Capitalisation dÂ’une ressource en or : le dictionnaire
The goal of this paper is to explore extensions to electronic dictionaries. Adding certain functions could considerably extend the range of tasks for which they could provide support. Putting the needed information at the distance of a mouse click would allow for active reading. This would require tight coupling of the dictionary with a text editor: all the information in the dictionary should be accessible via a mouseclick. Dictionaries combined with a flashcard system and an exercise generator
“Cultures in negotiation”: teachers’ acceptance/resistance attitudes considering the infusion of
A teachersÂ’ training project, employing teacher-mentored in-school training approach, has been recently initiated in Greek secondary education for the introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into the classroom. Data resulting from this project indicate that although teachers express considerable interest in learning how to use technology they need consistent support and extensive training in order to consider themselves able for integrating it into their instructional pra
ΜελÎτη των μεταγνωσιακών και συνεÏγατικών χαÏακτηÏισÏ
A learning environment for the Teaching of the Natural Sciences in the 6th grade of Primary school will be presented. The learning environment combines the use of new technologies with collaborative learning. It has been based on general learning principles derived from research on the fields of Psychology and Physics Education. The effects of the learning environment on the studentsÂ’ cognitive, metacognitive and cooperative performance have been thoroughly studied through the use of various me
Using visualizations to teach problem-solving skills in mathematics: Which kind of visualization wor
In the experiment described in this paper we investigated the effects of different kinds of computer-based visualizations on the acquisition of problem-solving skills in the domain of probability theory. Learners received either purely text-based worked examples, text plus an instruction to mentally imagine the examplesÂ’ contents, or they could retrieve either static pictures or concrete animations that depicted the problem statement and the problem states achieved by applying a specific solut
A methodological alternative to media comparison studies: Linking information utilization strategies
Literature reviews on hypermedia learning have yet failed to show consistent positive effects of learner-controlled nonlinear information access. We argue that a possible reason for this lack of evidence in favor of hypermedia learning results from the fact that not sufficient attention is paid to the strategies of information utilization learners deploy. The few studies that do analyze these strategies fail to link them to an instructional approach, which hampers a deeper interpretation of stra
The impact of example comparisons on schema acquisition: Do learners really need multiple examples?
Comparing multiple examples within problem categories is usually considered a necessary prerequisite for schema acquisition. However, there is an evident 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 (1996)
Cognitive tools for discovery learning
Cognitive tools, defined here as instruments that support or perform cognitive processes for learners in order to support learning, can bridge the difference between open learning environments, like discovery learning environments and traditional supportive instructional environments. This article discusses a definition of the concept of cognitive tool and its use in learning. Two examples of cognitive tools for discovery environments are presented, and it is made clear how these tools can serve
Designing biases that augment socio-cognitive interactions
This chapter questions the assumption that the best environment for computer-supported collaborative learning is the one that most closely reproduces the features of face-to-face collaboration. Empirical studies have failed to establish the superiority of group interaction with richer media. Instead, the chapter explores media features that do not exist in face-to-face interactions and explains how these features might augment group cognition. The first feature, the persistency of the informatio
Internet Scout Project
The US Department of Health and Human Services offers information on the clinical trials studying HIV and AIDS at this website. Visitors can search the clinical trials by category or keywords. For each study, users can discover the purpose, conditions, eligibility, publications, and additional information. Students and educators can find an overview of the components of an AIDS clinical trial. The website supplies the latest clinical trials news and links to related websites. Frequent visitors c
Towards a Generic Platform for Developing CSCL Applications Using Grid Infrastructure
The goal of this paper is to explore the possibility of using CSCL component-based software under a Grid infrastructure. The merge of these technologies represents an attractive, but probably quite laborious enterprise if we consider not only the benefits but also the barriers that we have to overcome. This work presents an attempt toward this direction by developing a generic platform of CSCL components and discussing the advantages that we could obtain if we adapted it to the Grid. We then pro
Semantic Description of Grid Based Learning Services
Grid technology has emerged as a powerful tool to increase the
capabilities of e-learning frameworks. Learning services are fundamental
components representing functionalities that can be easily reused without
knowing the details of how services have been implemented. On the one hand, a
problem that still remains unsolved is how to use and integrate low-level
learning services to compose more complex high-level services or tools that
make sense to both tutors and learners. On the other hand, the
A Service-oriented Platform for the Enhancement and Effectiveness of the Collaborative Learning Proc
Modern on-line collaborative learning environments are to enable and scale the involvement of an increasing large number of single/group participants who can geographically be widely distributed, and who need to transparently share a huge variety of both software and hardware distributed learning resources. As a result, collaborative learning applications are to overcome important non-functional requirements arisen in distributed environments, such as scalability, flexibility, availability, inte
Adaptive and context-aware scenarios for technology-enhanced learning system based on a didactical t
Among the main issues of future technology-enhanced learning systems, we can mention the following ones: the ability to reuse learning resources (learning objects, tools and services) from large repositories, to take into account the context and to allow dynamic adaptation to different learners based on substantial advances in pedagogical theories and knowledge models. In our framework, the goal of scenarios is to describe the learning and tutoring activities to acquire some knowledge domain (fo
Collaboration Activity Function: An interaction analysisÂ’ tool for Computer Supported Collaborative
During the last years, an increased interest has been observed on tools analyzing collaborative interactions that could be useful for researchers, teachers, or even students. The paper presents such a tool, based on the formally defined collaborative activity function (CAF). The empirical evaluation of CAF is also presented. The evaluation is focused on teachers using CAF during and after sessions of synchronous collaborative problem solving among students.
The virtual training center: a support tool for teachers community
Communities of practice for teachers are emerging, where the issues of life long learning of in-service teacher is supported by a collective effort and by applying modern methodologies and tools. The paper describes how effective support to teachers communities is achieved by means of a Virtual Training Center, that is the virtual meeting place of the community, which was built during the I*Teach pilot project. Teachers who have similar goals, but few opportunities to physically meet each other
Enabling Students to Construct Theories of Collaborative Inquiry and Reflective Learning: Computer S
To develop lifelong learning skills, we argue that students need to learn how to learn via inquiry and understand the sociocognitive and metacognitive processes that are involved. We illustrate how software could play a central role in enabling students to develop such expertise. Our hypothesis is that sociocognitive systems, such as those needed for collaborative inquiry and reflective learning, can best be understood as a community of interacting agents, who each have expertise in accomplishin
An Approach to Analyzing the Role and Structure of Reflective Dialogue
Several intelligent tutoring systems contain modules that support reflection after practice exercises. However, there is very little research on reflective dialogue and its relation to dialogue during problem solving that can guide this effort. The approach to analyzing educational dialogue described in this paper was developed to address this problem. Using statistical and machine learning methods, we compared the frequency and structure of speech acts by avionics students and experts during pr
The “Blakkat” Software for Tagging Online Language Learner Corpora: Issues in SLA Assessment and R
This paper aims at showing, through a case study, one possible application of Computer Learner Corpus (CLC) to Network Based Language Teaching (NBLT). Research has shown how CLC can be used both for Second Language Acquisiton (SLA) research and Foreign Language Teaching (FLT), especially if they are tagged, that is, if interpretative annotations are added to the corpus (e.g. error annotations). Online learning generally takes place inside virtual environments where learners exchange mainly writt
MetaLinks: Authoring and Affordances for Conceptual and Narrative Flow in Adaptive Hyperbooks
MetaLinks, an authoring tool and web server for adaptive hyperbooks, is described. MetaLinks hyperbooks provide textbook-like content in a flexible manner that supports opportunistic processes of active reading and learning. Through adaptive methods a single on-line artifact can address the diverse needs of a variety of user goals and backgrounds. The system is designed to support inquiry, exploratory, or curiosity-driven learning in richly interconnected material and to ameliorate a number of u
A Comparison of Model-Tracing and Constraint-Based Intelligent Tutoring Paradigms
Two approaches to building intelligent tutoring systems are the well-established model-tracing paradigm and the relatively newer constraint-based paradigm. Proponents of the constraint-based paradigm claim that it affords performance at levels comparable to that of model-tracing tutors, but with significantly less development effort. We have built both a model-tracing and constraint-based tutor for the same problem domain (statistical hypothesis testing) and report on our findings with the goals
