Exploring Teachers Perceptions on Modeling Effort Demanded by CSCL Designs with Explicit Artifact Flow Support

Producción CientíficaArtifact flow represents an important aspect of teaching/learning processes, especially in CSCL situations in which complex relationships may be found. However, explicit modeling of CSCL processes with artifact flow may increase the cognitive load and associated effort of the teachers-designers and therefore decrease the efficiency of the design process. The empirical study, reported in this paper and grounded on mixed methods, provides evidence of the effort overload when teachers are involved in designing CSCL situations in a controlled environment. The results of the study illustrate the problem through the subjective perception of the participating teachers, complemented with objective parameters, such as time consumed, errors committed, uncertainty and objective complexity metrics.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (Project Project TIN2014-53199-C3- 2-R)Junta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación - Ref. VA277U14)Junta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación – Ref. VA082U16

A collaborative learning approach to dialogic peer feedback: a theoretical framework

Producción CientíficaFeedback has a powerful influence on learning. However, feedback practices in higher education often fail to produce the expected impact on learning. This is mainly because of its implementation as a one-way transmission of diagnostic information where students play a passive role as the information receivers. Dialogue around feedback can enhance students’ sense making from feedback and capacities to act on it. Yet, dialogic feedback has been mostly implemented as an instructor-led activity, which is hardly affordable in large classrooms. Dialogic peer feedback can offer a scalable solution; however, current practices lack a systematic design, resulting in low learning gains. Attending to this gap, this paper presents a theoretical framework that structures dialogic feedback as a three-phase collaborative activity, involving different levels of regulation: first, planning and coordination of feedback activities (involving socially shared regulation), second, feedback discussion to support its uptake (involving co-regulation), and last, translation of feedback into task engagement and progress (involving self-regulation). Based on the framework, design guidelines are provided to help practitioners shape their feedback practices. The application of the principles is illustrated through an example scenario. The framework holds great potential to promote student-centred approaches to feedback practices in higher education.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Project TIN2017-85179-C3-2-R)Junta de Castilla y León (Project VA257P18)European Commission (Project grant 588438-EPP-1-2017-1-EL-EPPKA2-KA

Transfer processes research in CSCL to training. An analysis of a case in the University of Valladolid

En este artículo realizamos un análisis de la diferencia entre el desarrollo educativo y tecnológico. Analizaremos la escasa complejidad que implican los sistemas tradicionales de formación en las Universidades, especialmente en las españolas y los avances que se han desarrollado en el ámbito de la tecnología educativa. La concepción del trabajo sobre CSCL (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning) del grupo de investigación GSIC-EMIC de la Universidad de Valladolid (UVA) ha supuesto la definición de un marco general para el diseño, implementación, seguimiento y orientación, así como evaluación del ciclo de vida de un proceso educativo colaborativo apoyado en tecnología. Dicha dinámica establece una serie de requerimientos muy distintos a los que las apuestas clásicas han propuesto tradicionalmente en las instituciones universitarias. Abogamos en este artículo por un cambio hacia la colaboración apoyada en la implementación de nuevos modelos pedagógicos y recursos que ayuden, no que entorpezcan dicho proceso. Así mostraremos un marco general que ayuda a la orquestación de estos procesos creado por nuestro grupo de investigación.In this paper, we present an analysis of the differences between status of the educational and technological development, as well as the advances in the field of educational technology in higher education with special emphasis on Spanish universities. The global viewpoint and the recent work on CSCL (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning), of the research group GSIC/EMIC at the University of Valladolid (UVA), has motivated the definition of a framework on the design, implementation, analysis and regulation, as well as the evaluation of the lifecycle of collaborative educational process based on technology. Such a proposal establishes a series of requirements, which are considerably separated from the classical approaches adopted by the university institutions. In this document, we suggest a change towards collaboration, supported by the implementation of new pedagogical models and resources

What Agile processes should we use in software engineering course projects?

Producción CientíficaWhile project-based software engineering courses aim to provide learning opportunities grounded in professional processes, it is not always possible to replicate every process in classrooms due to course constraints. Previous studies observed how students react to various processes and gave retroactive recommendations. In this study, we instead combine a field study on professional Agile (eXtreme Programming, XP) teams and an established team process taxonomy to proactively select team processes to incorporate in a project-based software engineering course. With collected knowledge from the field study, we choose three XP processes to augment the design of a mature software engineering project course. We choose processes that are 1) considered important by professionals, and 2) complete with respect to coverage of the taxonomy's main categories. We then compare the augmented course design with the original design in a case study. Our results suggest that 1) even without extra resources, adding these new processes does not interfere with learning opportunities for XP processes previously existing in the course design; 2) student teams experience similar benefits from these new processes as professional teams do, and students appreciate the usefulness and value of the processes. In other words, our approach allows instructors to make conscious choices of XP processes that improve student learning outcomes while exposing students to a more complete set of processes and thus preparing them better for professional careers. Course designers with limited resources are encouraged to use our methodology to evaluate and improve the designs of their own project-based courses.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Project TIN2017-85179-C3-2-R)Junta de Castilla y León (project VA257P18) by the European Commission under project grant 588438-EPP-1-2017-1-EL-EPPKA2- K

From Theory to Action: Developing and Evaluating Learning Analyticsfor Learning Design

Producción CientíficaThe effectiveness of using learning analytics for learning design primarily depends upon two concepts: grounding and alignment. This is the primary conjecture for the study described in this paper. In our design-based research study, we design, test, and evaluate teacher-facing learning analytics for an online inquiry science unit on global climate change. We design our learning analytics in accordance with a socioconstructivism-based pedagogical framework, called Knowledge Integration, and the principles of learning analytics Implementation Design. Our methodology for the design process draws upon the principle of the Orchestrating for Learning Analytics framework to engage stakeholders (i.e. teachers, researchers, and developers). The resulting learning analytics were aligned to unit activities that engaged students in key aspects of the knowledge integration process. They provided teachers with actionable insight into their students' understanding at critical junctures in the learning process. We demonstrate the efficacy of the learning analytics in supporting the optimization of the unit's learning design. We conclude by synthesizing the principles that guided our design process into a framework for developing and evaluating learning analytics for learning design.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Project TIN2017-85179-C3-2-R)Junta de Castilla y León (project VA257P18) by the European Commission under project grant 588438-EPP-1-2017-1-EL-EPPKA2-KA

Delving into instructor‐led feedback interventions informed by learning analytics in massive open online courses

Producción CientíficaBackground:Providing feedback in massive open online courses (MOOCs) is chal-lenging due to the massiveness and heterogeneity of learners' population. Learninganalytics (LA) solutions aim at scaling up feedback interventions and supportinginstructors in this endeavour.Paper Objectives:This paper focuses on instructor-led feedback mediated by LAtools in MOOCs. Our goal is to answer how, to what extent data-driven feedback isprovided to learners, and what its impact is.Methods:We conducted a systematic literature review on the state-of-the-art LA-informed instructor-led feedback in MOOCs. From a pool of 227 publications, weselected 38 articles that address the topic of LA-informed feedback in MOOCs medi-ated by instructors. We applied etic content analysis to the collected data.Results and Conclusions:The results revealed a lack of empirical studies exploring LA todeliver feedback, and limited attention on pedagogy to inform feedback practices. Our find-ings suggest the need for systematization and evaluation of feedback. Additionally, there isa need for conceptual tools to guide instructors' in the design of LA-based feedback.Takeaways:We point out the need for systematization and evaluation of feedback. Weenvision that this research can support the design of LA-based feedback, thus contribut-ing to bridge the gap between pedagogy and data-driven practice in MOOCs.Consejo de Investigación de Estonia (PSG286)Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional y la Agencia Nacional de Investigación (grant PID2020-112584RB-C32) and (grant TIN2017-85179-C3-2-R)Junta de Castilla y León - Fondo Social Europeo y el Consejo Regional de Educación (grant E-47-2018-0108488

Una experiencia de formación colaborativa y práctica real entre la universidad y un centro educativo generando un espacio CSCL

Esta experiencia refleja la respuesta que le hemos dado en la necesidad de contextualizar los procesos de enseñanza en la formación de maestros y la fundamental coordinación de los trabajos que se realizan en la universidad para llevar a cabo nuestra labor. La unión de dos asignaturas troncales en el plan de estudios de magisterio (Didáctica General y Nuevas Tecnologías aplicadas a la Educación), junto con la participación de un Centro Escolar (C.P. Vicente Aleixandre de Valladolid), ha posibilitado la interconexión de contenidos teóricos de ambas asignaturas y la perspectiva práctica que aporta el Colegio. Todo ello tomando como eje un entorno colaborativo de trabajo en red, Basic Support for Cooperative Work (BSCW) que nos ha permitido generar una dinámica de formación CSCL (Computer Support for Colaborative Learnin). En este trabajo se incluye una descripción del proyecto con su intrincado cúmulo de relaciones e interconexiones, así como la valoración del primer año de trabajo.This experience shows the answer that we give to the need of relating theory and practice in maestriʹs formation. The union of two main subjects of study in the curriculum (Didáctica General y Nuevas Tecnologías aplicadas a la Educación) , along with the participation of an school (C.P. Vicente Aleixandre) , has made the interconnection of theoretic contentses of both subjects of study and the practical perspective that the School contributes . All of it taking like axle a collaborative surroundings of net work, Basic Support for Cooperative Work (BSCW), that has permitted us generating a dynamics of formation (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning). In this work a description of project with his intricate relational accumulation and interface are included, as well as the evaluation of first year of workEsta experiência reflete a resposta que nós temos dado à necessidade de contextualizar os processos de ensino na formação de professores e a fundamental coordenação dos trabalhos que realizam‐se na universidade para levar a cabo nosso labor. A união de duas disciplinas troncais no plano de estudos de Magistério (Didática Geral e Novas Tecnologías aplicadas à Educação) junto com a participação de um Centro Escolar (C. P. Vicente Aleixandre de Valladolid), tem possibilitado a interconexão dos conteúdos teóricos de ambas disciplinas e a perspectiva prática que aporta o Colégio. Tudo isto tomando como eixo um meio colaborativo de trabalho em rede, Basic Support for Cooperativ Work (BSCW) que permitiu‐nos gerar uma dinâmica de formação CSCL (Computer Support for Colaborative Learning). Neste trabalho se inclui uma descrição do projeto com seu enredado conjunto de relações e interconexões, bem como a valoração do primeiro ano de trabalho

Exploring teachers’ needs and the existing barriers to the adoption of Learning Design methods and tools: a literature survey

Producción CientíficaLearning Design (LD) is oriented to support teachers in designing their teaching with the aim to provide a sound pedagogical background and to make effective use of resources and technologies. In spite of the significant number of LD approaches and tools proposed so far, their adoption is still very limited and this represents an unsolved challenge in the field of LD. This paper presents a systematic review of the literature about learning design tools, tackling the issue of adoption from two points of view: teachers’ needs in relation to LD tools and methods and possible barriers to their adoption. The review includes only research papers where teachers’ behaviours and opinions are directly explored and not purely theoretical papers. The search included five main academic databases in Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) plus a search on Google about project reports; the resulting corpus included 423 papers: 26 of these, plus 3 reports were included in the final list for the analysis. The review provides a systematic overview of the knowledge developed in the LD field, focusing on a set of research gaps that need further exploration in the future.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (Projects TIN2014-53199-C3-2-R and TIN2017- 85179-C3-2-R)Junta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación - Ref. VA082U16)European Commission (Proyect 588438-EPP-1-2017-1-EL-EPPKA2-KA

Creating collaborative groups in a MOOC: a homogeneous engagement grouping approach

Producción CientíficaCollaborative learning can improve the pedagogical effectiveness of MOOCs. Group formation, an essential step in the design of collaborative learning activities, can be challenging in MOOCs given the scale and the wide variety in such contexts. We discuss the need for considering the behaviours of the students in the course to form groups in MOOC contexts, and propose a grouping approach that employs homogeneity in terms of students’ engagement in the course. Two grouping strategies with different degrees of homogeneity are derived from this approach, and their impact to form successful groups is examined in a real MOOC context. The grouping criteria were established using student activity logs (e.g. page-views). The role of the timing of grouping was also examined by carrying out the intervention once in the first and once in the second half of the course. The results indicate that in both interventions, the groups formed with a greater degree of homogeneity had higher rates of task-completion and peer interactions, Additionally, students from these groups reported higher levels of satisfaction with their group experiences. On the other hand, a consistent improvement of all indicators was observed in the second intervention, since student engagement becomes more stable later in the course.Agencia Estatal de Investigación Española - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (grants TIN2017-85179-C3-2-R / TIN2014-53199-C3-2-RJunta de Castilla y León - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (grant VA257P18)Comisión Europea (grant 588438-EPP-1-2017-1-EL-EPPKA2-KA

Generating actionable predictions regarding MOOC learners’ engagement in peer reviews

Producción CientíficaPeer review is one approach to facilitate formative feedback exchange in MOOCs; however, it is often undermined by low participation. To support effective implementation of peer reviews in MOOCs, this research work proposes several predictive models to accurately classify learners according to their expected engagement levels in an upcoming peer-review activity, which offers various pedagogical utilities (e.g. improving peer reviews and collaborative learning activities). Two approaches were used for training the models: in situ learning (in which an engagement indicator available at the time of the predictions is used as a proxy label to train a model within the same course) and transfer across courses (in which a model is trained using labels obtained from past course data). These techniques allowed producing predictions that are actionable by the instructor while the course still continues, which is not possible with post-hoc approaches requiring the use of true labels. According to the results, both transfer across courses and in situ learning approaches have produced predictions that were actionable yet as accurate as those obtained with cross validation, suggesting that they deserve further attention to create impact in MOOCs with real-world interventions. Potential pedagogical uses of the predictions were illustrated with several examples.European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant 793317)Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (projects TIN2017-85179-C3-2-R / TIN2014-53199-C3-2-R)Junta de Castilla y León (grant VA257P18)Comisión Europea (grant 588438-EPP-1-2017-1-EL-EPPKA2-KA