DO PARTNERS CARE ABOUT THEIR MUTUAL LOCATION? Spatial awareness in virtual environments.

This paper reports on four experimental studies concerning regard to how people use space so as to solve problems collaboratively in virtual environments. Prior to presenting the results, it summarizes the wide range of literature concerning social uses of spatiality in human interactions. The experiments we conducted revealed that virtual space modifies and improves collaborative processes such as division of labor, grounding, communication, coordination, as well as the performance to the task. It concludes by proposing Computer Supported Collaborative Work practitioners? ideas about how to use these results in order to design more effective and more adapted environments

Accessible lifelong learning at higher education:outcomes and lessons Learned at two different PilotSites in the EU4ALL Project

[EN] The EU4ALL project (IST-FP6-034778) has developed a general framework to address the needs of accessible lifelong learning at Higher Education level consisting of several standards-based interoperable components integrated into an open web service architecture aimed at supporting adapted interaction to guarantee students' accessibility needs. Its flexibility has supported the project implementation at several sites with different settings and various learning management systems. Large-scale evaluations involving hundreds of users, considering diverse disability types, and key staff roles have allowed obtaining valuable lessons with respect to "how to adopt or enhance eLearning accessibility" at university. The project was evaluated at four higher education institutions, two of the largest in Europe and two mediumsized. In this paper, we focus on describing the implementation and main conclusions at the largest project evaluation site (UNED), which was involved in the project from the beginning, and thus, in the design process, and a medium-sized university that adopted the EU4ALL approach (UPV). This implies dealing with two well-known open source learning environments (i.e. dotLRN and Sakai), and considering a wide variety of stakeholders and requirements. Thus the results of this evaluation serve to illustrate the coverage of both the approach and developments.The authors would like to thank the European Commission for the financial support of the EU4ALL project (IST-2006-034478). The work at aDeNu is also supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (TIN2008-06862-C04-01/TSI “A2UN@”). Authors would also like to thank all the EU4ALL partners for their collaboration.Boticario, JG.; Rodriguez-Ascaso, A.; Santos, OC.; Raffenne, E.; Montandon, L.; Roldán Martínez, D.; Buendía García, F. (2012). Accessible lifelong learning at higher education:outcomes and lessons Learned at two different PilotSites in the EU4ALL Project. Journal of Universal Computer Science. 18(1):62-85. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/37117628518

e-COMODE Services for the Implementation of Collaborative Modelling Environments in Schools

WOS: 000269485400187e-COMODE is an open digital learning environment, which assists young students (10-17 year old) in creating models. e-COMODE services aim to offer a collaborative modelling environment, including pedagogical, technical and implementation support services. The market validation of the different services has been performed in different environments, private and state schools, from different geographical areas; Greece, Spain and North Ireland in the UK, in order to confirm the business model developed and the services acceptance. Outcomes show that e-COMODE services benefit schools by providing mechanisms to solve the lack of sufficient and appropriate teacher's support to incorporate new technologies in their teaching practices, to implement collaborative learning in the educational systems and the learning via computer based modelling. Although end-users (teachers, students) have already adopted the e-COMODE facilities, the barriers for the exploitation of the services are at the level of the public administration. Therefore, the business model proposed is being revised in function of the experience gathered during the market validation

RESEARCH AND POLICY BRIEF ON ICT FOR INCLUSION OF YOUTH AT RISK: Using ICT to reengage and foster the socio-economic inclusion

This policy and research brief has been prepared by the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (JRC-IPTS) in collaboration with Directorate General Information Society & Media, Unit H3 (ICT addressing Societal Challenges) and representatives from five FP7-funded projects related to the development of ICT-based solutions for Youth at Risk (YAR) and Marginalized Young People (MYP). This policy and research brief is based on two concertation meetings (20 January and 11 June 2010) and other exchanges that set out to develop collectively a set of agreed recommendations through a consensus building process to prioritise research and policy options for this specific area in the eInclusion field. It is also related to the development of two studies by IPTS for DG INFSO H3 on what ICT can do for the socioeconomic inclusion of youth at risk of social exclusion, entitled "Mapping and assessing the impact of ICT-based initiatives for the socio-economic inclusion of Youth at risk of exclusion2" and "Methodology and survey on the relation between the socio-economic conditions of European Young People and their access, use This policy and research note is based on two concertation meetings (20 January and 11 June 2010) and different exchanges between IPTS and representatives from five FP7 projects (INCLUSO, ComeIn, REPLAY, HANDS, UMSIC). These projects look at ICT-based solutions for the promotion of the socioeconomic and eInclusion of YAR/MYP by fostering their access to ICT, digital competences, education and training, social integration and employment opportunities. This document summarizes knowledge from recent IPTS research which included a review of the literature on social exclusion of young people, and ICT use by young people. It also provides insights on the current EU policy context and programmes targeting YAR/MYP. Finally, it presents commonly agreed and prioritized research and policy recommendations from 5 FP7 projects in the field of ICT for marginalized young people, youth at risk of social exclusion and intermediaries working with them.nrpages: 31status: publishe

Trails of Digital and Non-Digital LOs

(D22.2.1) EU Sixth Framework programme priority 2, Information society technology, Network of Excellence Kaleidoscope, (contract NoE IST-507838), project TRAILS: Personalised and Collaborative Trails of Digital and Non-Digital Learning Objects.This document investigates scenarios where learners navigate (follow trails) through environments containing digital and non-digital learning objects, considers some user requirements of systems designed to support the use of trails and presents a possible classification of different types of trail to form an ontology of trails. Separate sections include investigations of trails in different pedagogical approaches, trails in mobile learning scenarios, trails in computer conferencing and the provision of adaptive navigation support. A case study of using the IMS-LD to work with trails is also included

The Kaleidoscope Scientific Vision for Research in Technology Enhanced Learning

Position paper prepared for the European Commission, DG INFSO, under contract N°. IST 507838 as a deliverable from WP2The objective for this document is to develop a reference text for the Network's scientific development, and for communication to others of the shared perspective of its participants. For its internal focus, it will lead to a stronger integration of the disciplines and cultures represented by the scientific communities within the Network. For its external focus it will contribute to promoting and clarifying the understanding of technology enhanced learning (TEL) in the European Research Area. The document also embodies its own renewal by describing the process established for the collaborative development of the Scientific Vision statement (see Annex 1). One advantage of a virtual collaborative network such as Kaleidoscope is that it has the means to do this through the collaborative tools being developed as part of its research. The final stages being inaugurated in this document will enable all participants to contribute to building a sustainable environment for iterative group collaboration on the complex problem of a Scientific Vision statement. The this document was developed by a network-wide collaborative process supported by a bespoke web site: http://vision.noe-kaleidoscope.org

The Kaleidoscope Scientific Vision for Research in Technology Enhanced Learning

Position paper prepared for the European Commission, DG INFSO, under contract N°. IST 507838 as a deliverable from WP2The objective for this document is to develop a reference text for the Network's scientific development, and for communication to others of the shared perspective of its participants. For its internal focus, it will lead to a stronger integration of the disciplines and cultures represented by the scientific communities within the Network. For its external focus it will contribute to promoting and clarifying the understanding of technology enhanced learning (TEL) in the European Research Area. The document also embodies its own renewal by describing the process established for the collaborative development of the Scientific Vision statement (see Annex 1). One advantage of a virtual collaborative network such as Kaleidoscope is that it has the means to do this through the collaborative tools being developed as part of its research. The final stages being inaugurated in this document will enable all participants to contribute to building a sustainable environment for iterative group collaboration on the complex problem of a Scientific Vision statement. The this document was developed by a network-wide collaborative process supported by a bespoke web site: http://vision.noe-kaleidoscope.org