Conditional reasoning: A key to assessing computer-based knowledge-building communication processes

This article describes a methodological approach to conditional reasoning in online asynchronous learning environments such as Virtual-U VGroups, developed by SFU, BC, Canada, consistent with the notion of meaning implication: If part of a meaning C is embedded in B and a part of a meaning B is embedded in A, then A implies C in terms of meaning [Piaget 91]. A new transcript analysis technique was developed to assess the flows of conditional meaning implications and to identify the occurrence of hypotheses and connections among them in two human science graduate mixed-mode online courses offered in the summer/spring session of 1997 by SFU. Flows of conditional meaning implications were confronted with Virtual-U VGroups threads and results of the two courses were compared. Findings suggest that Virtual-U VGroups is a knowledge-building environment although the tree-like Virtual-U VGroups threads should be transformed into neuronal-like threads. Findings also suggest that formulating hypotheses together triggers a collaboratively problem-solving process that scaffolds knowledge-building in asynchronous learning environments: A pedagogical technique and an built-in tool for formulating hypotheses together are proposed. © Springer Pub. Co.

Collaborative language learning in Teletandem: a resource for pre-service teacher education

This article presents some of the results of a qualitative research project about the influences of the pedagogic strategies used by a mediator (graduate student in applied linguistics) in the supervision process of a Teletandem partner (undergraduate student in languages) on her pedagogical practice. It was done within the project Teletandem Brazil: foreign language for all. Based on the reflective teaching paradigm and collaborative language learning, with special emphasis on tandem learning, we analyzed the contributions of the collaborative relationship established between the graduate student and the student-teacher in her first teaching experience. The results bring about implications for the field of language teacher education in a perspective of education within practice, evidencing the experience of collaborative learning in teletandem as an opportunity for reflective teacher education of pre-service teachers.

The E-learning Circle – a holistic software design tool for e-learning

The article introduces the E-learning Circle, a tool developed to assure the quality of the software design process of e-learning systems, considering pedagogical principles as well as technology. The E-learning Circle consists of a number of concentric circles which are divided into three sectors. The content of the inner circles is based on pedagogical principles, while the outer circle specifies how the pedagogical principles may be implemented with technology. The circle’s centre is dedicated to the subject taught, ensuring focus on the specific subject’s properties. The three sectors represent the student, the teacher and the learning objectives. The strengths of the E-learning Circle are the compact presentation combined with the overview it provides, as well as the usefulness of a design tool dealing with complexity, providing a common language and embedding best practice. The E-learning Circle is not a prescriptive method, but is useful in several design models and processes. The article presents two projects where the E-learning Circle was used as a design tool.

Matching form with content

Successful computer-supported distance education requires that its enabling technologies are accessible and usable anywhere. They should work seamlessly inside and outside the information superhighway, wherever the target learners are located, without obtruding on the learning activity. It has long been recognised that the usability of interactive computer systems is inversely related to the visibility of the implementing technologies. Reducing the visibility of technology is especially challenging in the area of online language learning systems, which require high levels of interactivity and communication along multiple dimensions such as speaking, listening, reading and writing. In this article, the authors review the concept of invisibility as it applies to the design of interactive technologies and appliances. They describe a specialised appliance matched to the requirements for distance second language learning, and report on a successful multi-phase evaluation process, including initial field testing at a Thai open university.

Matching form with content

Successful computer-supported distance education requires that its enabling technologies are accessible and usable anywhere. They should work seamlessly inside and outside the information superhighway, wherever the target learners are located, without obtruding on the learning activity. It has long been recognised that the usability of interactive computer systems is inversely related to the visibility of the implementing technologies. Reducing the visibility of technology is especially challenging in the area of online language learning systems, which require high levels of interactivity and communication along multiple dimensions such as speaking, listening, reading and writing. In this article, the authors review the concept of invisibility as it applies to the design of interactive technologies and appliances. They describe a specialised appliance matched to the requirements for distance second language learning, and report on a successful multi-phase evaluation process, including initial field testing at a Thai open university.

Desarrollo de un proceso de razonamiento visual para la valoración del patrimonio

El tema de la presente tesis es la valoración del patrimonio y en ella se considera que el patrimonio es un proceso cultural interesado en negociar, crear y recrear recuerdos, valores y significados culturales. Actualmente el patrimonio como proceso se está consolidando en la literatura científica, aunque la idea de que es una ‘cosa’ es dominante en el debate internacional y está respaldada tanto por políticas como prácticas de la UNESCO. El considerar el patrimonio como un proceso permite una mirada crítica, que subraya la significación. Es decir, supone el correlato que conlleva definir algo como ‘patrimonio’, o hacer que lo vaya siendo. Esta visión del concepto permite la posibilidad de comprender no sólo lo que se ha valorado, sino también lo que se ha olvidado y el porqué. El principal objetivo de esta investigación es explorar las características de un proceso de razonamiento visual para aplicarlo en el de valoración del patrimonio. Éste que se presenta, implica la creación de representaciones visuales y sus relaciones, además su meta no está centrada en producir un ambiente que sea indiferenciado de la realidad física. Con él se pretende ofrecer la posibilidad de comunicar la dimensión ‘poliédrica’ del patrimonio. Para que este nuevo proceso que propongo sea viable y sostenible, existe la necesidad de tener en cuenta el fin que se quiere lograr: la valoración. Es importante considerar que es un proceso en el cual las dinámicas de aprendizaje, comportamientos y exploración del patrimonio están directamente relacionadas con su valoración. Por lo tanto, hay que saber cómo se genera la valoración del patrimonio, con el fin de ser capaces de desarrollar el proceso adaptado a estas dinámicas. La hipótesis de esta tesis defiende que un proceso de razonamiento visual para la valoración del patrimonio permite que las personas involucradas en el proceso inicien un proceso de interacción con un elemento patrimonial y su imagen mental para llegar a ciertas conclusiones con respecto a su valor y significado. El trabajo describe la metodología que da lugar al proceso de razonamiento visual para el patrimonio, que ha sido concebido sobre un modelado descriptivo de procesos, donde se han caracterizado tres niveles: meta-nivel, de análisis y operacional. En el modelado del proceso los agentes, junto con el patrimonio, son los protagonistas. El enfoque propuesto no es sólo sobre el patrimonio, sino sobre la compleja relación entre las personas y el patrimonio. Los agentes humanos dan valor a los testimonios de la vida pasada y les imbuyen de significado. Por lo tanto, este enfoque de un proceso de razonamiento visual sirve para detectar los cambios en el valor del patrimonio, además de su dimensión poliédrica en términos espaciales y temporales. Además se ha propuesto una nueva tipología de patrimonio necesaria para sustentar un proceso de razonamiento visual para su valoración. Esta tipología está apoyada en la usabilidad del patrimonio y dentro de ella se encuentran los siguientes tipos de patrimonio: accesible, cautivo, contextualizado, descontextualizado, original y vicarial. El desarrollo de un proceso de razonamiento visual para el patrimonio es una propuesta innovadora porque integra el proceso para su valoración, contemplando la dimensión poliédrica del patrimonio y explotando la potencialidad del razonamiento visual. Además, los posibles usuarios del proceso propuesto van a tener interacción de manera directa con el patrimonio e indirecta con la información relativa a él, como por ejemplo, con los metadatos. Por tanto, el proceso propuesto posibilita que los posibles usuarios se impliquen activamente en la propia valoración del patrimonio. ABSTRACT The subject of this thesis is heritage valuation and it argues that heritage is a cultural process that is inherited, transmitted, and transformed by individuals who are interested in negotiating, creating and recreating memories and cultural meanings. Recently heritage as a process has seen a consolidation in the research, although the idea that heritage is a ‘thing’ is dominant in the international debate and is supported by policies and practice of UNESCO. Seeing heritage as a process enables a critical view, underscoring the significance. That is, it is the correlate involved in defining something as ‘heritage’, or converting it into heritage. This view of the concept allows the possibility to understand not only what has been valued, but also what has been forgotten and why. The main objective of this research is to explore the characteristics of a visual reasoning process in order to apply it to a heritage valuation. The goal of the process is not centered on producing an environment that is undifferentiated from physical reality. Thus, the objective of the process is to provide the ability to communicate the ‘polyhedral’ dimension of heritage. For this new process to be viable and sustainable, it is necessary to consider what is to be achieved: heritage valuation. It is important to note that it is a process in which the dynamics of learning, behavior and exploration heritage are directly related to its valuation. Therefore, we need to know how this valuation takes place in order to be able to develop a process that is adapted to these dynamic. The hypothesis of this thesis argues that a visual reasoning process for heritage valuation allows people involved in the process to initiate an interaction with a heritage and to build its mental image to reach certain conclusions regarding its value and meaning. The thesis describes the methodology that results in a visual reasoning process for heritage valuation, which has been based on a descriptive modeling process and have characterized three levels: meta, analysis and operational -level. The agents are the protagonists in the process, along with heritage. The proposed approach is not only about heritage but the complex relationship between people and heritage. Human operators give value to the testimonies of past life and imbue them with meaning. Therefore, this approach of a visual reasoning process is used to detect changes in the value of heritage and its multifaceted dimension in spatial and temporal terms. A new type of heritage required to support a visual reasoning process for heritage valuation has also been proposed. This type is supported by its usability and it covers the following types of heritage: available, captive, contextualized, decontextualized, original and vicarious. The development of a visual reasoning process for heritage valuation is innovative because it integrates the process for valuation of heritage, considering the multifaceted dimension of heritage and exploiting the potential of visual reasoning. In addition, potential users of the proposed process will have direct interaction with heritage and indirectly with the information about it, such as the metadata. Therefore, the proposed process enables potential users to be actively involved in their own heritage valuation.

3D teaching: the ideal complement for professionals in design and construction

Today, the requirement of professional skills to university students is constantly increasing in our society. In our opinion, the content offered in official degrees need to be nourished with different variables, enriching their global professional knowledge in a parallel way; that is why, in recent years, there is a great multiplicity of complementary courses at university. One of the most socially demanded technical requirements within the architectural, design or engineering field is the management of 3D drawing software, becoming an indispensable reality in these sectors. Thus, this specific training becomes essential over two-dimension traditional design, because the inclusion of great possibilities of spatial development that go beyond conventional orthographic projections (plans, sections or elevations), allowing modelling and rotation of the selected items from multiple angles and perspectives. Therefore, this paper analyzes the teaching methodology of a complementary course for those technicians in the construction industry interested in computer-aided design, using modelling (SketchupMake) and rendering programs (Kerkythea). The course is developed from the technician point of view, by learning computer management and its application to professional development from a more general to a more specific view through practical examples. The proposed methodology is based on the development of real examples in different professional environments such as rehabilitation, new constructions, opening projects or architectural design. This multidisciplinary contribution improves criticism of students in different areas, encouraging new learning strategies and the independent development of three-dimensional solutions. Thus, the practical implementation of new situations, even suggested by the students themselves, ensures active participation, saving time during the design process and the increase of effectiveness when generating elements which may be represented, moved or virtually tested. In conclusion, this teaching-learning methodology improves the skills and competencies of students to face the growing professional demands of society. After finishing the course, technicians not only improved their expertise in the field of drawing but they also enhanced their capacity for spatial vision; both essential qualities in these sectors that can be applied to their professional development with great success.

Multiprocessor network system design by process concept /

"UIUCDCS-R-75-717"

Intelligent agent supported personalization for virtual learning environments

Virtual learning environments (VLEs) are computer-based online learning environments, which provide opportunities for online learners to learn at the time and location of their choosing, whilst allowing interactions and encounters with other online learners, as well as affording access to a wide range of resources. They have the capability of reaching learners in remote areas around the country or across country boundaries at very low cost. Personalized VLEs are those VLEs that provide a set of personalization functionalities, such as personalizing learning plans, learning materials, tests, and are capable of initializing the interaction with learners by providing advice, necessary instant messages, etc., to online learners. One of the major challenges involved in developing personalized VLEs is to achieve effective personalization functionalities, such as personalized content management, learner model, learner plan and adaptive instant interaction. Autonomous intelligent agents provide an important technology for accomplishing personalization in VLEs. A number of agents work collaboratively to enable personalization by recognizing an individual's eLeaming pace and reacting correspondingly. In this research, a personalization model has been developed that demonstrates dynamic eLearning processes; secondly, this study proposes an architecture for PVLE by using intelligent decision-making agents' autonomous, pre-active and proactive behaviors. A prototype system has been developed to demonstrate the implementation of this architecture. Furthemore, a field experiment has been conducted to investigate the performance of the prototype by comparing PVLE eLearning effectiveness with a non-personalized VLE. Data regarding participants' final exam scores were collected and analyzed. The results indicate that intelligent agent technology can be employed to achieve personalization in VLEs, and as a consequence to improve eLeaming effectiveness dramatically.

Specification and validation of process constraints for flexible workflows

Workflow systems have traditionally focused on the so-called production processes which are characterized by pre-definition, high volume, and repetitiveness. Recently, the deployment of workflow systems in non-traditional domains such as collaborative applications, e-learning and cross-organizational process integration, have put forth new requirements for flexible and dynamic specification. However, this flexibility cannot be offered at the expense of control, a critical requirement of business processes. In this paper, we will present a foundation set of constraints for flexible workflow specification. These constraints are intended to provide an appropriate balance between flexibility and control. The constraint specification framework is based on the concept of pockets of flexibility which allows ad hoc changes and/or building of workflows for highly flexible processes. Basically, our approach is to provide the ability to execute on the basis of a partially specified model, where the full specification of the model is made at runtime, and may be unique to each instance. The verification of dynamically built models is essential. Where as ensuring that the model conforms to specified constraints does not pose great difficulty, ensuring that the constraint set itself does not carry conflicts and redundancy is an interesting and challenging problem. In this paper, we will provide a discussion on both the static and dynamic verification aspects. We will also briefly present Chameleon, a prototype workflow engine that implements these concepts. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using Developmental Theories to Inform the Design of Technology for Children

Electronic Blocks are a new programming environment, designed specifically for children aged between three and eight years. As such, the design of the Electronic Block environment is firmly based on principles of developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood education. The Electronic Blocks are physical, stackable blocks that include sensor blocks, action blocks and logic blocks. Evaluation of the Electronic Blocks with both preschool and primary school children shows that the blocks' ease of use and power of engagement have created a compelling tool for the introduction of meaningful technology education in an early childhood setting. The key to the effectiveness of the Electronic Blocks lies in an adherence to theories of development and learning throughout the Electronic Blocks design process.

Computer aided design and manufacture for three dimensional milling

Advances in both computer technology and the necessary mathematical models capable of capturing the geometry of arbitarily shaped objects has led to the development in this thesis of a surface generation package called 'IBSCURF' aimed at providing a more economically viable solution to free-form surface manufacture. A suit of computer programs written in FORTRAN 77 has been developed to provide computer aids for every aspect of work in designing and machining free-form surfaces. A vector-valued parametric method was used for shape description and a lofting technique employed for the construction of the surface. The development of the package 'IBSCURF' consists of two phases. The first deals with CAD. The design process commences in defining the cross-sections which are represented by uniform B-spline curves as approximations to give polygons. The order of the curve and the position and number of the polygon vertices can be used as parameters for the modification to achieve the required curves. When the definitions of the sectional curves is complete, the surface is interpolated over them by cubic cardinal splines. To use the CAD function of the package to design a mould for a plastic handle, a mathematical model was developed. To facilitate the integration of design and machining using the mathematical representation of the surface, the second phase of the package is concerned with CAM which enables the generation of tool offset positions for ball-nosed cutters and a general post-processor has been developed which automatically generates NC tape programs for any CNC milling machine. The two phases of these programs have been successfully implemented, as a CAD/CAM package for free-form surfaces on the VAX 11/750 super-minicomputer with graphics facilities for displaying drawings interactively on the terminal screen. The development of this package has been beneficial in all aspects of design and machining of free form surfaces.

Computer aided form roll design

Cold roll forming is an extremely important but little studied sheet metal forming process. In this thesis, the process of cold roll forming is introduced and it is seen that form roll design is central to the cold roll forming process. The conventional design and manufacture of form rolls is discussed and it is observed that surrounding the design process are a number of activities which although peripheral are time consuming and a possible source of error. A CAD/CAM system is described which alleviates many of the problems traditional to form roll design. New techniques for the calculation of strip length and controlling the means of forming bends are detailed. The CAD/CAM system's advantages and limitations are discussed and, whilst the system has numerous significant advantages, its principal limitation can be said to be the need to manufacture form rolls and test them on a mill before a design can be stated satisfactory. A survey of the previous theoretical and experimental analysis of cold roll forming is presented and is found to be limited. By considering the previous work, a method of numerical analysis of the cold roll forming process is proposed based on a minimum energy approach. Parallel to the numerical analysis, a comprehensive range of software has been developed to enhance the designer's visualisation of the effects of his form roll design. A complementary approach to the analysis of form roll design is the generation of form roll design, a method for the partial generation of designs is described. It is suggested that the two approaches should continue in parallel and that the limitation of each approach is knowledge of the cold roll forming process. Hence, an initial experimental investigation of the rolling of channel sections is described. Finally, areas of potential future work are discussed.

Content-based VLE designs improve learning efficiency in constructivist statistics education

Background: We introduced a series of computer-supported workshops in our undergraduate statistics courses, in the hope that it would help students to gain a deeper understanding of statistical concepts. This raised questions about the appropriate design of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in which such an approach had to be implemented. Therefore, we investigated two competing software design models for VLEs. In the first system, all learning features were a function of the classical VLE. The second system was designed from the perspective that learning features should be a function of the course's core content (statistical analyses), which required us to develop a specific-purpose Statistical Learning Environment (SLE) based on Reproducible Computing and newly developed Peer Review (PR) technology. Objectives: The main research question is whether the second VLE design improved learning efficiency as compared to the standard type of VLE design that is commonly used in education. As a secondary objective we provide empirical evidence about the usefulness of PR as a constructivist learning activity which supports non-rote learning. Finally, this paper illustrates that it is possible to introduce a constructivist learning approach in large student populations, based on adequately designed educational technology, without subsuming educational content to technological convenience. Methods: Both VLE systems were tested within a two-year quasi-experiment based on a Reliable Nonequivalent Group Design. This approach allowed us to draw valid conclusions about the treatment effect of the changed VLE design, even though the systems were implemented in successive years. The methodological aspects about the experiment's internal validity are explained extensively. Results: The effect of the design change is shown to have substantially increased the efficiency of constructivist, computer-assisted learning activities for all cohorts of the student population under investigation. The findings demonstrate that a content-based design outperforms the traditional VLE-based design. © 2011 Wessa et al.

Design Standardized Web-Components for e-Learning

In this paper a flexible approach to design LMS with QTI Ready component based on the e-Learning standards AICC and IMS QTI is described. This system and component permits a dynamic learning and assessment process. QTI Ready component can provide these facilities to other real world virtual learning management system.