Minimalist instruction for learning to search the World Wide Web.
This study examined the efficacy of minimalist instruction to develop self-regulatory skills involved in Web searching. Two versions of minimalist self-regulatory skill instruction were compared to a control group that was merely taught procedural skills to operate the search engine. Acquired skills were tested on Web search tasks and search tasks in an online library catalogue. Self-regulatory skill instruction was found to increase practice time by 25%. However, it did not enhance search perfo
The ZAP Project: Designing interactive computer tools for learning psychology
In the ZAP project, a set of interactive computer programs called 'ZAPs' was developed. The programs were designed in such a way that first-year students experience psychological phenomena in a vivid and self-explanatory way. Students can either take the role of participant in a psychological experiment, they can experience phenomena themselves, or they can take the role of researcher and learn by discovery. ZAPs provide added value to existing learning materials about psychological topics and c
CIEL: setting the stage for integrated inquiry learning
We present an integrated framework for the design, authoring, and evaluation of innovative learning scenarios for Collaborative Inquiry and Experiential Learning (CIEL). This framework has been designed to promote interoperability in environments for productive, open-ended learning, such as inquiry learning, but also learning by design and experiential learning.
The CIEL framework centers around a repository of learner generated learning objects that can be saved, and retrieved in standardized f
A Framework to Specify a Cognitive Diagnosis Component in ILEs
This article presents a framework for the cognitive diagnosis of learnersÂ’ errors in an interactive learning activity occurring in an intelligent learning environment. The proposed framework supports the implementation of an authoring tool. This tool helps instructional designers to specify the features of a component for cognitive diagnosis. Two key issues are addressed. First, the cognitive diagnosis process should promote reflection which may in turn enhance the accuracy of the diagnosis hyp
Logiciels de construction de cartes de connaissances: Des outils pour apprendre
This article examines the possible uses of concept mapping software in a university or continuing education context. Concept mapping applications allow the student to graphically represent compiled information as a network of nodes and vectors. The article looks at several applications that may be used to make different kinds of maps, but mainly reviews teaching strategies that incorporate these tools as well as providing a number of planning pointers. It also summarizes the main advantages and
Participating Virtually to a Scientific Conference: A Collaborative E-Learning Scenario for Authenti
This paper presents a collaborative e-learning scenario inspired by socio-constructivist and situated learning theories which encourage authentic learning. Developed for a graduate distance education course, this scenario requires students to participate virtually
in an asynchronous scientific conference. This paper presents the learning scenario, the
technological environment developed to implement this scenario, as well as the results of a preliminary investigation which examines studentsÂ’ p
La Boîte Noire. Conception et expérimentation pédagogique de simulations informatiques adisciplin
Nous menons depuis trois ans, dans un cours d’épistémologie en formation des maîtres, une expérience pédagogique inédite : l’utilisation, en contexte d’apprentissage ouvert, d’une simulation informatique que nous avons conçue et dont nous avons développé diverses versions de plus en plus adisciplinaires. Après avoir présenté les origines de la simulation et les caractéristiques de ses versions successives, nous décrivons la formule pédagogique que nous avons proposée et raffi
Herzberg : une simulation multimédia à interactivité variable
Herzberg est un environnement de simulation multimédia permettant de visualiser et d’explorer la vibration et la rotation des molécules. Il permet de créer des documents formés d’un ensemble de pages affichant une ou deux molécules dans des configurations prédéfinies; un texte et une voix d’explication peuvent être associés à chaque page. Il est possible de fixer pour chaque document le niveau d’interactivité. On peut également, sans effectuer de programmation, ajouter de nouvell
Formalisation d'annotations produites par des apprenants
L'objet de cet article est la description d'une formalisation computable des annotations produites par des apprenants, représentée par une ontologie. Cette formalisation explicite la sémantique des annotations grâce à des attributs auxquels le lecteur devrait donner une valeur. Elle contient également les valeurs possibles de ces attributs. L'intérêt d'une telle formalisation est de couvrir toutes les annotations produites par des apprenants, et d'expliciter tout ce qui constitue leur se
Perception par le tuteur de l'activité d'un apprenant engagé dans une activité collective à dist
Cet article cherche à répondre à une des difficultés rencontrées par un tuteur en situation de suivi d'une activité collective à distance, à savoir la perception de l'activité individuelle des apprenants dans l'activité de groupe. À partir d'une étude de la littérature sur les scénarios d'activités collectives à distance et sur la dynamique de groupe, nous proposons des moyens de faciliter la perception de l'activité individuelle par le tuteur. Ces moyens s'appuient sur une perc
Genscen', un éditeur graphique pour l'enseignant scénariste
Nous proposons avec le prototype GenScen' de réaliser un éditeur de scénarios à interface graphique destiné aux enseignants cherchant à créer ou modifier un scénario d'apprentissage complet et interopérable.,Preprint
Quality in the New Learning Space: Ongoing Process of Teacher and Staff Training
Quality in the new learning space: ongoing process of teacher and staff training,Proceedings with reading panel
Transformative communication as a cultural tool for guiding inquiry science
Inquiry-based science instruction offers great promise as a means of actively engaging students in authentic scientific problem solving, including consideration of research design issues. At the same time, inquiry introduces some difficulties. In particular, familiar "cultural tools" for classroom discourse, such as Initiation-Reply-Evaluation sequences, are no longer appropriate because they are premised on known answers and teacher-driven activity. To help support productive open-ended science
Children's mental models of recursive logo programs
Children who had a year of Logo programming experience were asked to think-aloud about what brief Logo recursive programs will do, and then to predict with a hand-simulation of the programs what the Logo graphics turtle will draw when the program is executed. If discrepancies arose in this last phase, children were asked to explain them. A prevaient but misguided "looping" interpretation of Logo recursion was identified, and this robust mental model persisted even in the face of contradiction be
Symbol Systems and Thinking Skills: Logo in Context
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The Grid Shared Desktop for CSCL
The Grid Shared Desktop (GSD) is a collaborative environment that provides a multidimensional humans-to-machine-to-humans interface by the means of multiples cleverly intricated desktops. The GSD is a platform independent solution that benefits of the intrinsic advantages of the Grid technology such as scalability and security. In order to verify that our GSD solution meets CSCL requirements, we have conducted experiments in the context of the ELeGI project. As part of the project use cases, the
Computational Mathetics: Towards a Science of Learning Systems Design
The aim of this report is simply to help put the design of computer-based systems to support learning on a more scientific footing. The aim is simply stated, but its achievement is more difficult. For one thing, it is not at all obvious what "more scientific" means in this context. However, it is essential for AI-ED research to take better account of the concepts of 'situation', 'context', 'community', 'discourse', 'social learning', and so on, but these terms need to be defined, not used as man
Randomness and LEGO robots
This paper reports on a long term experiment concerning the introduction of 7th grade pupils to the concept of randomness. Pupils are involved in activities with Lego robots, and in the joint enterprise of writing an Encyclopaedia. The main lines of the experiment are provided, together with experimental data, highlighting how some specific elements of the chosen educational approach influenced the evolution of pupils' mastery of the concept of randomness.
A micoworld to implant a germ of probability
This paper reports on the third part of a long term experiment concerning the introduction of 12-13 years old pupils to the concept of randomness and probability. In the first parts, the pupils analysed the concept of randomness, in daily life and with LEGO-RCX robots. The third part is based on the Random Garden Game (within the programming environment ToonTalk). The pupils are guided towards the concepts of equivalence of sample spaces and of classical probability, through temporary and person
