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
Supporting information comparisons in example-based hypertext environments
Global comparisons of learning from hypertext and traditional text have yet failed to show major advantages concerning the effectiveness of hypertext learning. In the current paper it is proposed that an effective hypertext design needs to be based on thorough cognitive task analyses with regard to structures, processes, and resources that are required to benefit from a specific learning approach. This claim is illustrated by two experiments, in which we investigated two methods for supporting e
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
Elaborating new arguments through a CSCL scenario
The CSCL community faces two main challenges with respect to learning and argumentation. The scientific challenge is to understand how argumentation produces learning, that is to discover which cognitive mechanisms, triggered by argumentative interactions, generate new knowledge and in which conditions. The engineering challenge is to determine how to trigger productive argumentation among students. These two challenges are often investigated in parallel, but this contribution focuses on the lat
Enhancing a Web-Based Distance-Learning Curriculum with Dedicated Tools
The work presented in this paper aims at supporting students involved in a Web-based distance-learning curriculum. For such a purpose, the Saafir system proposes students with different tools that support them in their appropriation of this curriculum, e.g. visualization of the curriculum from different points of view or construction of individual projects by putting different items of the curriculum into relation. In order to allow using Saafir with already existing distance-learning Websites,
An approach to distance learning curriculum appropriation
The work presented aims at supporting distance learning students in their appropriation of a curriculum. We propose an approach that consists in helping students to construct individual projects. We dissociate different aspects (planning, evaluation and regulation) that can be useful for this purpose, propose a technological approach (epiphyte system, ontology-based model) and example of tools currently provided by the Saafir framework.
Open Notebook Science BCCE 2008
Update: transcript now available
This is a presentation by Jean-Claude Bradley at the Biennial Conference for Chemical Education (BCCE) on July 29, 2008. The talk starts with an overview of Open Notebook Science using a wiki as a public lab notebook. An example of the usefulness of publishing failed experiments is d
Open Notebook Science - Falcipain-2 Preliminary Results
This talk was presented by Jean-Claude Bradley at the American Chemical Society meeting in Philadelphia on August 20, 2008. An introduction to Open Notebook Science is presented followed by an illustration of how ONS can be used in drug discovery. New data relating to the anti-malarial activity of Ugi products on 2 falcipain-2 docking sites is detaile
Open Notebook Science in 15 minutes
update: transcript is available
On October 10, 2008 Jean-Claude Bradley presented a 15 minute summary of Open Notebook Science and its application to the synthesis of anti-malarial compounds as part of a mini-symposium on faculty research in the Chemistry department
Sequence effects in solving knowledge-rich problems: The ambiguous role of surface similarities
Sequence effects are said to occur whenever the problem solving performance varies as a function of the order in which problems are solved. We present a framework that explain sequence effects as a result of (a) learning during solving a problem and of (b) transferring the learned content on succeeding problems. In two experiments we studied the ambiguous influence of surface similarities among structurally dissimilar knowledge-rich problems on sequence effects. These experiments demonstrate tha
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
Gridcole: a tailorable grid service based system that supports scripted collaborative learning
This paper introduces Gridcole, a new system that can be easily tailored by educators in order to support the realization of scripted collaborative learning situations. To do so, educators can provide a script specifying the sequence of activities to be performed by learners as well as the tools and documents required to support them. Gridcole can then search for these tools in a service-oriented grid in order to integrate them so that they are available for users during the realization of the s
Exploratory Test of an Automated Knowledge Elicitation and Organization Tool
his paper combines the contents of two papers that were presented at the ITS 98 conference one focusing on knowledge representation (Shute, 1998) and the other describing a knowledge elicitation tool (Shute, Torreano, & Willis, 1998). There are three main purposes of this paper. First, as a means to stress instructional and assessment implications of different knowledge types, we will briefly overview knowledge representations. Second, we describe a novel cognitive tool designed to aid in knowle
Stagecast Creator™ and Webct™: An integrated use of computer programming and a virtual learning en
This paper reports on an effort to use Stagecast Creator™ as a means for developing modelling skills among undergraduate students taking an introductory course in science that took place in a virtual learning environment (WebCT™). An inquiry-based curriculum was implemented, which guided students working in small groups to collect and study moon observations and construct a series of successive models of the moon phases using Stagecast Creator™. Students’ reflective journals and reports of s
Internet Scout Project
The free access portion of the Atlapedia Online site, Countries A to Z, provides an attractive political and physical map of each country of the world, including basic information such as its capital, system of government, population, geography, climate, religions, languages, currency, modern history, trading partners, exports, military, and more. Giving students of any age access to interesting and fun facts, the database can be searched easily or browsed by the first letter of each country. Al
Internet Scout Project
From PBS-American Field Guide, this website offers seventh- through ninth-grade teachers a downloadable unit comprised of four activities exploring the ocean's intertidal zone. The unit encourages students to consider the lives of marine organisms in this dynamic oceanic zone. The brief activities include links to video segments about several different tide pools, and a beach habitat as well. The longest activity requires 45 minutes, while the rest can be done in 30 minutes or less. The concise
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 organizationÂ’s 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
Normalising Geometrical Constructions: A Context for the Generation of Meanings for Ratio and Propor
This paper describes aspects of 13 year-olds’ activity in mathematics as emerged during the implementation of proportional geometric tasks in the classroom. Pupils were working in pairs using a piece of software specially designed for multiple representation (symbolic and graphical) of the variation in parametric procedures with dynamic manipulation of variable. In this paper we discuss children’s use of normalising, an activity in which children ‘correct’ the geometrical figures while devel
Improving database design teaching in secondary education: action research implementation for docume
Database design and use has educational interest for utilitarian and learning reasons. Database technology has significant economic impact and the demand for database design can not be covered by the existent educated experts. Furthermore the database management systems available at schools could be used for the design and implementation of high quality learning activities. Databases are general
purpose modeling environments that enable problem solving using conceptual frameworks closer to the s
Scripting argumentation in technology enhanced learning: a proposed system architecture
Argumentative knowledge construction is an important component of critical thinking. Learners who collaboratively argue about a subject can potentially develop domain knowledge and have the opportunity to use evidence critically in order to make sense of the subject under consideration. Moreover learners have to take into account claims and evidence of each other during argumentation and in this way they develop mental models for argument construction and sequence. However, research indicates th
