Teaching with Moodle in higher education

Nowadays, with the use of technology and the Internet, education is undergoing significant changes, contemplating new ways of teaching and learning. One of the widely methods of teaching used to promote knowledge, consists in the use of virtual environments available in various formats, taking as example the teaching-learning platforms, which are available online. The Internet access and use of Laptops have created the technological conditions for teachers and students can benefit from the diversity of online information, communication, collaboration and sharing with others. The integration of Internet services in the teaching practices can provide thematic, social and digital enrichment for the agents involved. In this paper we will talk about the advantages of LMS (Learning Management Systems) such as Moodle, to support the presential lectures in higher education. We also will analyse its implications for student support and online interaction, leading educational agents to a mixing of different learning environments, where they can combine face-to-face instruction with computer-mediated instruction, blended-learning, and increases the options for better quality and quantity of human interaction in a learning environment. We also will present some tools traditionally used in online assessment and that are part of the functionalities of Moodle. These tools can provide interesting alternatives to promote a more significant learning and contribute to the development of flexible and customized models of an evaluation which we want to be more efficient.

Training control centers' operators in incident diagnosis and power restoration using intelligent tutoring systems

The activity of Control Center operators is important to guarantee the effective performance of Power Systems. Operators’ actions are crucial to deal with incidents, especially severe faults like blackouts. In this paper, we present an Intelligent Tutoring approach for training Portuguese Control Center operators in tasks like incident analysis and diagnosis, and service restoration of Power Systems. Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) approach is used in the training of the operators, having into account context awareness and the unobtrusive integration in the working environment. Several Artificial Intelligence techniques were criteriously used and combined together to obtain an effective Intelligent Tutoring environment, namely Multiagent Systems, Neural Networks, Constraint-based Modeling, Intelligent Planning, Knowledge Representation, Expert Systems, User Modeling, and Intelligent User Interfaces.

An adaptive educational system for higher education

The main objective of an Adaptive System is to adequate its relation with the user (content presentation, navigation, interface, etc.) according to a predefined but updatable model of the user that reflects his objectives, preferences, knowledge and competences [Brusilovsky, 2001], [De Bra, 2004]. For Educational Adaptive Systems, the emphasis is placed on the student knowledge in the domain application and learning style, to allow him to reach the learning objectives proposed for his training [Chepegin, 2004]. In Educational AHS, the User Model (UM), or Student Model, has increased relevance: when the student reaches the objectives of the course, the system must be able to readapt, for example, to his knowledge [Brusilovsky, 2001]. Learning Styles are understood as something that intent to define models of how given person learns. Generally it is understood that each person has a Learning Style different and preferred with the objective of achieving better results. Some case studies have proposed that teachers should assess the learning styles of their students and adapt their classroom and methods to best fit each student's learning style [Kolb, 2005], [Martins, 2008]. The learning process must take into consideration the individual cognitive and emotional parts of the student. In summary each Student is unique so the Student personal progress must be monitored and teaching shoul not be not generalized and repetitive [Jonassen, 1991], [Martins, 2008]. The aim of this paper is to present an Educational Adaptive Hypermedia Tool based on Progressive Assessment.

BabeLO : an extensible converter of programming exercises formats

In the last two decades, there was a proliferation of programming exercise formats that hinders interoperability in automatic assessment. In the lack of a widely accepted standard, a pragmatic solution is to convert content among the existing formats. BabeLO is a programming exercise converter providing services to a network of heterogeneous e-learning systems such as contest management systems, programming exercise authoring tools, evaluation engines and repositories of learning objects. Its main feature is the use of a pivotal format to achieve greater extensibility. This approach simplifies the extension to other formats, just requiring the conversion to and from the pivotal format. This paper starts with an analysis of programming exercise formats representative of the existing diversity. This analysis sets the context for the proposed approach to exercise conversion and to the description of the pivotal data format. The abstract service definition is the basis for the design of BabeLO, its components and web service interface. This paper includes a report on the use of BabeLO in two concrete scenarios: to relocate exercises to a different repository, and to use an evaluation engine in a network of heterogeneous systems.

A contribution to the e-framework: a specification of a programming exercise evaluation service

This work is a contribution to the e-Framework, arguably the most prominent e-learning framework today, and consists of the definition of a service for the automatic evaluation of programming exercises. This evaluation domain differs from trivial evaluations modelled by languages such as the IMS Question & Test Interoperability (QTI) specification. Complex evaluation domains justify the development of specialized evaluators that participate in several business processes. These business processes can combine other type of systems such as Programming Contest Management Systems, Learning Management Systems, Integrated Development Environments and Learning Object Repositories where programming exercises are stored as Learning Objects. This contribution describes the implementation approaches used, more precisely, behaviours & requests, use & interactions, applicable standards, interface definition and usage scenarios.

Integration of repositories in Moodle

Current Learning Management Systems focus on the management of students, keeping track of their progress across all types of training activities. This type of systems lacks integration with other e-Learning systems. For instance, learning objects stored in a centralized repository are unavailable throughout an organization for potential reuse. In this paper we present the interoperability features of crimsonHex - a service oriented repository of learning objects - highlighting the use of XML languages. Its nteroperability features are compliant with the existing standards and we propose extensions to the IMS interoperability recommendation, adding new functions, formalizing an XML message interchange and providing also a REST interface. To validate the proposed extensions and its implementation in crimsonHex we designed two repository plugins for Moodle 2.0, the first of which is already implemented and is expected to be included in the next release of this popular learning management system.

Modelling text file evaluation processes

Text file evaluation is an emergent topic in e-learning that responds to the shortcomings of the assessment based on questions with predefined answers. Questions with predefined answers are formalized in languages such as IMS Question & Test Interoperability Specification (QTI) and supported by many e-learning systems. Complex evaluation domains justify the development of specialized evaluators that participate in several business processes. The goal of this paper is to formalize the concept of a text file evaluation in the scope of the E-Framework – a service oriented framework for development of e-learning systems maintained by a community of practice. The contribution includes an abstract service type and a service usage model. The former describes the generic capabilities of a text file evaluation service. The later is a business process involving a set of services such as repositories of learning objects and learning management systems.

Specifying a programming exercises evaluation service on the e-Framework

The e-Framework is arguably the most prominent e-learning framework currently in use. For this reason it was selected as basis for modelling a programming exercises evaluation service. The purpose of this type of evaluator is to mark and grade exercises in computer programming courses and in programming contests. By exposing its functions as services a programming exercise evaluator is able to participate in business processes integrating different system types, such as Programming Contest Management Systems, Learning Management Systems, Integrated Development Environments and Learning Object Repositories. This paper formalizes the approaches to be used in the implementation of a programming exercise evaluator as a service on the e-Framework.

PETCHA: a Programming Exercises Teaching Assistant

This paper presents a tool called Petcha that acts as an automated Teaching Assistant in computer programming courses. The ultimate objective of Petcha is to increase the number of programming exercises effectively solved by students. Petcha meets this objective by helping both teachers to author programming exercises and students to solve them. It also coordinates a network of heterogeneous systems, integrating automatic program evaluators, learning management systems, learning object repositories and integrated programming environments. This paper presents the concept and the design of Petcha and sets this tool in a service oriented architecture for managing learning processes based on the automatic evaluation of programming exercises. The paper presents also a case study that validates the use of Petcha and of the proposed architecture.

Bridging between programming exercises formats with BabeLO

Assessment plays a vital role in learning. This is certainly the case with assessment of computer programs, both in curricular and competitive learning. The lack of a standard – or at least a widely used format – creates a modern Ba- bel tower made of Learning Objects, of assessment items that cannot be shared among automatic assessment systems. These systems whose interoperability is hindered by the lack of a common format include contest management systems, evaluation engines, repositories of learning objects and authoring tools. A prag- matical approach to remedy this problem is to create a service to convert among existing formats. A kind of translation service specialized in programming prob- lems formats. To convert programming exercises on-the-fly among the most used formats is the purpose of the BabeLO – a service to cope with the existing Babel of Learning Object formats for programming exercises. BabeLO was designed as a service to act as a middleware in a network of systems typically used in auto- matic assessment of programs. It provides support for multiple exercise formats and can be used by: evaluation engines to assess exercises regardless of its format; repositories to import exercises from various sources; authoring systems to create exercises in multiple formats or based on exercises from other sources. This paper analyses several of existing formats to highlight both their differ- ences and their similar features. Based on this analysis it presents an approach to extensible format conversion. It presents also the features of PExIL, the pivotal format in which the conversion is based; and the function definitions of the proposed service – BabeLO. Details on the design and implementation of BabeLO, including the service API and the interfaces required to extend the conversion to a new format, are also provided. To evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of this approach this paper reports on two actual uses of BabeLO: to relocate exercises to a different repository; and to use an evaluation engine in a network of heterogeneous systems.

Seqins: a sequencing tool for educational resources

The teaching-learning process is increasingly focused on the combination of the paradigms “learning by viewing” and “learning by doing.” In this context, educational resources, either expository or evaluative, play a pivotal role. Both types of resources are interdependent and their sequencing would create a richer educational experience to the end user. However, there is a lack of tools that support sequencing essentially due to the fact that existing specifications are complex. The Seqins is a sequencing tool of digital resources that has a fairly simple sequencing model. The tool communicates through the IMS LTI specification with a plethora of e-learning systems such as learning management systems, repositories, authoring and evaluation systems. In order to validate Seqins we integrate it in an e-learning Ensemble framework instance for the computer programming learning.

Sequencing educational resources with Seqins

Existing adaptive educational hypermedia systems have been using learning resources sequencing approaches in order to enrich the learning experience. In this context, educational resources, either expository or evaluative, play a central role. However, there is a lack of tools that support sequencing essentially due to the fact that existing specifications are complex. This paper presents Seqins as a sequencing tool of digital educational resources. Seqins includes a simple and flexible sequencing model that will foster heterogeneous students to learn at different rhythms. The tool communicates through the IMS Learning Tools Interoperability specification with a plethora of e-learning systems such as learning management systems, repositories, authoring and automatic evaluation systems. In order to validate Seqins we integrate it in an e-learning Ensemble framework instance for the computer programming learning domain.

Integração de aplicações Web 2.0 e sistemas de gestão de conteúdos em ambientes pessoais de aprendizagem

A utilização de aplicações Web 2.0 no processo ensino/aprendizagem tem vindo a intensificar-se nos últimos tempos, mais por iniciativas individuais de docentes e estudantes do que por estratégia das Instituições de Ensino. Este artigo apresenta um projecto já em curso que consiste na implementação de uma plataforma de criação de ambientes de aprendizagem controlados pelos estudantes, integrando aplicações Web 2.0 e sistemas de gestão de conteúdos. A plataforma permitirá a utilização segura de conteúdos criados em aplicações Web 2.0, no processo de avaliação, possibilitando a sua publicação na infra-estrutura controlada pela Instituição de Ensino Superior, contribuindo assim para a adequação do binómio ensino/aprendizagem ao novo paradigma implicado no processo de Bolonha.

Plataformas de conteúdos e aplicações Web 2.0: impacto da sua utilização no processo ensino/aprendizagem em instituições de ensino superior

Tirando partido da crescente popularidade das aplicações Web 2.0, o presente trabalho pretende avaliar o impacto da utilização conjunta destas aplicações com plataformas de conteúdos no processo de ensino/aprendizagem em instituições de ensino superior.

3C@CTDI: colaboração, contribuição e comunidade em CTDI

Los profesores de la licenciatura en Ciencias e Tecnologías da Documentaçáo e Informaçáo (CTDI) se preparan para sacar partido de las herramientas Web 2.0 como un complemento de su actividad lectiva. En este contexto, se presenta el Grupo de Investigación PlGeCo que pretende, por un lado, implementar la utilización de herramientas Web 2.0 de tal forma que se pueda conseguir ciertas premisas que actualmente orientan la nueva generación web (colaboración, contribución, comunidad), aplicando-las á la actividad lectiva e, por otro lado, el estímulo de la producción científica de los profesores y académica de los alumnos, así como su posterior análisis. Se ha hecho una valoración de los proyectos en curso y se discuten las expectativas esperadas presentado un análisis de las perspectivas y ambiciones futuras del grupo