web. Atès que la tecnologia associada a Internet està en constant evolució, però, tot fa pensar que els entorns d’aprenentatge hauran d’evolucionar en els propers anys de manera paral·lela a com ho està fent la pròpia Web. Així, és probable que les següents generacions d'e-learning implementin característiques pròpies de la Web 3.0 (semàntica) i de la Web 4.0 (simbiòtica) i esdevinguin entorns on els agents intel·ligents hi tinguin un paper significatiu. En aquesta tesi s’analitza en primer lloc quina ha estat la trajectòria que ha seguit l’educació al llarg de la història i quina influència ha tingut en la implantació dels sistemes d’aprenentatge en línia, des dels més senzills i poc adaptatius, fins als més moderns i pensats per millorar l’experiència en l’aprenentatge. A més, en vistes de la trajectòria tecnològica que es divisa, es proposa una nova arquitectura que permeti incloure, d’una banda, les capacitats dels entorns ja existents d’aprenentatge en línia, i, de l’altra, els agents intel·ligents que convertiran l’experiència de l’ensenyament a distància en una experiència adaptativa i social, on el concepte de grup tindrà cabdal importància. Els sistemes educatius intel·ligents futurs, per tant, hauran de disposar d'una part complexa de computació avançada, aspecte abordat des del camp de la Intel·ligència Artificial, que permeti reconèixer quina és l’evolució de l’alumne en el seu aprenentatge i com aquest està interactuant i rendint amb els companys de la seva classe virtual. A més, la quantitat d'interaccions produïdes en aquests entorns generarà un gran volum de dades educatives, la Big Learning Data, amb informació vital que caldrà processar per millorar i adaptar el sistema a l’alumne a mesura que el curs avança, i per recollir informació valuosa per a la seva tutorització. Així, la darrera part d’aquesta tesi mostra les contribucions realitzades en Intel·ligència Artificial i els resultats de la seva implementació per crear la part intel·ligent d’aquesta arquitectura, podent extreure d'aquesta manera el màxim rendiment d’aquests nous entorns d’aprenentatge col·laboratiu que seran realitat d’aquí a pocs anys.La evolución de la tecnología ha producido cambios profundos en los paradigmas de la enseñanza y, particularmente, en la aplicación de éstos en el aprendizaje en línea (e-learning). De hecho fue la propia revolución tecnológica la que hizo nacer este nuevo modelo de aprendizaje virtual y, actualmente, pocas son las instituciones que no cuentan con alguna aplicación del e-learning, ya sea como alternativa al modelo educativo tradicional o como complemento (blended learning). La introducción del e-learning, y en general de las Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación (TIC), en el mundo educativo ha hecho que la teoría instructivista de la educación tradicional se haya desplazado hacia un paradigma constructivista, generando un modelo mucho más centrado en el alumno. Las herramientas educativas han ido evolucionando hacia este nuevo paradigma, donde la personalización y la adaptación son hilos conductores, y los Sistemas Tutores Inteligentes (STI) son un buen ejemplo. Sin embargo, la llegada de la Web 2.0 ha desencadenado un momento social que ha marcado de nuevo el mundo educativo. El despliegue de la teoría conectivista, surgida de la aplicación de la Web Social en el ámbito educativo, y la implantación de varias iniciativas de e-learning han favorecido la proliferación de entornos virtuales de aprendizaje y de diferentes tecnologías educativas basadas en Web. Dado que la tecnología asociada a Internet está en constante evolución, todo hace pensar que los entornos de aprendizaje deberán evolucionar en los próximos años de manera paralela a como lo está haciendo la propia Web. Así, es probable que las siguientes generaciones de e-learning implementen características propias de la Web 3.0 (semántica) y de la Web 4.0 (simbiótica) y se conviertan en entornos donde los agentes inteligentes tengan un papel significativo. En esta tesis se analiza en primer lugar cuál ha sido la trayectoria que ha seguido la educación a lo largo de la historia y qué influencia ha tenido en la implantación del e-learning, desde los más sencillos y poco adaptativos, hasta los más modernos y pensados para mejorar la experiencia en el aprendizaje. Además, en vistas de la trayectoria tecnológica que se divisa, se propone una nueva arquitectura que permita incluir, por un lado, las capacidades de los entornos ya existentes de aprendizaje en línea, y, por otro, los agentes inteligentes que convertirán la experiencia de la enseñanza a distancia en una experiencia adaptativa y social, donde el concepto de grupo tendrá capital importancia. Los sistemas educativos inteligentes futuros, por tanto, deberán disponer de una parte compleja de computación avanzada, aspecto abordado desde el campo de la Inteligencia Artificial, que permita reconocer cuál es la evolución del alumno en su aprendizaje y como éste está interactuando y rindiendo con los compañeros de su clase virtual. Además, la cantidad de interacciones producidas en estos entornos generará un gran volumen de datos educativos, la Big Learning Data, con información vital que habrá que procesar para mejorar y adaptar el sistema al alumno a medida que el curso avanza, y para recoger información valiosa para su tutorización. Así, la última parte de esta tesis muestra las contribuciones realizadas en Inteligencia Artificial y los resultados de su implementación para crear la parte inteligente de esta arquitectura, pudiendo extraer de este modo el máximo rendimiento de estos nuevos entornos de aprendizaje colaborativo que serán realidad dentro de pocos años.The evolution of technology has produced profound changes in the paradigms of teaching and, particularly, in their application in online learning (e-learning). In fact it was the technological revolution itself that gave birth to this new model of virtual learning and there are currently few institutions that do not have an e-learning application, either as an alternative to traditional methods or to complement them (blended learning). The introduction of e-learning, and in general of the Information Technology and Communication (ICT) in the educational world has made the instructivist traditional education theory move to a constructivist paradigm, creating a more focused learning model. Educational tools have evolved towards this new paradigm, where customization and adaptation are the backbone of the model. Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) provide a good example of this new methodology. However, the advent of Web 2.0 has created a social era which has rebranded the educational world. The deployment of the connectionist theory, arising from the implementation of the Social Web in education, and the implementation of various e-learning initiatives have led to the proliferation of virtual learning environments and different educational Web-based technologies. Since the technology associated with the Internet is constantly evolving, everything suggests that learning environments should evolve in the coming years in parallel with the Web itself. Thus it is likely that the next generation of e-learning implements own Web 3.0 (semantic) and Web 4.0 (symbiotic) characteristics and create environments where intelligent agents have a significant role. In this thesis we first analyze the path of education throughout history and discuss the influence it has had on the implementation of e-learning, from the simplest and less adaptive measures to the most modern, designed methods to enhance the learning experience. Furthermore, in view of the visible technological background, we propose a new architecture to include, on the one hand, the capabilities of existing online learning environments, and secondly, intelligent agents which can convert the experiences acquired in distance learning into an adaptive and social experience, where the group concept is of paramount importance. Future intelligent educational systems must therefore have an intricate part of advanced computing, an aspect from the field of Artificial Intelligence, which recognizes the evolution of students in their learning and how they interact and perform with their virtual class mates. In addition, the number of interactions produced in these environments will generate a large volume of educational data, the Big Data Learning with vital information that must be processed to improve and adapt the system to the student as the course progresses, and to collect valuable information for tutorship. So, the last part of this thesis shows the contributions made in Artificial Intelligence and the results of their implementation to create the intelligent part of this architecture. The benefits of these new collaborative learning environments will enable us to optimize performance in coming years

ICT and internet usage in early childhood education : a comparative study of Australian and Malaysian teachers' beliefs and current practices

The thesis is a comparative study of ICTs and Internet use of Australian and Malaysian early childhood teachers in terms of their personal and professional comfort with ICTs, pedagogical beliefs, and their reported classroom practice. The study discovered teachers from both countries as relatively comfortable with digital technologies and the Internet, with most teachers held positive beliefs about ICT usage. The structural barriers in classrooms include lack of Internet access and the wide gap that exists between teachers’ positive beliefs and classroom practice. The study suggests the need for strategic and targeted professional development for teachers

Social media in manufacturing workplaces

This research study and dissertation was designed to evaluate any connection between the use of social media for learning, communication and collaboration in a manufacturing environment and improved performance in quality and delivery metrics in those organizations. As the competition throughout the world becomes more challenging, organizations, small and large, are changing the way they conduct business to remain competitive in the growing and changing marketplace. Many of these organizations are experiencing a continually growing sector of their employees working remotely or in, in some cases, other areas of the world. Many of these organizations are finding that the ways to perform and improve processes that had been relied upon for many years simply do not work in the current workplace. One way that has been discovered to improve performance with consideration to these challenges is through the use of social media. Social media is becoming increasingly more commonplace in the workplace in recent years. For several years, social media has been used by organizations to collect feedback from customers, employees and others to help refine their processes and products to improve their product or service to help make more satisfied customers. Coupled with increasing demands of Just In Time (JIT) manufacturing and increasingly rigorous quality requirements, social media is now being examined to be a means to help better equip and empower these workforces. Effective and consistent training can be a considerable challenge in many manufacturing organizations and many of those businesses are beginning to more fully understand the true impact of training. While the ROI may not always be easily quantifiable in many instances, training and development is becoming a cornerstone of many organizations. Although most employee development / training departments desire to make training better, barriers such as off shifts, departmental budgets and remote working employees can challenge even the best plans or intentions. Because of the inconsistent training that occurs as a result of these factors, organizations can experience varied outcomes that can dramatically impact customer satisfaction, employee engagement and organizational profitability. Training through the use of social media can help reduce the burden placed upon these organizations and lead to a more positive financial performance. It can also allow organizations to use a web based venue that is accessible nearly anywhere in the world and be accessed nearly instantaneously. In addition, many of these social media sites can be used from little to no cost, helping to better control costs that are associated with employee development. Although the use of social media for employee development is new, the results of this research study shows promising results. This research study shows a correlation between the use of social media for learning, communication and collaboration and the organization’s improved performance in quality and delivery metrics. While the Pilot Study produced positive results, the scope of this earlier study was broad, using a number of social media venues, and there was no way to completely understand where the positive effects came from. In an attempt to better control the variables in the empirical research study, the number of forms of social media used in that study was reduced to only the use of Twitter. The results of the research study were also positive yet did not show as large of an impact as the Pilot Study. This could be due to the many factors and allows for significant opportunity for future research using other forms of social media alone or in combination with one another. In addition, the results from the anonymous online survey showed that the majority of the participants found value through the use of Twitter for communication and collaboration within their workplace. Although these results are promising, there is a great deal of opportunity to explore this relationship in much closer detail opening up a venue for future research