XML and Databases for E-Learning Applications
XML has become a standard format in information exchange and integration on the Web. Much research has been conducted in recent years on XML technology, which has led to new developments in this field. The effective combination of XML and relational databases for portable Internet data exchange and data management is the technology platform of choice for the Internet Applications. Our paper describes the relationship between XML and relational databases and its potential as an enabling technolog
Motor-Manipulatory Behaviours and Learning: an Observational Study
In this paper we investigated the role of motor-manipulatory behaviour in the learning modalities of thirty-five primary school children interacting with a Lego MindStorms kit. In particular, by means of an observational taxonomy of childrens behaviour, we analysed the video records of two observational sessions regarding the learning activities during the building of a small robot. Our results demonstrated that motormanipulatory behaviours are strictly linked to cognitive processes, and that
A Hierarchy of Ontologies for Didactics-Enhanced E-learning
Ontologies are a fundamental concept of the Semantic Web envisioned by Tim Berners-Lee [1]. Together with explicit representation of the semantics of data for machine-accessibility such domain theories are the basis for intelligent next generation applications for the web and other areas of interest [2]. Their application for special aspects within the domain of e-learning is often proposed to support the increasing complexity ([3], [4], [5], [6]). So they can provide a better support for course
The use of NLP tools for Basque in a multiple user CALL environment and its feedback
In this article, we present a Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) environment for Basque. The environment has different aims: on the one hand, to offer the users (teachers, learners and computational linguists) different tools and language resources to clarify the linguistic doubts they might have about the language, and on the other hand, to store information about language learners, deviations and errors as the basis for further studies in CALL and Natural Language Processing (NLP). The
Using Interaction Analysis to reveal Self-Regulated
Learning in Virtual Communities
Aim of this paper is to analyse whether Interaction Analysis can help
investigate the practice and development of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) in Virtual Learning Communities (VLC). Interaction analysis is increasingly used to study learning dynamics within online activities. It proceeds by searching expressions that reveal the aspects under study in the written messages exchanged by the learners. To this end, we devised and classified a number of indicators suggesting the existence of self-re
Quelles machines pour enseigner la langue ?
This paper first presents a history of Computer-Assisted Learning (CAL), setting its origins in the 1920s with the invention of mechanical learning machines. The use of the computer then allowed the development of different types of language learning activities: comprehension tasks, simulations, etc. However, without the contribution of natural language processing (NLP), these activities are of limited use. We address the problem of the integration of NLP in CALL systems while summing up the cha
A Didactic-based Model of Scenarios for Designing an Adaptive and Context-Aware Learning System
Nowadays, technology-enhanced learning systems must have the ability to take into account the context and to allow dynamic adaptation to different learners based on substantial advances in pedagogical theories and knowledge models. The main issue is to design a generic scenario which can deal with the broadest range of learning situations. From a generic scenario, the learning system will compute on the fly a particular scenario dedicated to the current learner and its learning situation. The ma
Using mobile technologies for multimedia tours in a traditional museum setting
Mobile technology was used to deliver learner-centred experiences to visitors at a geology museum without compromising the museums aesthetic appeal. Two Flash-based multimedia tours were developed for the Hypertag Magus Guide system and trialled with 25 visitors in November 2005. Trial participants found the system fun and easy to use, though they requested headphones in order to hear the audio clearly. Several suggestions were provided to improve the tours including creating stronger links b
When less is sometimes more: Optimal learning conditions are required for schema acquisition from mu
While it is usually claimed that multiple examples for the illustration of problem categories are a necessary prerequisite for schema acquisition, there is a lack of conclusive empirical evidence supporting this claim. Moreover, there are findings indicating that carefully designed one-example conditions may allow for profitable processes of example comparison as well. In line with this reasoning, we present an experiment that builds up on a series of studies conducted by Quilici and Mayer (1
Component-Based Construction of a Science Learning Space
We present a vision for learning environments, called Science Learning Spaces, that are rich in engaging content and activities, provide constructive experiences in scientific process skills, and are as instructionally effective as a personal tutor. A Science Learning Space combines three independent software systems: 1) simulations in which experiments are run and data is collected, 2) representation construction tools in which data is analyzed and conceptual models are expressed and evaluated,
Understanding weblog communities through digital traces: a framework, a tool and an example
Often research on online communities could be compared to archaeology [16]: researchers look at patterns in digital traces that members leave to characterise the community they belong to. Relatively easy access to these traces and a growing number of methods and tools to collect and analyse them make such analysis increasingly attractive. However, a researcher is faced with the difficult task of choosing which digital artefacts and which relations between them should be taken into account, and h
PRAXIS - Pervasive Rehabilitation of Aphasia with an eXtensible Interactive System
This thesis describes computer-assisted (CA) methods for the treatment of acquired language impairment in adult aphasics. A key design objective of this project was the elimination of the indirect manipulation of keyboard and mouse (in CA speech language therapy sessions) in favour of the direct manipulation of virtual and physical objects afforded by touchscreen display and radio frequency identification technology (RFID).
While computer-assisted treatment of aphasia has been used since the 196
Stratégies d'élaboration, de réutilisation et d'indexation de scénarios
Cet article sintéresse aux conditions de réutilisation de scénarios mis en oeuvre par des enseignants. Nous nous basons sur une expérimentation concernant lorganisation dune séquence pédagogique en sciences de la vie et de la terre dans lenseignement secondaire. Cette expérimentation, effectuée dans le cadre de travaux de recherche en didactique des sciences, vise à proposer et tester des modalités de mise en oeuvre dune démarche dinvestigation en sciences basée sur lut
Mechanisms of common ground in case-based web-discussions in teacher education
Previous studies suggest that before the participants in Web-based conferencing can reach deeper level interaction and learning, they have to gain an adequate level of common ground in terms of shared mutual understanding, knowledge, beliefs, assumptions, and presuppositions (Clark & Schaefer, 1989; Dillenbourg, 1999). In this paper, the main purpose is to explore how participants establish and maintain common ground in order to reach deeper level interaction in case-based Web-discussions. The s
A Model for the Efficient Representation and Management of Online Collaborative Learning Interaction
This study aims to explore the importance of the efficient representation and management of the event information generated from group activity in online collaborative learning practices so that we can use it to provide awareness about individual and group behaviour. The achievement of this goal first involves the design of a conceptual model of collaborative learning interaction that structures and classifies the information generated in an online collaborative learning situation at several lev
Gridifying IBM's Generic Log Adapter to Speed-Up the Processing of Log Data
Problem determination in today's computing environments consumes between 30 and 70% of an organizations IT resources and represents from one third to one half of their total cost of ownership. The first step to cutting down costs in this area and to enable autonomic computing systems is to have all parts of the system report status in a common log data format and semantics in order to be able to exploit the status information of the system as a whole. The Generic Log Adapter (GLA) is a generic
Semantic Description of Grid Based Learning Services
Grid technology has emerged as a powerful tool to increase the
capabilities of e-learning frameworks. Learning services are fundamental
components representing functionalities that can be easily reused without
knowing the details of how services have been implemented. On the one hand, a
problem that still remains unsolved is how to use and integrate low-level
learning services to compose more complex high-level services or tools that
make sense to both tutors and learners. On the other hand, the
I*teach methodology in school practice
One of the assumptions of secondary education is that students are to acquire numerous ICT-related skills. The computer has become an essential element of live, both at school and outside it. Using ICT tools students can structure their knowledge, prepare images, create banks of data and analyze it, write reports and other text documents. Electronic mail, discussion lists, forums and other online applications facilitate communication and cooperation. World Wide Web gives an easy access to immens
Methodological Issues in the Content Analysis of Computer Conference Transcripts
This paper discusses the potential and the methodological challenges of analyzing computer conference transcripts using quantitative content analysis. The paper is divided into six sections, which discuss: criteria for content analysis, research designs, types of content, units of analysis, ethical issues, and software to aid analysis. The discussion is supported with a survey of 19 commonly referenced studies published during the last decade. The paper is designed to assist researchers in using
STyLE-OLM: Interactive Open Learner Modelling
here is a strong argument in Artificial Intelligence in Education which advocates that computer-based learning systems need to adapt to the needs of learners if they are to provide for effective personalised instruction (Self, 1999a). Diagnosing a learner's cognitive capacity is a crucial issue in building adaptive systems. We have explored an interactive open learner modelling (IOLM) approach which conceives diagnosis as an interactive process involving both a computer system and a learner that
