Joris Klerkx

Learning Analytics Dashboard Applications

This article introduces learning analytics dashboards that visualize learning traces for learners and teachers. We present a conceptual framework that helps to analyze learning analytics applications for these kinds of users. We then present our own work in this area and compare with 15 related dashboard applications for learning. Most evaluations evaluate only part of our conceptual framework and do not assess whether dashboards contribute to behavior change or new understanding, probably also because such assessment requires longitudinal studies.

Learning dashboards: an overview and future research opportunities

Abstract In this paper, we present work on learning analytics that aims to support learners and teachers through dashboard applications, ranging from small mobile applications to learnscapes on large public displays. Dashboards typically capture and visualize traces of learning activities, in order to promote awareness, reflection, and sense-making, and to enable learners to define goals and track progress toward these goals. Based on an analysis of our own work and a broad range of similar learning dashboards, we identify HCI issues for this exciting research area.

The Ariadne Infrastructure for Managing and Storing Metadata

Reusing digital resources for learning has been a goal for several decades, driven by potential time savings and quality enhancements. Although the rapid development of Web-based learning has increased opportunities for reuse significantly, managing learning objects and making them accessible still entails many challenges. This article presents and analyzes the standards-based Ariadne infrastructure for managing learning objects in an open and scalable architecture. The architecture supports the integration of learning objects in multiple, distributed repository networks. The authors capture lessons learned in four architectural patterns.

Visualizing activities for self-reflection and awareness

With the large uptake of online learning environments in educational institutions, students and teachers interact no longer solely face-to-face and are often geographically dispersed. Distance education can make it much harder for students to position themselves in the group of fellow students and to self-reflect on their work. The teacher can have similar problems by losing the general overview of the class, which makes it hard to discover potential pitfalls of students in time. To assist with this problem, we have developed a set of visualizations of learner activities to increase awareness and to support self-reflection. This paper discusses those visualizations and evaluates the usability and user satisfaction. From these studies, first preliminary results are available of the usefulness of the tool for the students. A planned future evaluation is discussed to evaluate the real usage and impact of the tool.

On the use of learning object metadata: the GLOBE experience

Since IEEE LTSC LOM was published in 2002, it is one of the widest adopted standard for the description of educational resources. The GLOBE (Global Learning Objects Brokered Exchange) alliance enables share and reuse between several Learning Object Repositories worldwide. Being the largest and more diverse collection of Learning Object Metadata, it is an ideal place to perform an analysis of the actual use of the LOM standard in the real world. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the use and quality of 630.317 metadata instances.

Using information visualization for accessing learning object repositories

Learning objects are entities that may be used for learning, education or training. Nowadays they are often stored in learning object repositories (LORs), such as the Ariadne Knowledge Pool System (KPS) as stated in E. Duval et al. (2001), Merlot and EdNa. Typically users can search for learning objects in those LORs by filling out an electronic form that enables them to compose Boolean combinations of search criteria. More research is needed on novel access paradigms to enable more effective and flexible access to these repositories. We investigate how we can use information visualization techniques for this purpose. We discuss the use of three existing information visualization techniques that we applied to the ARIADNE Knowledge Pool System (KPS).

Towards a Global Component Architecture for Learning Objects: An Ontology Based Approach

This paper investigates basic research issues that need to be addressed in order to reuse learning objects in a flexible way. We propose an ontology based approach. Our ontology for learning objects defines content structures and relationships between their components. A conceptual framework for structuring learning objects and their components is introduced. Architectures like Horn’s Information Blocks and the Darwin Information Typing Architecture are investigated as an approach to define learning object component types.

Finding appropriate learning objects: an empirical evaluation

The challenge of finding appropriate learning objects is one of the bottlenecks for end users in Learning Object Repositories (LORs). This paper investigates usability problems of search tools for learning objects. We present findings and recommendations of an iterative usability study conducted to examine the usability of a search tool used to find learning objects in ARIADNE Knowledge Pool System [1]. Findings and recommendations of this study are generalized to other similar search tools.

Success, activity and drop-outs in MOOCs an exploratory study on the UNED COMA courses

This paper presents an exploratory study about two language learning MOOCs deployed in the UNED COMA platform. The study identifies three research questions: a) How does activity evolve in these MOOCs? b) Are all learning activities relevant?, and c) Does the use of the target language influence?. We conclude that the MOOC activity drops not only due to the drop-outs. When students skips around 10% of the proposed activities, the percentage of passing the course decrease in a 25%. Forum activity is a useful indicator for success, however the participation in active threads is not. Finally, the use of the target language course is not an indicator to predict success.

Understanding Engagement with Interactive Public Displays: an Awareness Campaign in the Wild

In this paper, we present the findings from a field study that quantifies the different engagement phases of an interactive public display: from noticing interactivity and the first reaction to it, to actually interacting with the screen and expressing interest in a campaign. For this purpose, we developed an interactive public display for a real-life campaign that aims to increase awareness on cardiac arrests and Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). In our study, we deployed two public displays with interactive prototypes in the biggest railway station of Brussels (Belgium), which resulted in 10,000+ passers-by and more than 1,000 reactions. We conclude that although interactive displays are effective at capturing attention and do provide a high conversion rate from passers-by to users interacting, this does not directly translate into achieving the goal of the display for the campaign as only 0,10% of them reach the final stage (visiting a website).