154 research outputs found
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Shortcomings of learning design approaches and a possible way out
Shifting away from traditional instructional design to younger research streams like personalized, workflow-based or collaborative e-learning, learning design (LD) has become an important issue in the field of technology-enhanced learning. Nevertheless, current LD approaches turn out to be rather unhandy or costly in teaching and research practice. In this paper, we discuss these shortcomings and propose an alternative solution approach which is based on a web application mashup, learner interactions, and a semantic layer for tool recommendations. As the evaluation of our first prototype is in progress, we can not highlight first experiences, but outline benefits and possible application scenarios in this position paper
Emancipating and developing learning activity: Systemic intervention and re-instrumentation in higher education.
The central theme of this thesis is the emancipation and further development
of learning activity in higher education in the context of the ongoing digital
transformation of our societies. It was developed in response to the highly
problematic mainstream approach to digital re-instrumentation of teaching and
studying practises in contemporary higher education. The mainstream
approach is largely based on centralisation, standardisation, commoditisation,
and commercialisation, while re-producing the general patterns of control,
responsibility, and dependence that are characteristic for activity systems of
schooling. Whereas much of educational research and development focuses on
the optimisation and fine-tuning of schooling, the overall inquiry that is
underlying this thesis has been carried out from an explicitly critical position
and within a framework of action science. It thus conceptualises learning
activity in higher education not only as an object of inquiry but also as an
object to engage with and to intervene into from a perspective of intentional
change. The knowledge-constituting interest of this type of inquiry can be
tentatively described as a combination of heuristic-instrumental (guidelines for
contextualised action and intervention), practical-phronetic (deliberation of
value-rational aspects of means and ends), and developmental-emancipatory
(deliberation of issues of power, self-determination, and growth) aspects. Its
goal is the production of orientation knowledge for educational practise.
The thesis provides an analysis, argumentation, and normative claim on
why the development of learning activity should be turned into an object of
individual|collective inquiry and intentional change in higher education, and
why the current state of affairs in higher education actually impedes such a
development. It argues for a decisive shift of attention to the intentional
emancipation and further development of learning activity as an important
cultural instrument for human (self-)production within the digital
transformation.
The thesis also attempts an in-depth exploration of what type of
methodological rationale can actually be applied to an object of inquiry
(developing learning activity) that is at the same time conceptualised as an
object of intentional change within the ongoing digital transformation. The
result of this retrospective reflection is the formulation of “optimally
incomplete” guidelines for educational R&D practise that shares the practicalphronetic
(value related) and developmental-emancipatory (power related)
orientations that had been driving the overall inquiry.
In addition, the thesis formulates the instrumental-heuristic knowledge
claim that the conceptual instruments that were adapted and validated in the
context of a series of intervention studies provide means to effectively
intervene into existing practise in higher education to support the necessary
development of (increasingly emancipated) networked learning activity.
It suggests that digital networked instruments (tools and services) generally
should be considered and treated as transient elements within critical systemic
intervention research in higher education. It further argues for the
predominant use of loosely-coupled, digital networked instruments that allow
for individual|collective ownership, control, (co-)production, and re-use in
other contexts and for other purposes. Since the range of digital
instrumentation options is continuously expanding and currently shows no
signs of an imminent slow-down or consolidation, individual and collective
exploration and experimentation of this realm needs to be systematically
incorporated into higher education practise.Siirretty Doriast
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Designing for change: mash-up personal learning environments
Institutions for formal education and most work places are equipped today with at least some kind of tools that bring together people and content artefacts in learning activities to support them in constructing and processing information and knowledge. For almost half a century, science and practice have been discussing models on how to bring personalisation through digital means to these environments. Learning environments and their construction as well as maintenance makes up the most crucial part of the learning process and the desired learning outcomes and theories should take this into account. Instruction itself as the predominant paradigm has to step down.
The learning environment is an (if not 'the�) important outcome of a learning process, not just a stage to perform a 'learning play'. For these good reasons, we therefore consider instructional design theories to be flawed.
In this article we first clarify key concepts and assumptions for personalised learning environments. Afterwards, we summarise our critique on the contemporary models for personalised adaptive learning. Subsequently, we propose our alternative, i.e. the concept of a mash-up personal learning environment that provides adaptation mechanisms for learning environment construction and maintenance. The web application mash-up solution allows learners to reuse existing (web-based) tools plus services.
Our alternative, LISL is a design language model for creating, managing, maintaining, and learning about learning environment design; it is complemented by a proof of concept, the MUPPLE platform. We demonstrate this approach with a prototypical implementation and a – we think – comprehensible example. Finally, we round up the article with a discussion on possible extensions of this new model and open problems
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A literature review of the use of Web 2.0 tools in Higher Education
This review focuses on the use of Web 2.0 tools in Higher Education. It provides a synthesis of the research literature in the field and a series of illustrative examples of how these tools are being used in learning and teaching. It draws out the perceived benefits that these new technologies appear to offer, and highlights some of the challenges and issues surrounding their use. The review forms the basis for a HE Academy funded project, ‘Peals in the Cloud’, which is exploring how Web 2.0 tools can be used to support evidence-based practices in learning and teaching. The project has also produced two in-depth case studies, which are reported elsewhere (Galley et al., 2010, Alevizou et al., 2010). The case studies focus on evaluation of a recently developed site for learning and teaching, Cloudworks, which harnesses Web 2.0 functionality to facilitate the sharing and discussion of educational practice. The case studies aim to explore to what extent the Web 2.0 affordances of the site are successfully promoting the sharing of ideas, as well as scholarly reflections, on learning and teaching
PLE-Centered Education: The Next Boundary. Perceptions and Realities Behind Students Personal Learning Environments
In this paper the authors discuss the results and implications of research regarding the building and perception of Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) that they developed in the last four years. In addition, the authors discuss the next step of this research; the public funding project CAPPLE, on which they are currently working
A Literature Review of the Use of Communication Technologies in Higher Education
Neste artigo apresenta-se uma revisão de literatura científica referente ao uso das Tecnologias da Comunicação no Ensino Superior nos contextos nacional e internacional, realizada no âmbito do projeto TRACER, indica que é vasta a investigação nesta área, confirmando o uso e a exploração de uma grande diversidade de Tecnologias da Comunicação na atividade de docentes e estudantes, embora se observe grande disparidade em termos de frequência de uso dessas tecnologias.This paper presents a review of scientific literature on
the use of Communication Technologies in higher
education in national and international contexts. This
review of literature, carried out under the TRACER
project, indicates extensive research in this area,
confirming the use and operation of a wide range of
Communication Technologies in the activity of teachers
and students, although there was wide disparity in terms
of frequency of the use of these technologies
Frequency and user satisfaction on using communication technologies to support learning: the case of portuguese higher education
This paper presents several results from a research project about the use of Communication Technologies to support education in the Portuguese Public Higher Education Institutions. The outline of the project, the Communication Technologies taxonomy adopted and the methodology used are described. The results revealed on this paper respect to students (n = 2207) and to teachers (n = 639), and the characteristics of the sample are summarized. Some results about the frequency of use and the user satisfaction of using Communication Technologies are reported, and the next steps are indicated
The institutional perspective on the use of communication technologies in portuguese public higher education: a research proposal
This paper presents and discusses the research rationale adopted to study the institutional perspective of the Portuguese higher education institutions as far as the use of communication technologies to support education is concerned. The paper presents the research questions, the analysis model, the methodology used and the outline of the data collection instruments eveloped. Some preliminary results are also presented and the next steps of the research project are outlined
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Self-regulated learning and knowledge sharing in the workplace
This study explores how experts in a global multinational company self-regulate their learning. It investigates experts‟ perceptions of the impact of knowledge sharing on their learning and work. Findings indicate that self-regulated learning (SRL) is a highly social process that is structured by and deeply integrated with work tasks. Experts tend to draw heavily upon their personal networks of trusted colleagues in the process of diagnosing and attaining their learning goals. In contradiction to existing models, SRL in the workplace does not appear to be a clearly delineated, linear process comprised of discrete stages. Further research is needed to understand tacit practices of SRL in the workplace
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