Processing and Transforming Collaborative Learning Protocols for Learner's Reflection and Tutor's Ev
This paper discusses the potential of processing and analysis of collaborative learning protocols, which in the first place are represented as low-level logfiles of actions in collaborative learning environments. These protocols can be abstracted, analysed, and augmented to provide the users with feedback about the collaboration process. We present several techniques we implemented which may be combined to support learner s self-reflection as well as tutors in evaluating the process.
Intelligent CALL: The magnitude of the task
The quality of most CALL programs is not well balanced with respect to the use of computer technology and of language content and processing. This imbalance can be explained by a number of constraints pulling CALL developers in diverging directions. For commercial CALLware the poor learner fit and lack of feedback is a serious impediment. So far ICALL approaches trying to overcome this have not been of a sufficiently high quality due to the vast distance between most learner language and the tex
Optimizing the role of language in Technology-Enhanced Learning
A two-day expert workshop on the role of language in Technology-Enhanced Learning was held at the University of Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium) on October 4th-5th 2007. The workshopÂ’s title was:
“Optimizing the role of language in Technology Enhanced Learning”.
The primary objective of the IDILL workshop was to bring together academic experts and industrial companies who carry out cutting-edge research in the fields of Natural Language Processing, Applied corpus linguistics, and Computer
Blended Learning Technologies in Lifelong Education: Lessons Learned from a Case Study
The combination of the traditional form of education and e-learning activities (blended learning) constitutes an important possibility for the higher education, so that they reach the flexibility which is considered to be necessary for their adaptation to the traineesÂ’ needs within the frame of socio-cognitive needs created by the information society. We present the principles of the application of blended lesson designs in graduate level and of its evaluation by the students. Based on our expe
“Graphical” Jogthrough: expert based methodology for user interface evaluation, applied in the cas
“Walkthrough” and “Jogthrough” techniques are well known expert based methodologies for the evaluation of user interface design. In this paper we describe the use of “Graphical” Jogthrough method for evaluating the interface design of the Network Simulator, an educational simulation program that enables users to virtually build a computer network, install hardware and software components, make the necessary settings and test the functionality of the network. Graphical Jogthrough is a furth
Innovative pedagogical and psychological perspectives of podcasts
Podcasting, being a new form of audio distribution offering the possibility to be loaded on personal mobile devices from teachersÂ’, studentÂ’, universityÂ’s websites and blogs, is discussed as an activity with potential in learning and teaching. The existing and potential varieties of podcasts represent sources for learning, converging, socializing. In this paper, podcasting is supported as an innovative approach to stimulate university studentsÂ’ reflection, specifically on epistemic quest
The use of a computerized brain atlas to support knowledge-based training in radiology
Trainers of radiologists face the particular challenges of teaching normal and abnormal appearance for a variety of imaging modalities, providing access to a large appropriately-indexed case library, and teaching a consistent approach to the reporting of cases. The computer has the potential to address these issues, to supplement conventional teaching of radiology by providing case-based tutoring and diagnostic support based on a large library of images of normal and abnormal anatomy, fully desc
Un modèle informatique de scénario fondé sur des pratiques réelles d'enseignement et une théori
La conception de scénarios pour un EIAH nécessite la mise en oeuvre de théories didactiques, de pratiques réelles, de modèles et de théories informatiques afin de prendre en compte les contraintes didactiques nécessaire à la modélisation de scénarios d'apprentissage. La modélisation de scénario devient ainsi une problématique pluridisciplinaire. La contribution principale de cet article est de proposer un modèle informatique de scénarios prenant effectivement en compte des contrai
Reducing cognitive load and fostering cognitive skill acquisition: Benefits of category-avoiding exa
In this paper, we provide evidence against the common idea that worked examples should be designed to convey problem categories and category-specific solution procedures. Instead we propose that instructional examples should be designed in a way that supports the understanding of relations between structural problem features and individual solution steps, i.e. relations that hold below the category level. We illustrate in the domain of probability word problems how category-avoiding instructiona
The IRIS Shell: "How to Build ITSs from Pedagogical and Design Requisites"
The goal we pursue in our research is to build a shell for helping human instructors to develop intelligent teaching-learning systems in a wide range of domains. We aim to provide a system where a previously defined architecture can be adapted automatically into a new tutor using a set of instructor-generated requirements. Trying to provide a sound basis for this tool, we use a theory of instruction that integrates cognitive processes, instructional events and instructional actions within a thre
A Programming by Demonstration Authoring Tool
for Model-Tracing Tutors
Model-tracing tutors have consistently been among the most effective class of intelligent learning environments. Across a number of empirical studies, these tutors have shown students can learn the tutored domain better or in a shorter amount of time than traditionally taught students (Anderson et al., 1990). Unfortunately, the creation of these tutors, particularly the production system component, is a time-intensive task, requiring knowledge that lies outside the tutored domain. This outside k
Intelligent Tutoring Goes To School in the Big City
This paper reports on a large-scale experiment introducing and evaluating intelligent tutoring in an urban High School setting. Critical to the success of this project has been a client-centered design approach that has matched our client's expertise in curricular objectives and classroom teaching with our expertise in artificial intelligence and cognitive psychology. The Pittsburgh Urban Mathematics Project (PUMP) has produced an algebra curriculum that is centrally focused on mathematical anal
Task and Interaction Regulation in Controlling a Traffic Simulation
In collaborative problem solving, metacognition not only covers strategic reasoning related to the task but also reasoning related to the interaction itself. The hypothesis underlying this work states that regulation of the interaction and regulation of the task are closely related mechanisms and that their co-occurrence facilitates collaborative problem solving. These assumptions are tested experimentally with a traffic simulator. The results show that co-occurrence of task and interaction regu
Can learning from molar and modular worked examples be enhanced by providing instructional explanati
In two experiments we explored how learning from traditional molar worked-out examples—focusing on problem categories and their associated overall solution procedures—as well as from more efficient modular worked-out examples—where intrinsic cognitive load is reduced by breaking down complex solutions into smaller meaningful solution elements—can be further enhanced. Instructional explanations or self-explanation prompts were administered to increase germane cognitive load. However, both int
Designing and evaluating collaboration in a virtual game environment for vocational learning
Especially in vocational education, attention should be paid not only to the use of new technological solutions but also to collaborative learning and cooperative working methods in order to develop studentsÂ’ skills for their future jobs. This study involves a design experiment including the design process of a new game environment, description of the script developed for this game, as well as the empirical study with multiple data collection methods, data analysis, results and conclusions for
Training strategies and knowledge acquisition: Using the same reflective tools for different purpose
The Emma educational system embodies a Knowledge Based System (KBS) that models a problem-solving method defined at an abstract level. In order to allow different explicit problem-solvings, the KBS is based on a Task-Method modelisation. The objectives of this paper are (1) to explain how we take advantage of the flexibility provided by the modelisation by using analysis-modules that can study what the influence of the student's propositions on the rest of the solving is; (2) to highlight that e
Structuring collective activities with tasks and plans
Symba is a Web-based framework designed to support collective activities in a learning context. In order to make students explicitly work out their organization it dissociates an "organizational level" and an "activity level" and allows students to describe their organization as plans composed of tasks.
Mixing Human and Software Agents: A Case Study
This paper describes a multi agent approach of the organisation of a collective activity within a pedagogical context. We consider pedagogical situations where students have to explicitly define the articulation of their collective work and then achieve the different tasks they have defined. Our objective is to support these students by taking some of these tasks in charge whilst making them work out such organisation features. For this purpose, we propose to consider that the group of students
The Competence of Learning Companion Agents
One recent approach in developing computer-based learning environments advocates the idea of creating a social context inside the computer. It is claimed that when the learner is engaged into a meaningful dialogue with the software actors his/her learning will benefit. In this paper we concentrate on the collaboration with artificial social actors as peer learners. How äableä should the learning companion agent be in order to maintain the motivation of the human learner to collaborate? It has
Mapcar: a framework to support the elaboration of the conceptual model of a Knowledge Based System
Constructing a knowledge based system requires the identification of the conceptual primitives and problem-solving strategy that will permit capturing the expertise in an adapted way. This paper presents an approach to support the elaboration of such a conceptual model by data-abstraction. Our work is motivated by the objective of constructing models that correspond to how experts solve problems, which is required for some applications, as, for example, presenting problem-solving in an education
