Personal learning environments based on WEB 2.0 services in secondary and higher education

The emergence of Web 2.0 has not only changed the available Web technologies, but also the way people communicate and relate to one another. The growing ubiquity of Web access, and the variety of devices that allow us to interact with it, have made it possible for users to choose the tools and services that better adapt to their needs, providing a means of personalising the learning experience. This Thesis presents the results of my research on the construction and analysis of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) based on Web 2.0 services in two different contexts, secondary education and higher education. The methodology used was Design-Based Research, by carrying out interventions in practice settings at both secondary education and higher education levels; in the case of secondary education, the environment created fulfilled all the requirements to be considered a Living Lab. These interventions and their successive iterations allowed for a continuous process of data collection and analysis, which was in turn used to modify or create new interventions. The analysis of the data provided evidence of PLEs as tools for learning and acquiring skills, strengthening social interactions, and improvement in the organization and management of content and learning resources, and also helped identify obstacles and barriers, and possible solutions. My original contribution to knowledge is the development of guidelines for using Personal Learning Environments as tools for supporting formal learning, either by teachers or by the learners themselves.La aparición de la Web 2.0 no sólo ha cambiado las tecnologías Web disponibles, sino también la forma de comunicarnos y relacionarnos con los demás. El creciente acceso a la Web, y la variedad de dispositivos que nos permiten interactuar con ella, han hecho posible que los usuarios puedan elegir las herramientas y servicios que mejor se adapten a sus necesidades, proporcionando así formas de personalizar la experiencia de aprendizaje. Esta tesis presenta los resultados de mi investigación sobre la construcción y análisis de entornos personales de aprendizaje (PLE) basados en servicios Web 2.0, en dos contextos diferentes, educación secundaria y educación superior. La metodología utilizada fue la de diseño basado en la Investigación (Design-Based Research), mediante la realización de implementaciones en entornos reales, tanto en educación secundaria como en educación superior; en el caso de la educación secundaria, el entorno y la comunidad que se crearon cumplieron con todos los requisitos para ser considerados un Living Lab. Estas implementaciones y sus sucesivas iteraciones permitieron seguir un proceso continuo de recopilación y análisis de datos, los cuales se utilizaron para modificar o crear nuevas implementaciones. El análisis de los datos proporcionó evidencias de los PLE como herramientas para el aprendizaje y la adquisición de habilidades, el fortalecimiento de las interacciones sociales, y la mejora en la organización y gestión de contenidos y recursos de aprendizaje, y también ayudó a identificar obstáculos y barreras, y posibles soluciones. Mi contribución original al conocimiento es la elaboración de directrices para el uso de entornos personales de aprendizaje como herramientas para apoyar el aprendizaje formal, ya sea por parte de los profesores o de los propios alumnos.Postprint (published version

Methodologies of learning served by virtual reality: a case study in urban interventions

A computer-simulated reality and the human-machine interactions facilitated by computer technology and wearable computers may be used as an educational methodology that transforms the way students deal with information. This turns the learning process into a more participative and active process, which fits both the practical part of subjects and the learner’s profile, as students nowadays are more technology-savvy and familiar with current technological advances. This methodology is being used in architectural and urbanism degrees to support the design process and to help students visualize design alternatives in the context of existing environments. This paper proposes the use of virtual reality (VR) as a resource in the teaching of courses that focus on the design of urban spaces. A group of users—composed of architecture students and professionals related to the architecture field—participated in an immersing VR experience and had the opportunity to interact with the space that was being redesigned. Later, a quantitative tool was used in order to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual systems in the design of urban environments. The survey was designed using as a reference the competences required in the urbanism courses; this allowed the authors to identify positive and negative aspects in an objective way. The results prove that VR helps to expand digital abilities in complex representation and helps users in the evaluation and decision-making processes involved in the design of urban spaces.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Local Technology to Enhance Data Privacy and Security in Educational Technology

In educational environments, technological adoption in the last 10 years has enabled a data-driven and decisionmaking paradigm in organizations. The integration of cloud services in schools and universities is a positive shift in the field of learning, but it also presents threats to all academic roles that need to be discussed in terms of protection, privacy, and confidentiality. Cloud storage brings the ubiquity of data to this technical transition and a delusive opportunity for cost savings. In many cases, this suggests that certain actors, beyond the control of schools and colleges, collect, handle and treat educational data on private servers and data centers. This privatization enables the manipulation of stored records, leaks, and unauthorized access. In this article, we expose the possibilities that open from the viewpoint of local technology adoption. We seek to reduce or even totally solve the detrimental effects of using cloud-based instructional and analytical technology, mixing or only using local technology. Technological methods that conform to this alternate viewpoint and new lines of study are also being suggested and created

Context-aware assessment in out-of-classroom activities by means of mobile technologies

[EN] This paper proposes a framework for context-aware assessment of out-ofclassroom subjects with the support of mobile technologies. The paper discusses: (a) the principles and implications of out-of-classroom activities, e.g. internships, outdoors practicals of topography, of agricultural or marine engineering, virtual university courses, etc.; and (b) context-aware assessment, in which some context elements (location, date and time, environmental circumstances) may be incorporated into the assessment by means of mobile technology. The aim of this framework is to provide the tools that will allow for an enhanced evaluation, by taking into account the context of the activities being carried out. Given the characteristics of the activities, the assessment will be based on submissions prepared by the students, which will automatically incorporate context information that can be relevant for the assessment. The framework will be tested with several groups of students participating in internships and/or international mobility programmes, from different universities (public, private, semi-public).Perramon, X.; Alemany Costa, J.; Torres Kompen, R.; Kenneth, C. (2016). Context-aware assessment in out-of-classroom activities by means of mobile technologies. En 2nd. International conference on higher education advances (HEAD'16). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 92-99. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD16.2015.2556OCS929

Entornos Personales de Aprendizaje: prácticas basadas en la investigación, marcos y desafíos

Introduction to Issu

Urban data and urban design: A data mining approach to architecture education

The configuration of urban projects using Information and Communication Technologies is an essential aspect in the education of future architects. Students must know the technologies that will facilitate their academic and professional development, as well as anticipating the needs of the citizens and the requirements of their designs. In this paper, a data mining approach was used to outline the strategic requirements for an urban design project in an architecture course using a Project-Based Learning strategy. Informal data related to an award-winning public space (Gillett Square in London, UK) was retrieved from two social networks (Flickr and Twitter), and from its official website. The analysis focused on semantic, temporal and spatial patterns, aspects generally overlooked in traditional approaches. Text-mining techniques were used to relate semantic and temporal data, focusing on seasonal and weekly (work-leisure) cycles, and the geographic patterns were extracted both from geotagged pictures and by geocoding user locations. The results showed that it is possible to obtain and extract valuable data and information in order to determine the different uses and architectural requirements of an urban space, but such data and information can be challenging to retrieve, structure, analyze and visualize. The main goal of the paper is to outline a strategy and present a visualization of the results, in a way designed to be attractive and informative for both students and professionals - even without a technical background - so the conducted analysis may be reproducible in other urban data contexts.Postprint (author's final draft

Local technology to enhance data privacy and security in educational technology

In educational environments, technological adoption in the last 10 years has enabled a data-driven and decisionmaking paradigm in organizations. The integration of cloud services in schools and universities is a positive shift in the field of learning, but it also presents threats to all academic roles that need to be discussed in terms of protection, privacy, and confidentiality. Cloud storage brings the ubiquity of data to this technical transition and a delusive opportunity for cost savings. In many cases, this suggests that certain actors, beyond the control of schools and colleges, collect, handle and treat educational data on private servers and data centers. This privatization enables the manipulation of stored records, leaks, and unauthorized access. In this article, we expose the possibilities that open from the viewpoint of local technology adoption. We seek to reduce or even totally solve the detrimental effects of using cloud-based instructional and analytical technology, mixing or only using local technology. Technological methods that conform to this alternate viewpoint and new lines of study are also being suggested and created.The research that has given rise to these results has been carried out through funds from the Secretariat of Universities and Research of the Department of Business and Knowledge of the Generalitat de Catalunya and Ramon Llull University, with the project 2020-URLProj-058.Peer ReviewedObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::16 - Pau, Justícia i Institucions Sòlides::16.6 - Crear unes institucions eficaces, responsables i transparents a tots els nivellsObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::16 - Pau, Justícia i Institucions Sòlides::16.b - Promoure i aplicar lleis i polítiques no discriminatòries en favor del desenvolupament sostenibleObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::16 - Pau, Justícia i Institucions SòlidesPostprint (published version

The ever-evolving personal learning environment

Postprint (published version