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
Embedded Training for Complex Information Systems
One approach to providing affordable operator training in the workplace is to augment applications with intelligent embedded training systems (ETS). Intelligent embedded training is highly interactive: trainees practice realistic problem-solving tasks on the prime application with guidance and feedback from the training system. This article makes three contributions to the theory and technology of ETS design. First, we describe a framework based on Normanâs "stages of user activity" model for d
Intelligent support for discovery learning
Using opportunistic learner modeling and heuristics to support simulation based discovery learning.,Doctoral dissertation, University of Twente. Enschede, The Netherlands: Twente University Press.
Combining heuristics and formal methods in a tool for supporting simulation-based discovery learning
This paper describes the design of a tool to support learners in simulation-based discovery learning environments. The design redesigns and extents a previous tool to overcome issues that came up in a classroom learning setting. The tool focuses on supporting learners with experimentation to identify or test hypotheses. The aim is not only to support learning domain knowledge, but also learning discovery learning skills. For this purpose the tool uses heuristics and formal methods to assess the
Antarctica as an Educational Resource
As an educational resource, Antarctica is extremely broad in scope with the potential to contribute to a number of study areas, from the sciences to history, sociology, and politics. Authored by molecular biologist Clive Evans at the University of Auckland, this Web site provides a convenient resource for introducing Antarctica into the classroom and could be adapted for a range of grade levels. Luckily for life science educators, the site focuses primarily on Antarctic biology, adaptation, huma
Regulative support during inquiry learning with
simulations and modeling
Many factors impact learning; the environment and resources available, the domain, how much prior-knowledge a student has, and how well they make use of their metacognitive skills, all of these factors impact new knowledge creation. The series of studies described in this dissertation focuses on the latter; i.e. the metacognitive skillfulness of students. Known collectively as self-regulation, planning, monitoring, and evaluation, when applied appropriately will enhance learning. Students who m
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
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
Designing integrative scripts
Scripts structure the collaborative learning process by constraining interactions, defining a sequence of activities and specifying individual roles. Scripts aim at increasing the probability that collaboration triggers knowledge generative interactions such as conflict resolution, explanation or mutual regulation. Integrative scripts are not bound to collaboration in small groups but include individual activities and class-wide activities. These pre- and poststructuring activities form the dida
Collaboration Load
Does collaboration increase or decrease cognitive load during learning? On one hand, collaboration enables some degree of division of labour that may reduce cognitive load. On the other hand since interacting, expressing thoughts, monitoring anotherÂ’s understanding, grounding, etc., are mechanisms inducing some extraneous cognitive load, they may create cognitive overload and impede learning mechanisms. However this additional load may explain why collaboration sometimes leads to knowledge cons
Internet Scout Project
Developed by the University of Toronto Libraries, the Anatomia website offers a collection of about 4,500 plates and images of human anatomy from the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library ranging in date from 1522 to 1867. Visitors can search the plates by entire plate description, artist, subject words, and/or plate title or can browse the plates by artist, title, or subject. By selecting the Anatomia highlights link, users can view images of importance due to their contributions to the advancement o
Decentralized Service Deployment for Collaborative Environments
In this paper we present the design of a system which allows service deployment in a small-sized group of computers distributed through the Internet. These groups are formed by users who share a common interest, and voluntarily yield their own resources for the achievement of the collaborative activities of the group. Having enough resources contributed by the members of the group, our system guarantees service availability and the fact that the deployment and execution of the services is carrie
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
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
Educator's Guide to Hosting a Global Health Conference
This guide uses biology, health, and world study topics to engage students in global health issues and solutions from experiential and multidisciplinary perspectives. The guide offers an outline of how to organize and host a "Global Health Conference," and provides suggestions regarding logistics and instructions as well as resource materials for preparing and organizing a student conference. The Global Health Conference is a school event where students present display boards and two-page essays
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
An examination of two types of timeline, linear vs. staggered: a mixed method approach
This study conducted as follow-up study to evaluate effects of two different time-based interfaces, linear and staggered. This study also tries to reveal usersÂ’ preferences when they look for information in two different computer-based timeline. Explanatory mixed method design was implemented. In the first part, quantitative, there were 42 subjects. Results shows no significant difference between two types of computer-based time-line in terms of task completion time and answer accuracy. In the
Internet Scout Project
The Understanding the Universe Web site is part of Discovery.com's excellent educational resource DiscoverySchool.com site and is a joint effort with the American Museum of Natural History. This attractive site contains three major sections. The It's Awesome page has a time line of the universe that links to the Universe in One Year page -- a great way of learning the difficult concept of geologic time by showing that, if the history of the universe was compressed into one year, modern humans wo
Training programme for geography teachers
This paper contains a description of a Geography teacher-training program for in-service education. The program is a variant for incorporating the methodology of the Minerva- project “Innovative Didactics via Web-based Learning” (further abbreviated as IDWBL) so that the Geography teachers at work can be adequately prepared for integrating ICT in geography education at secondary schools via web-based education. The theme may seem at first glance as a variation of a known subject… But for the
