Can kindergarten children be successfully involved in probabilistic tasks?
This paper describes a classroom teaching experiment, concerning the concept of probability, with children aged 5 in a kindergarten school. The teaching experiment was based on constructivist and interactionist theories about the learning of school mathematics and lasted one month. The collection of the information was based on the tape-recorded interviews with the children (each child was interviewed prior to the research program, at the end of the program and one month later) and the videotape
Differences between novice and experienced users in searching information on the World Wide Web
Lazonder, Biemans, and Wopereis observed 25 fourth grade students divided into novice and expert classes on the basis of self reported World Wide Web experience and a proficiency test. No significant differences were found among the subjects in domain expertise (based on standard test performance), gender or ethnic background. Each subject preformed three 13 minute search and browse assignments where site location and information location were treated separately. Time and success were recorded,
The ZAP Project: Designing interactive computer tools for learning psychology
In the ZAP project, a set of interactive computer programs called 'ZAPs' was developed. The programs were designed in such a way that first-year students experience psychological phenomena in a vivid and self-explanatory way. Students can either take the role of participant in a psychological experiment, they can experience phenomena themselves, or they can take the role of researcher and learn by discovery. ZAPs provide added value to existing learning materials about psychological topics and c
The relation between prior knowledge and students' collaborative discovery learning processes
In this study we investigate how prior knowledge influences knowledge development during collaborative discovery learning. Fifteen dyads of students (pre-university education, 15-16 years old) worked on a discovery learning task in the physics field of kinematics. The (face-to-face) communication between students was recorded and the interaction with the environment was logged. Based on students' individual judgments of the truth-value and testability of a series of domain-specific propositions,
Effects of pictures, age and experience on learning to use a computer program
This study examines the effects of pictures of screen captures and input devices on documentation for older novices. There was no main effect of pictures, but there were statistically significant interactions between the type of picture and the factors of age and computer experience. As predicted, the most optimized designs—the ones presenting screen captures—moderated the negative effects of age. We argue that screen captures help reduce two problems in the cognitive area that are especially
Computer simulations - Technological advances in inquiry learning
Computer simulations enhance inquiry-based learning - in which students actively discover information - by allowing scientific discovery within a realistic setting.
Le rôle de l’ingénierie ontologique dans le domaine des EIAH
Dans cet entretien, Riichiro Mizoguchi nous révèle ses pensées les plus profondes sur le rôle que joue l’Ingénierie Ontologique (IO) dans le domaine des EIAH. Il insiste sur la nature conceptuelle d’une ontologie, faite pour pouvoir partager des connaissances entre humains et ordinateurs, et entre ordinateurs. Conceptualisation, partage et réutilisation sont donc les concepts-clés d’une ontologie. Dans le domaine des EIAH, le rôle de l’IO n’est pas de modéliser les connaissances po
Logiciels de construction de cartes de connaissances: Des outils pour apprendre
This article examines the possible uses of concept mapping software in a university or continuing education context. Concept mapping applications allow the student to graphically represent compiled information as a network of nodes and vectors. The article looks at several applications that may be used to make different kinds of maps, but mainly reviews teaching strategies that incorporate these tools as well as providing a number of planning pointers. It also summarizes the main advantages and
Apport de l’ingénierie ontologique aux environnements de formation à distance
Cet article explore le potentiel de l’ontologie et de l’ingénierie ontologique pour augmenter l’intelligence dans les environnements de formation à distance, ainsi que dans la conception de ces environnements. Il contient une introduction à l’ontologie avec ses origines dans la philosophie occidentale, une discussion des relations entre l’intelligence artificielle et l’ingénierie ontologique, suivie d’une description des méthodologies et des outils d’ingénierie ontologique. Plusieu
Ontology Development at the Conceptual Level for Theory-Aware ITS Authoring Systems
This paper presents ontology engineering at the conceptual level, based on case analysis where an author (a human or software agent), assisted by an ITS authoring system, needs to select an instructional strategy (method) in order to develop a learning scenario or environment. A detailed description of the development process at the conceptual level is provided, followed by the presentation of its results. Outstanding issues raised therein will be shared for further reflection.
Participating Virtually to a Scientific Conference: A Collaborative E-Learning Scenario for Authenti
This paper presents a collaborative e-learning scenario inspired by socio-constructivist and situated learning theories which encourage authentic learning. Developed for a graduate distance education course, this scenario requires students to participate virtually
in an asynchronous scientific conference. This paper presents the learning scenario, the
technological environment developed to implement this scenario, as well as the results of a preliminary investigation which examines studentsÂ’ p
Standard-compliant Scenario Building with Theoretical Justification in a Theory-aware Authoring Tool
Nowadays standard technologies play important roles in enhancing sharability, reusability and interoperability of learning contents. However, there is a lack of pedagogical justification of the contents implemented with the standards. This paper discusses the standard-compliance of our ontology-based modeling framework and how the framework gives theoretical justification to standard-compliant learning/instructional scenarios in a theory-aware authoring tool.,Poster in 13th International Confere
Herzberg : une simulation multimédia à interactivité variable
Herzberg est un environnement de simulation multimédia permettant de visualiser et d’explorer la vibration et la rotation des molécules. Il permet de créer des documents formés d’un ensemble de pages affichant une ou deux molécules dans des configurations prédéfinies; un texte et une voix d’explication peuvent être associés à chaque page. Il est possible de fixer pour chaque document le niveau d’interactivité. On peut également, sans effectuer de programmation, ajouter de nouvell
Credibility of a simulation-based virtual laboratory: An exploratory study of learner judgments of v
Several studies have examined realism and instructional effectiveness of physical simulations. However, very few have touched on the question of their credibility or verisimilitude, from the userÂ’s point of view. This article presents an empirical exploratory study which investigated the perceptions of potential users of a simulation-based virtual physics laboratory (the VPLab). In the VPLab, students conduct virtual physics experiments designed to promote both acquisition of general experiment
Inside Theory-Aware and Standards-Compliant Authoring System
In their paper [14], Bourdeau and Mizoguchi foresaw a framework for ontology-based intelligent systems. Although it took longer years than their expectation, the ontology they have been developing is now released for evaluation with the help of the second author. Ontology building is a labor-intensive process and it is rarely perfect. Our enterprise is not an exception. The current ontology is still very preliminary because it has been completely reconstructed from the existing one with a few ne
Analyse des changements induits par la technologie dans des travaux pratiques de sciences expérimen
Un laboratoire distant est présenté : Educ@ffix.net, dans lequel les apprenants doivent construire un protocole
d’expérience grâce à un environnement informatique dédié, puis réaliser cette expérience par l’intermédiaire d’un
robot distant. Le protocole doit d’abord être validé par un tuteur artificiel, puis la manipulation est exécutée par
le robot et visualisée grâce à une caméra via le web.
Dans ces conditions, l’expérience de chimie est modifiée par rapport à une si
Natural Editing of Algebraic Expressions
We call “natural editing of algebraic expressions” the editing of algebraic expressions in
their natural representation, the one that is used on paper and blackboard. This is an issue
we have investigated in the Aplusix project, a project which develops a system aiming at
helping students to learn algebra. The paper summarises first this project. Second it
defines the notion of algebraic expression, and of representation of algebraic expression.
After an exploration of 20 software systems whic
Fostering collaborative knowledge construction with visualization tools
This study investigates to what extent collaborative knowledge construction can be fostered by providing students with visualization tools as structural support.
Thirty-two students of Educational Psychology took part in the study. The students were subdivided into dyads and asked to solve a case problem of their learning domain under one of two conditions: 1) with content-specific visualization 2) with content-unspecific visualization. Results show that by being provided with a content-specific
Knowledge Convergence in Computer-Supported
Collaborative Learning: The Role of External Representat
This study investigates how two types of graphical representation tools influence the way in which learners use knowledge resources in two different collaboration conditions. In
addition, the study explores the extent to which learners share knowledge with respect to
individual outcomes under these different conditions. The study also analyzes the relationship between the use of knowledge resources and different types of knowledge.
The type of external representation (content-specific vs. conten
Epistemic and Social Scripts in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning
Collaborative learning in computer-supported learning environments typically means that learners work on tasks together, discussing their individual perspectives via text-based media or videoconferencing, and consequently acquire knowledge. Collaborative learning, however, is often sub-optimal with respect to how learners work on the concepts that are supposed to be learned and how learners interact with each other. One possibility to improve collaborative learning environments is to conceptuali
