Harmonization methodology for metadata models
Metadata allows systems, applications and users to manage and access resources without a need for interaction with the resource itself. For this reason, the administration and exchange of metadata is a central activity in systems that manage learning objects. Metadata considerations are fundamental when creating interoperable e-learning tools, and metadata standards have been among the very first learning technology standards to mature.
This deliverable analyses a number of existing metadata spe
Learning Objects Need Badly Instructional Digital Libraries Support
In this paper, we present a standard definition for learning objects, a controversy around it, and the resulted working definition, along with features to be held by learning objects, benefits of the object-oriented approach for learning, some pros and cons for using learning objects, and finally some quality standard guidelines for these objects. In addition, we introduce shortly a taxonomy of learning object types and the metadata standards that can be used for learning objects and the way the
Design and Implementation of a Logo-based Computer Graphics Course
Two years ago the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics at Sofia University makes a decision to design a new series of Logo-based courses which make use of the modern technology. The pedagogical component of the challenge is to design a multidisciplinary course suitable for students with different skills and interests. From a development perspective the challenge is to build an entirely new one. And finally the course must be attractive regardless of the seriousness and complexity of the topics
Investigation of Q-Learning in the Context of a Virtual Learning Environment
We investigate the possibility to apply a known machine learning algorithm of Q-learning in the domain of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It is important in this problem domain to have algorithms that learn their optimal values in a rather short time expressed in terms of the iteration number. The problem domain is a VLE in which an agent plays a role of the teacher. With time it moves to different states and makes decisions which regarding action to choose for moving from current state to
Exploring Individual and Collaborative Dimensions of Knowledge Building in an Online Learning Commun
An exploratory study of students' engagement in online learning and knowledge building is presented in this paper. Learning in an online community, composed of students (pre-service teachers) and experts (experienced in-service schoolteachers and academics), is the study's primary focus. Students' interaction and knowledge discourse structures, arising from individual readings of academic papers and asynchronous collaboration with peers and experts, are investigated using social network and cont
Mining learning groups' activities in Forum-type tools
Mining data produced by students involved in communication through forum-like tools can help revealing aspects of their communication. In this paper we propose an approach to the construction of models to highlight structural properties of learning groups based on a relational perspective (analysis of chains of references) and the use of Social Network Analysis techniques. These models can be useful both for the tutor and the participants. We begin by introducing the overall approach, then we de
From Questions to Queries
The extension of (Internet) databases forces everyone to become more familiar with techniques of data storage and retrieval because users success often depends on their ability to pose right questions and to be able to interpret their answers. University programs pay more attention to developing database programming skills than to data exploitation skills. To educate our students to become database users, the authors intensively exploit supportive tools simplifying the production of databa
Information Technology Education in the Sri Lankan School System: Challenges and Perspectives
Introduction of Information Technology into the secondary school curriculum in Sri Lanka is a very recent development. The subject General Information Technology (GIT) was included for G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination in 2005 while plans are afoot to introduce Information Technology as a subject for G.C.E. Ordinary Level from 2008. Results of the first GIT examination held in 2005 clearly show poor performance by students. Considering the large amount of money spent for Information Technology e
Collaborative learning - New learning models and applications
Distance education defined as education that takes place when the learner and the instructor are in separate location is undergoing changes throughout the world. The teaching environment is undergoing a major shift as more and more programs are offering classes online. This shift is due to rising costs in education, enrollment management issues, and an evolution in the use of distance learning.
Proposal for convergence of e-learning systems for t-learning
This article presents considerations about viability on reutilize existing web based e- Learning systems on Interactive Digital TV environment according to Digital TV standard adopted in Brazil. Considering the popularity of Moodle system in academic and corporative area, such system was chosen as a foundation for a survey into its properties to create a specification of an Application Programming Interface (API) for convergence to t-Learning characteristics that demands efforts in interface des
Digital literacy towards a re description of literacy for the digital learning environments
The concepts of digital literacy and digital competence are the focus in this paper. The paper will argue that the traditional concepts regarding literacy need to be re described and augmented when faced with the challenges and affordances of the digital learning environments. The paper will suggest a theoretical framework for how to understand the ways in which young people include digital technologies into their social and cultural practices. Some examples from the empirical material w
Partners in Learning in Australian Schools
Elevating teachers Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) skills to integrate technology into the curriculum is of crucial importance. It helps educators align technology with students learning goals, and to more actively engage students in the learning process. Charles Sturt University (CSU) has developed a Graduate Certificate course aimed at enhancing the ICT skills of teachers for this purpose. A substantial part of the program is based on the Microsoft Partners in Learning (Pi
The framework for easy intelligent tutor programs creation
In this paper the framework for intelligent tutor programs creation is described. It separates the logical part of tutor program and technical parts like user interface, database connectivity, etc. The intelligent program is built in specially developed graphical tool by means of performing primitive actions to create task model as a graph with states and conditional transitions. So it may be composed by a teacher with base programming skills.
Lifelong learning for the Italian Public Administration: the MarchE-Learning Project
This paper describes a local experience for the development of a framework program to set up a Continuous Learning System for Public Administration employees of Marche Region, in Central Italy. Such program belongs to a greater national program, aimed at modernizing the Italian Public Administration by means of the application of ICTs. This program is also part of Italian participation in the European Unions Lisbon Strategy, aimed at turning Europe into one of the most competitive knowledge-ba
Design and architecture of an online system for Vocational Education and Training
E-learning and tele-training have been evolved over time from a newborn trend for complementing the learning process to a major form of education and training for supporting mainly geographically scattered users. Learning and training, can be applied to a wide variety of fields and areas, each of which is accompanied by some special characteristics related to the field of learning/training, to the tools needed for the realization of the training process as well as to the familiarization of the t
Collaborative Multi-professional Narrative Based e-learning. An application to teaching Medical Stat
The present paper describes e-CNA (e-Collaborative Narrative Analysis), a web based multi-agent environment where different agents contribute to the exploration and social co-construction of the meanings of a set of narratives. The paper also describes an action-research e-learning experiment aimed to involve the students of different courses and a multi-disciplinary team of health professionals in a blended online educational project on qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in hea
Participatory Design for Developing Web Services Supporting Learning in Communities of Practice: the
The paper aims at showing how Participatory Design contributes to the understanding of learning processes related to Communities of Practice (CoPs) and, at the same time, to the design and implementation of Web Services to support organisational and individual learning in CoPs. This research builds on the European PALETTE project.
Analysis of three different models used to acquire three e-learning solutions at the same university
The Universtiy of Pretoria has been using an electronic assessment system since 1991 and a learning management system (LMS) since 1998. Both systems required urgent upgrading. In 2003 a further need arose in the Faculty of Health Sciences, for an electronic portfolio system. The Department for Education Innovation has thus implemented three new systems during the past three years: a new electronic assessment system, an upgraded LMS, and an electronic portfolio system. This paper analyzes the adv
Sign Language Interpreters Training
Nowadays, the evolution of technology and the increasing use of computers gave the opportunity for developing new methods of education of deaf individuals and sign language interpreters. The e-learning environments that have been developed for the education of sign language provide web-based courses, designed to effectively teach to anyone the Sign Language. Recognizing the difficulties and barriers of sign language training as well as the importance of sign language interpreters for the communi
Academic research for schools
Academic subjects are usually extremely far from actual problems and questions of academic research. Material at school is often presented as a sum of fixed, immovable facts one has to learn, although in the world of research these facts may be regarded as questionable or even disproved. On the other hand, pupils rarely have an understanding of how facts are developed and understood. As it is impossible to bring a researcher to every school, we are working on the project that would help research
