JeCo: Combining Program Visualization and Story Weaving
We present a collaborative learning tool for programming, Jeliot Collaboratively or JeCo. Jeliot Collaboratively is a combination of a program visualization tool for Java programs, called Jeliot 3, and a collaborative authoring tool, Woven Stories. We introduce these systems and explain how they can be used in learning. Furthermore, we present future directions in order to support a wider range of use cases with JeCo.
Intelligent Agents for Distance Learning
Distance learning involves a lot of work of human assistants. These assistants need to be connected for answering student doubts and questions. Intelligent agents can do part of this repetitive work because they can observe students interacting with educational courses, detect learning troubles of these students, and then suggest them some way for overcoming those troubles. However, a design problem appears with this promised possibility: how to connect educational applications with these agents
Learning Objects Need Badly Instructional Digital Libraries Support
In this paper, we present a standard definition for learning objects, a controversy around it, and the resulted working definition, along with features to be held by learning objects, benefits of the object-oriented approach for learning, some pros and cons for using learning objects, and finally some quality standard guidelines for these objects. In addition, we introduce shortly a taxonomy of learning object types and the metadata standards that can be used for learning objects and the way the
Mathematical Reasoning in a Technological Environment
Dynamic geometry software has been accused of contributing to an empirical approach to school geometry. However, used appropriately it can provide students with a visually rich environment for conjecturing and proving. Year 8 students who were novices with regard to geometric proof were able to exploit the features of Cabri Geometry II to assist them in formulating and proving in the context of Cabri simulations of mechanical linkages.
Would-Be Teachers' Competence in Applying ICT: Exposition and Preconditions for Development
Changes in educational technologies modify the role of the teacher and require new competencies. Scientific literature describes competence in using ICT as the wholeness of two structural components - basic and educational ICT competence. The conception has been considered conducting research on would-be teachers' competence in applying ICT. The article deals with the exposition of would-be teachers' competence in applying ICT in the process of teaching practice and focuses on the impact of stud
Pre-Service Teacher Training in Mathematics Using Tablet PC Technology
This study focuses on the use of innovative Tablet PC technology in learning and teaching mathematics. Specifically the effects of incorporating Tablet PC technology in pre-service teachers' mathematics education were analyzed. The significant impact of technology use in mathematics education was assessed by evaluating and comparing students' final project and course grades. Grade performance of two groups of students was compared. One group was the treatment group where students extensively use
Investigation of Q-Learning in the Context of a Virtual Learning Environment
We investigate the possibility to apply a known machine learning algorithm of Q-learning in the domain of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It is important in this problem domain to have algorithms that learn their optimal values in a rather short time expressed in terms of the iteration number. The problem domain is a VLE in which an agent plays a role of the teacher. With time it moves to different states and makes decisions which regarding action to choose for moving from current state to
Conducting a Joint Course on Software Engineering Based on Teamwork of Students
For the previous six years, under the auspices of the ``Stability Pact of South-Eastern Europe'' and DAAD, a joint project for developing a course in ``Software Engineering'' has been conducted. The intention of the project was to enable usage of shared materials for software engineering courses at a wide range of universities in participating countries. During school-year 2004/05, for the first time the same course, with the same case study, and the same assignments has been conducted at the Hu
CoMo: Supporting collaborative groupwork using mobile phones in distance education
The CoMo project, funded by the Centre for Distance Education, University of London, aims to investigate how distance learners can be supported in their collaborative group work using mobile devices. The objectives are as follows:
* Iteratively co-design and develop a set of collaborative mobile phone-based group work activities (with students and course leaders)
* Determine the ways in which the activities provide students with opportunities to reflect on their practices
* Identify distance
Patchworking as a Metaphor for Learning –
Understanding youth, learning and technology
On basis of a close empirical examination of a Danish team of 'Power Users' and their work on a self-chosen learning challenge this thesis argues how we can theoretically understand, analyse and methodologically approach learning processes through the metaphorical lens of ‘patchworking’.
The metaphor of patchworking highlights how
learning processes can be seen as processes of stitching and weaving together different ‘patches and pieces’ into something new. The patches and pieces may not
Adding new Representations of Mathematical Objects to Aplusix
In the framework of the ReMath European project, we initiated two new representations for algebraic expressions in Aplusix: a Tree & Natural representation mixing tree representations and natural representations of algebraic expressions, and a graphical representations to show curves and sets of solutions. Our work has been driven by two approaches: (1) a traditional approach focusing on the definition of new objects with their functionalities, beginning with a specification phase and continuing
Using and Enhancing a Normalized IMS-LD Description to Support Learners in their Appropriation of a
The general context of our work is the support that can be proposed to a distance learning student in order to appropriate a curriculum to him. In this paper we explore how the IMS learning design (LD) norm can be used to address this issue. An LD model of a curriculum permits the construction of tools that allow a student to visualize different points of view on the curriculum items, annotate his progression in the activities or build individual projects. We present what can be done with an LD
DSTM: a Framework to Operationalize and Refine a Problem-Solving Method modeled in terms of Tasks an
In this paper we present DSTM, a framework that enables the operationalization and the refinement of problem-solving methods modelled within the Task–Method paradigm. DSTM proposes an operational kernel, i.e. operational but flexible high-level constructions: modelling primitives, such as task or method, and manipulation mechanisms, such as select a method. These constructions can be customized in order to better capture the paper-based model to be operationalized. This permits the construction
Supporting emergence of threaded learning conversations through augmenting Interactional and Sequent
In this article, we propose a structure of threaded learning conversations taking place in virtual learning communities. This new structure aims at facilitating the emergence of learning conversations in these learning communities. These threaded conversations take place in a forum-type tool that uses a tree data structure composed of threads to organize group communication. We identify two situations which discourage the emergence of the learning conversations taking place in threaded based too
First version of the awareness-support tool
This document reports on the awareness services offered through two tools developed in the context of the PALETTE project (Collaboration services), namely e-Logbook and CoPe_it! We first present the awareness types that need to be supported and we proceed by describing in detail how these are conceived and implemented in the abovementioned tools. Moreover, we briefly report on the integration of these tools, focusing on the additional awareness services resulting from this integration.,First ver
First operational version of the web-based tool supporting argumentative collaboration towards learn
This document reports on the first operational version of CoPe_it!, the web-based tool supporting argumentative collaboration towards learning, which is being developed in the context of the PALETTE project. We present the functionality of the tool, the basic concepts behind it, as well as the various views and projections available for the visualization of the argumentative process. Some first results from the use of the tool are also provided. We conclude with a set of new functionality items,
Basic CoP-oriented Knowledge Management Tool offering basic CoP-adapted KM services
This deliverable presents the Knowledge Management (KM) services developped in the context of the PALETTE project.
On the one hand, it presents the technical descriptions of basic KM services based on
Corese/SeWeSe and Generis tools: these services provide low level operations of KM, they will not be directly used by the Communities of Practice (CoPs), but by the designers and the developers of the PALETTE project.
On the other hand, it presents functional specifications and a first report of t
Description of six scenarios and of the results of six validated trials
This deliverable aims at presenting and analysing the processes of elaboration and validation of the PALETTE scenarios. After having defined these two processes and situated them into the PALETTE methodology, the scenarios are presented. For each scenario, the specific methodology of elaboration and validation is described with a special focus on the participation of the concerned Communities of Pratcice (CoPs). Then the results of the validation are presented as well as the reports of their tec
Une approche pro-pédagogique du diagnostic cognitif dans les STI: conception, formalisation, et imp
In an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS), issues related to the design and the implementation of the cognitive diagnosis (DC) of learner's behavior is addressed intuitively according to the specific goals of this STI. From a purely operational viewpoint, this approach is not really bad since the STIs arising from it, "work". However, when it comes to give to DC a pedagogical dimension in the human tutors, a look into perspective on more fundamental considerations promotes reflection in this direc
A Bayesian Student Model without Hidden Nodes and Its Comparison with Item Response Theory
The Bayesian framework offers a number of techniques for inferring an individual's knowledge
state from evidence of mastery of concepts or skills. A typical application where such a
technique can be useful is Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT). A Bayesian modeling scheme,
POKS, is proposed and compared to the traditional Item Response Theory (IRT), which has been
the prevalent CAT approach for the last three decades. POKS is based on the theory of
knowledge spaces and constructs item-to-item gra
