Group formation in learning flow activities across virtual and physical spaces

Proceedings of: Across Spaces11 Workshop in conjunction with the EC-TEL2011, Palermo, Italy, September 21, 2011One of the main challenges in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning is group formation according to different types of polices that depend on the pedagogical method or/and the students' profiles, and the communication of the resulting group formation to the students and the flow engines that orchestrate the collaborative learning processes. This challenge is even more demanding when the learning flows are not only supported by computers but they also integrate activities taking place in physical spaces without the assistance of computing devices. In this extended abstract we propose to combine previous contributions towards the development of an integrated solution for supporting group management across IMS Learning Design compliant virtual learning environments and activities in the physical space, such as the classroom or the playground.This work has been partially funded by the Spanish Learn 3 project (TIN2008-05163/TSI).Publicad

etiquetAR: Tagging Learning Experiences

Proocedings of: 8th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning: Scaling Up Learning for Sustained Impact (EC-TEL 2013). Paphos, Cyprus, September 17-21, 2013etiquetAR is an authoring tool for supporting the design and enactment of mobile context-based learning experiences based on QR tags. etiquetAR enables creating, managing, and sharing personalized QR tags attachable to any object or physical geographical location. Tags are digital layers of contextualized information that transforms any physical space into a digitally augmented learning environment. This demonstration paper presents etiquetAR first working prototype of this application. In particular, the paper details: (1) how etiquetAR web-based application can be used to edit a tag, associate different resources to it, and relate resources information to a particular profile for adaptive learning experiences; and (2) how users can access and contribute to the information hidden in the tags using the mobile-based application. This demonstration will show the audience how etiquetAR is a simple tool designed to encourage practitioners to create their own tag-based learning experiences.This work has been partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness with the EEE project (TIN2011-28308-C03-01 and TIN2011-28308-C03-03) and by the eMadrid project (S2009/TIC-1650) funded by the Regional Government of Madrid. The authors would also like to especially thank the members of the research groups GAST (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid) for their contributions and ideas.Publicad

FLINN: A framework to characterize technology enhanced formal, non-formal and informal learning situations

Thanks to technology, people learn continuously, anytime and anywhere, and in multiple situations that combine formal, non-formal and informal learning. However, recognizing the type of learning taking place in such technology-enhanced learning (TEL) situations is a big challenge, since the boundaries between these three kinds of learning are blurred. In this paper we present FLINN (FormaL INformal and Non-formal), a framework that defines formal, non-formal and informal learning situations as a continuum of two factors: (a) how learning is achieved; and (b) the setting where the learning situation takes place. This framework helps systematically characterize TEL situations, and as a consequence understand the kind of learning taking place, and recognize the learning opportunities that may arise in these situations. To illustrate the FLINN framework the authors describe three different scenarios, all employing interactive tags combined with other technologies for supporting collaboration in different settings, and embracing a diversity of learning objectives.This work has been partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness with the EEE project (TIN2011-28308-C03-01 and TIN2011-28308-C03-03), by the Regional Government of Madrid with the eMadrid project (S2009/TIC-1650) and by the postdoctoral fellowship Alliance 4 Universities.Publicad

Enhancing competence development for social inclusion Using the TENCompetence Web tools

Louys, A., Hernández-Leo, D., Sligte, H., Pérez-Sanagustín, M., & Schoonenboom, J. (2010). Enhancing competence development for social inclusion Using the TENCompetence Web tools. In D. Griffiths, & R. Koper (Eds.), Rethinking Learning and Employment at a Time of Economic Uncertainty. Proceedings of the 6th TENCompetence Open workshop (pp. 60-72). November, 19-20, 2009, Manchester, UK. Bolton, UK: Institute for Educational Cybernetics, The University of Bolton. For the complete book please see http://hdl.handle.net/1820/3191This paper describes the study of two pilot studies centred on technology-enhanced competence development in lifelong education carried out in the challenging context of the Association of Participants Àgora. The comparison between both pilot studies reinforces the first conclusion drawn from the 1st pilot experience, which puts in evidence that the use of the TENCompetence infrastructure provides significant learning benefits for adult participants with low educational profiles and who are traditionally excluded from the use of innovative learning technologies and the knowledge society. The participants had the opportunity to develop and improve competences related to English language, ICT and Basic Spanish (only 2nd pilot). The tools employed switched from being a Rich client to a Web client also integrating new functionality related to self-assessment, activities organization and resources sharing. The paper introduces the context and the pilot scenario, indicates the evaluation methodology applied and discusses the most significant findings and the comparison of the two pilot studies. The results of the second pilot reinforce the conclusion that TENCompetence provides a relevant solution for competence development in support of social inclusion.The work on this publication has been sponsored by the TENCompetence Integrated Project that is funded by the European Commission's 6th Framework Programme, priority IST/Technology Enhanced Learning. Contract 027087 [http://www.tencompetence.org

Research on ICT in K-12 schools e A review of experimental and survey-based studies in computers & education 2011 to 2015

International audienceWhat is the role of a journal? Is it to follow the research or lead it? For the former, it is to serve as an archival record of the scholarship in a field. It can serve to permit the research community to engage with each other via the written record. But, for the latter, it can serve the research community by pointing out gaps in the research based on the archival record. This review is intended to do just that

The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Digital Competence of Educators

This article belongs to the Special Issue: The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Digital Competence of EducatorsThe COVID-19 pandemic is having an undeniable impact on all aspects of society. Regarding teaching and learning activities, most educational institutions suspended in-person instruction and moved to remote emergency teaching during the lockdown of March and April 2020. Although many countries progressively re-opened their educational systems, online and hybrid education became a common practice aimed at reducing the spread of the COVID-19 disease. This disruption has caused an unprecedented acceleration in the digitalization of teaching and learning. Teaching professionals have been forced to develop their digital competence quickly, achieving mastery in the management of information, creation of audiovisual content, and use of technology to keep their students engaged. This Special Issue (SI) presents contributions regarding adopting distance learning strategies, experiences, or lessons learned in this domain.Acknowledgments: The authors acknowledge PROF-XXI, which is an Erasmus+ Capacity Building in the Field of Higher Education project funded by the European Commission (609767-EPP-1-2019-1-ES-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP).Publicad

Inclusión estudiantil en Educación Media Técnica Profesional a través de una experiencia Blended Learning con MOOCs

Hay muy pocos estudios que informen sobre el uso de los Cursos Online Masivos y Abiertos (MOOCs) en la Educación Secundaria. Aun así, los MOOCs pueden ser una gran oportunidad para dar a los estudiantes "igualdad de condiciones" cuando existen brechas de aprendizaje entre los compañeros de clase. Esto es especialmente notorio en las escuelas vulnerables, ya que los estudiantes pueden provenir de muy diversos orígenes, con diferentes situaciones socioeconómicas que dificultan su progreso académico. En este contexto, los profesores se enfrentan a la enorme tarea de ser inclusivos y asegurar que todos sus alumnos aprendan, mientras aseguran cierta calidad en sus clases. Este estudio presenta una experiencia de Blended Learning basada en un MOOC realizada en un centro de educación secundaria vulnerable en la que el MOOC es un medio para ayudar al profesor a atender la diversidad de los alumnos en clase. Nuestros resultados muestran que esta metodología de enseñanza tiene un efecto positivo en los resultados de aprendizaje de los estudiantes, la adoptan con éxito y, finalmente, permite al profesor centrarse en los estudiantes que necesitan más ayuda en pos de promover la equidad entre estudiantes y reducir la brecha de aprendizaje entre los compañeros de clase

Augmenting reality and formality of informal and non-formal settings to enhance blended learning

Visits to museums and city tours have been part of higher and secondary education curriculum activities for many years. However these activities are typically considered "less formal" when compared to those carried out in the classroom, mainly because they take place in informal or non-formal settings. Augmented Reality (AR) technologies and smartphones can transform such informal and non-formal settings into digitally augmented learning settings by superimposing "digital" layers of information over physical objects or spaces. At the same time, the formality of these settings increases when connected to formal settings through these digital layers. The right combination of AR and mobile technologies with computer-based educational tools such as Learning Management Systems (LMSs) drives this digital connection, leading to articulated blended learning activities across formal, non-formal and informal settings. This paper contributes to the TEL field with: (1) three blended learning activities illustrating the idea of augmented informal/non-formal settings; (2) results from the cross-analysis of these activities that evidence the impact of technology to enhance blended learning; and (3) a set of lessons learned about the possibilities of NFC/GPS AR technologies and LMSs for blended learning. This work provides insights for the design and implementation of similar technology-enhanced blended learning activities. © 2008-2011 IEEE

Understanding Learners' Motivation and Learning Strategies in MOOCs

MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have changed the way in which OER (Open Educational Resources) are bundled by teachers and consumed by learners. MOOCs represent an evolution towards the production and offering of structured quality OER. Many institutions that were initially reluctant to providing OER have, however, joined the MOOC wave. Nevertheless, MOOCs detractors strongly criticize their high dropout rates. The dropout rate is a commonly accepted metric of success for traditional education, but it may not be as suitable when dealing with OER, in general, and with MOOCs, in particular, since learners' motivations to take a course are very diverse, and certain self -regulated learning strategies are required to tackle the lack of personalized tutoring and keep pace in the course . This paper presents an empirical study on the motivation and learning strategies of MOOC learners. Six thousand three hundred and thirty-five learners from 160 countries answered a self report 7- point Likert-type questionnaire based on the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) as part of a MOOC titled Introduction to Programming with Java. Results indicate that learners were highly motivated and confident to do well in the course. Learning strategies, however, can be improved, especially regarding time management.This work has been co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, projects MOOC-Maker (561533-EPP-1-2015-1-ES-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP), SHEILA (562080-EPP-1-2015-BE-EPPKA3-PI-FORWARD) and COMPETEN-SEA (574212-EPP-1-2016-1- NL-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP), by the Madrid Regional Government, through the eMadrid Excellence Network (S2013/ICE-2715), and by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, project RESET (TIN2014-53199-C3-1-R) and fellowships FPDI-2013-17411 and PTQ-15-07505

Validación por la Comunidad Docente de una Metodología de Aprendizaje Activo para Cursos de Programación

Actas de: III Jornadas de Innovación Educativa en Ingeniería Telemática (JIE). Granada, 28-30 Octubre 2013.En este artículo se presenta y evalúa una metodología para cursos de programación, basada en el aprendizaje activo y el aprendizaje basado en proyectos. Esta metodología se centra en el trabajo continuo, día a día, del alumno. Por un lado, ofrece pautas para que los alumnos organicen su tiempo, promoviendo el autoaprendizaje y el trabajo individual. Por otro, durante el proyecto los alumnos desarrollan sus capacidades de trabajo en equipo, fomentando el desarrollo de competencias transversales como el aprendizaje colaborativo. La metodología descrita se ha aplicado durante varios cursos en una asignatura de programación en C de segundo curso de los cuatro grados de Ingeniería de Telecomunicaciones. Para poder evaluar, ajustar y mejorar el proceso de enseñanzaaprendizaje propuesto, se utilizan mecanismos de realimentación y seguimiento del alumnado y del profesorado. En este artículo, la implantación de la metodología es evaluada por 40 profesores de distintas universidades españolas que imparten asignaturas en cursos de ingeniería, con objeto de validar su aplicabilidad en otros contextos.Este trabajo ha sido financiado parcialmente por el proyecto nacional del Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, “Espacios Educativos Especulares” - EEE (TIN2011-28308-C03-01), por el proyecto regional de la Comunidad de Madrid, “eMadrid” (S2009/TIC-1650) y por el programa de estancias postdoctorales Alianza 4 Universidades.Publicad