Knowledge convergence in computer-mediated learning environments. Effects of collaboration scripts
One important aspect of collaborative learning environments is the convergence of participants of one learning group with respect to learning outcome. Studies show that learners rarely construct shared knowledge together. This experimental study analyzes two collaboration scripts that aim to facilitate knowledge convergence. A social script that prescribes different roles with specific, sequenced interactions and an epistemic script that prescribes different activities and their sequence with re
Identifying Coordination Agents for Collaborative Telelearning
This paper deals with identifying roles for coordination agents in a future collaborative telelearning environment. The current practice of students participating in a net-based simulation marketing game on-campus, is studied with an eye on designing a future collaborative telelearning environment where this same net-based simulation game will be central. The work described in this paper is situated within the theoretical foundations of computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL). In partic
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In June 2000, the Fourteenth Symposium on Thermophysical Properties was held to review the progress of thermophysics over the last 100 years and to look forward to the next century of research and development in thermophysics. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides a special publication online covering the event, including overviews of topical issues by professionals in the field and several brief, invited essays on issues raised in the forum by panelists, audience pa
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
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The Ocean Carbon-Cycle Model Intercomparison Project (OCMIP) goal is "to develop an international collaboration to improve the predictive capacity and accelerate development of global-scale, three-dimensional, ocean carbon-cycle models through standardized model evaluation and model intercomparison." Visitors to the site can learn about the objectives, reports, and other details about the two finished phases, OCMIP-1 and OCMIP-2, as well as details about the new phase, OCMIP-3. The website offer
Supporting Learners Appropriation of a Web-Based Learning Curriculum
This article presents an approach and tools that can help learners appropriate a Web-based learning curriculum and become active participants in their learning. The approach is based on a detailed modeling of the curriculum and intends to equip the learners with different computer-based tools facilitating a multiple point of view perception of the curriculum, while promoting self evaluation and self regulation of the learners curriculum performance. The proposed architecture is generic and can
Reflections on Success: A retrospective of the mLearn conference series 2002-2005
mLearn is now in its fifth year. Although mobile learning has a much longer history, the
inauguration of a conference for learning in the mobile age marked an important point in its
development. This paper takes a retrospective look at the mLearn conferences from 2002
through to 2005; reflecting on our progress in order to facilitate the transition of mobile learning from a novel research concept into a viable means of providing meaningful learning
opportunities across generations and cultures
Δραστηριότητες Μοντελοποίησης με χρήση Η/Υ στη Βθμια
Η εργασία αυτή επιχειρεί να αναδείξει την επιστημολογική αξία των μοντέλων, το
ρόλο των Η/Υ στη σύγχρονη επιστημονική μοντελοποίηση και τις δυνατότητες διδακτικής
αξιοποίησής τους. Σημειώνεται η έλλειψη σαφούς ανάδειξης της έννοιας του μοντέλου στη
διδασκαλία των θετικώ
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This USGS website provides daily and periodic sediment data mainly for hydrologists and geomorphologists. The database includes station metadata, drainage basin area, geographic parameters, data anomalies, streamflow discharge, suspended-sediment discharge, and more. Users can find maps of average concentration of suspended sediment and of the many gaging stations located all around the United States. After obtaining the data from this website, researchers can analyze the data using their own an
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From the Environmental Remote Sensing Center at the University of Wisconsin Madison comes the Lake Water Monitoring and Analysis with Satellite Remote Sensing Web site. Researchers and their cooperators have developed a method of assessing the water quality of Wisconsin's lakes from space using satellite imagery. Visitors to the site can read about how this is actually done, view an interactive map of Wisconsin that presents the results in an easy-to-use interface, and view some very interesting
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
Meanings for Fraction as Number - Measure by Exploring the Number Line
Construction of meanings for fraction as number-measure is studied during the implementation of exploratory tasks concerning comparison and ordering of fractions as well as operations with fractions. 12-year-old students were working collaboratively in groups of two with software that combines graphical and symbolic notation of fractions represented as points on the number line. Fractions as points and segments, ordering fractions as part of kinesthetic activities and abstracting the scaling of
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Carried by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) of Columbia University, the Petrological Database of the Ocean Floor is a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded research project that includes over 30,000 samples and over 700,000 chemical values from oceanic stations throughout the world. Samples can be searched by location, expedition name, ship name, sample characteristics, reference, or by chemistry. A typical result might include the sample id, description, age, date, tectonic setting, l
Flexibility in macro-scripts for computer-supported collaborative learning
In the field of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL), scripts are designed to support collaboration among distant learners or co-present learners whose interactions are (at least partially) mediated by a computer. The rationale of scripts is to structure collaborative learning processes in order to trigger group interactions that may be rare in free collaboration. Fixing the degree of coercion is a delicate design choice: too rigid scripts would spoil the richness of collaborative in
Extending the Scope of Asynchronous Collaboration: a Matter of Being Autonomous and Self-sufficient
Asynchronous collaborative applications and systems have to deal with complexities associated with interaction nature, idiosyncrasy of groups and technical and administrative issues. Inclusion of requirements derived from them is costly (in time, resources and economically). Existing solutions addresses asynchronous collaboration via simplification of requirements and by using centralized models. In this paper we present LaCOLLA, a fully decentralized infrastructure for building collaborative ap
Supporting Effective and Useful Web-based Distance Learning
Learners interacting in a Web-based distance learning environment produce a variety of information elements during their participation; these information elements usually have a complex structure and semantics, which makes it rather difficult to find out the behavioral attitudes and profiles of the users involved. User modelling in on-line distance learning is an important research field focusing on two important aspects: describing and predicting students actions and intentions as well as ada
Contextualizing Discussions in Distance Learning Systems
In distance learning systems, communication tools are rarely integrated into learning activities, which does not encourage their use. The main goal of our work is to mitigate this lack of integration. Our aim is to bring the discussion activities closer to the learning activities, i.e. to situations to which the discussions must ideally relate to in order to promote learning between students. Thus, we suggest two models of forum which are contextual and based on a structuring of discussions resp
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This Topic in Depth explores the field of surface chemistry. First, the American Chemical Society's (ACS) Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry publicizes its members initiatives to "investigate the interaction of surfaces with fluids having molecular densities spanning the range from liquids to ultra-high vacuum" (1). Researchers can find out about upcoming meetings, awards, and membership opportunities. The second website presents Chalmers University of Technology's research activities in
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Electronic sensors exist in many facets of our lives, from measuring operating conditions of our vehicles to adjusting the temperature of our homes. They can even mean the difference between life and death when used to monitor patients in emergency rooms. Even though sensors work transparently in their multitude of functions, their importance cannot be understated.Sensorland (1) has basic descriptions of a wide variety of sensors and related concepts. Out of the 50 items in the list, some have f
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The New York Times Daily Lesson Plan website regularly features lesson plans for grades for six through twelve on a variety of topics. In this lesson plan, entitled "No Place Like Home: Arguing for the Protection of Endangered Species," students research and present analysis on the impact of the physical environment on an endangered species. Based on their investigations, they also create "a plan for the ideal care of the species" and develop an advertisement that is intended to promote awarenes
