David Gañán

Exploiting the Semantic Web to Represent Information from On-line Collaborative Learning

Abstract In this paper we propose a framework for modeling, representing populating and enriching information from online collaborative sessions within Web forums. The main piece of the framework is an ontology called Collaborative Session Conceptual Schema (CS2) that allows for specifying collaborative sessions. The paper describes the information this ontology needs to know, the alignment of the ontology with the ontologies of relevant specifications, how the ontology can be automatically populated from the data existent in forums, and how to model such data about what is happening during the collaboration by using a dialogue-based model. This model is based on primitive exchange moves found in any forum posts, which are then categorized at different description levels with the aim to effectively collect and classify the type and intention of the forum posts. An experiment has been conducted to assess the validity and usefulness of the presented approach. The research reported in this paper is currently...

Towards Software Infrastructure for the Systematic Virtualization of Collaborative Learning Sessions

This paper proposes the provision of software infrastructure to support new types of pedagogically augmented collaborative learning resources by means of an innovative software platform called Virtualized Collaborative Sessions (VCS). The VCS approach helps meet challenging pedagogical requirements in online collaborative learning, such as increasing students engagement and learning performance during the collaboration. In turn, the systematic application of the VCS platform enriched with semantic technologies enables e-learning developers to embed successful collaborative learning experiences from external learning tools in a software reuse fashion. The platform is prototyped and successfully tested in real environments, thus showing the software reuse capability and the pedagogical benefits of the VCS approach.

Towards Collaborative Complex Learning Objects by the Virtualization of Collaborative Sessions

On-line collaborative learning has demonstrated the benefits of using collaborative activities to increase the learning efficacy. However, collaborative learning approaches cannot be applied in every e-learning experience because they require people’s presence and collaboration, which is frequently difficult to achieve. In addition, collaborative learning resources lack of authentic interactivity, user empowerment and challenge, thus having a negative effect in learner motivation and engagement. To overcome these limitations, we propose a new paradigm named Collaborative Complex Learning Objects (CC-LO) defined as a special type of learning objects within Virtualized Collaborative Sessions (VCS) with the aim to leverage the knowledge elicited during live sessions of collaborative learning, which are augmented with author-generated information, in order to produce interactive and attractive resources to be played by learners. During the CC-LO execution, a VCS is animated so that learners can observe how avatars discuss and collaborate, how discussion threads grow and how knowledge is constructed, refined and consolidated. Furthermore, learners can interact with the CC-LO in order to modify some parameters observing the consequences and assessing their understanding. The research reported in this paper is currently undertaken within a FP7 European project called ALICE.

A Semi-automatic System to Detect Relevant Learning Content for Each Subject

Today, the crisis has worsened the panorama for Universities, placing new constraints that require being more sustainable economically. In addition, universities will also have to improve their research and teaching in order to obtain more research funds and attract more students. In this panorama, analytics can be a very useful tool since it allows academics (and university managers) to get a more thorough view of their context, to better understand the environment, and to identify potential improvements. Some analytics have been done under the names of Learning analytics, Academic analytics, Educational Data Mining and etcetera. However, these systems, under our humble opinion, only take into account the small part of data related to the problem, but not contextual data. In order to perform analytics efficiently and reproduce their results easily in other contexts, it is necessary to have as much information as possible about the context. For example, when communication forums are analyzed to see the concepts in which students have more doubts, it is important to analyze also what concepts are taught in the subject. Having access to both sources, more information can be obtained and may help to discover not only the problem (a concept is difficult for students) but also its cause (maybe it is not explained in the materials of the course). The work presented in the paper proposes a novel approach to work in that direction: gathering information from different aspects within subjects. In particular, the paper presents an approach that uses natural language processing techniques to analyze the subjects materials in order to discover which concepts are taught and their importance in the subject. The contribution of the paper is a system that allows obtaining a better understanding of subjects. The results can be used for analyzing the suitability of materials to subjects and to enrich and contextualize other analytical processes.

Towards the Representation of Emotional Information from On-Line Collaborative Learning Sessions

There have been great efforts in the semantic web community so far in order to provide specifications, standards and ontologies to facilitate semantic processes in the web. Our aim is to take advantage of these works as much as possible for the purpose of modelling and representing information and knowledge of collaborative learning in the context of online web forums. To this end, an ontological framework that allows for representing information about collaborative activities realized using online web forums has been created and used to support the virtualization of collaborative sessions, creating animated storyboards that reproduce collaborative sessions from the web forums of virtual classrooms. Even though the information from the framework has proven to be enough to create animated storyboards, we realized that certain emotional information about the opinion (or the sentiment) of each user would be very useful in improving the final representation of the information. This paper presents an extension of a previous ontological framework to include emotional information about the sentiment and opinion of students when collaborating. The research reported in this paper is currently undertaken within a FP7 European project called ALICE.

ICT-FLAG: a web-based e-assessment platform featuring learning analytics and gamification

The purpose of this paper is to present an innovative web-based eLearning platform called ICT-FLAG that provides e-assessment tools with general-purpose formative assessment services featuring learning analytics and gamification.,The paper reports on the technical development of the platform driven by the Reference Model for Open Distributed Processing software methodology, which guides the platform construction, including the analysis and design steps.,The ICT-FLAG platform is technically tested by integrating it into a real e-assessment tool. Results are positive in terms of functional and non-functional aspects as well as user’s satisfaction on usability, emotional state, thus validating the platform as a valuable educational tool.,Because of the chosen technical paper as article type, validation of the impact of the ICT-FLAG platform in the learning process is not provided. Ongoing research with this platform is to measure the learning outcomes of its use in a real context of eLearning.,The paper shows implications of the main technical issues and challenges encountered during the integration of the ICT-FLAG platform with external eLearning tools, involving relevant aspects of interoperability, security, modularity, scalability, portability and so on.,This platform can fill the gap of many e-assessment systems, which currently do not have built-in analytical and gamification tools for learning, thus providing them with the experience to improve the quality of education and learning.

Providing Cognitive and Social Networking Assessment to Virtualized Collaborative Learning in Engineering Courses

In previous research we proposed a new type of learning resource named Collaborative Complex Learning Resource (CC-LR) in support for teaching and learning engineering education by the virtualization of live collaborative sessions, with the aim to leverage the knowledge elicited during the collaboration and produce interactive and attractive resources to be played by engineering learners. We claimed this type of pedagogically and technologically augmented learning resources is able to overcome endemic problems found in collaborative learning of on-line engineering courses, such as lack of authentic interactivity, user empowerment, social identity and challenge, thus having a positive effect in learner engagement. In order to enhance further learning engagement we endowed CC-LR with a multifold cognitive assessment approach that provided effective awareness and constructive feedback to learners from both the live collaborative interaction amongst group members (deferred or retrospective assessment) and the immediate assessment of the learners consuming the CC-LR. In this paper we focus and concentrate in deferred assessment and extend it with innovative assessment indicators from analyzing and representing social network interaction during the live collaboration. These new indicators are integrated into our multi-fold assessment approach to produce a personalized assessment feedback to ultimately enhance and improve the collaborative learning experience with CC-LRs.

A Framework for Dealing with Knowledge about On-line Collaborative Learning Sessions

In this paper we propose a framework for modeling, representing populating and enriching knowledge from online collaborative sessions within Web forums. The main piece of the framework is an ontology called Collaborative Session Conceptual Schema (CS2) that allows specifying collaborative sessions. The paper describes the knowledge this ontology needs to know, the alignment of the ontology with the ontologies of relevant specifications, how the ontology can be automatically populated from the data existent in forums, and how to enrich such data into useful knowledge about what is happening during the collaboration. The research reported in this paper is currently undertaken within a FP7 European project called ALICE.

An Application Framework to Systematically Develop Complex Learning Resources Based on Collaborative Knowledge Engineering

Abstract This contribution proposes software infrastructure to support new types of learning methodologies and resources based on collaborative knowledge engineering by means of an innovative application framework called the virtualized collaborative sessions framework (VCSF). The VCSF helps meet challenging collaborative knowledge engineering requirements in online learning, such as increasing group members’ learning performance during the on-line collaborative learning process. In turn, systematic application of the VCSF platform enriched with semantic knowledge engineering technologies enables e-learning developers to leverage successful collaborative learning experiences in a software reuse fashion while saving development time and effort. The framework is prototyped and successfully tested in real environments, thus showing the software reuse capability and the collaborative knowledge engineering benefits of the VCSF approach. The research reported in this paper was undertaken within the ALICE project funded through the European 7th Framework Program (FP7).

A Systematic Review of Multimedia Resources to Support Teaching and Learning in Virtual Environments

The use of various types of media and communication technologies in e-learning activities enhances content visualization and user interaction, and increases learner engagement and effectiveness. The evolution of multimedia technologies in recent years has opened new opportunities of integrating multimedia resources to support on-line teaching and learning, although there is still a long way to go. In this paper, we present first an extensive state-of-the-art study of the application of multimedia resources to e-learning activities. Then, based on this study, we discuss on the benefits and drawbacks of multimedia resources and the main types of multimedia resources appropriate for e-learning purposes.