José Janssen

Self-organising navigational support in lifelong learning: How predecessors can lead the way

Increased flexibility and modularisation in higher education complicates the process of learners finding their way through the offerings of higher education institutions. In lifelong learning, where learning opportunities are diverse and reach beyond institutional boundaries, it becomes even more complex to decide on a learning path. However, efficient and effective lifelong learning requires that learners can make well informed decisions. Drawing on principles of self-organisation and indirect social interaction, this article suggests solving the problem by analysing the paths followed by learners and feeding this information back as advice to learners facing navigational decisions. This article starts by introducing the principles of self-organisation and indirect social interaction. It describes how we expect the use of indirect social interaction using collaborative filtering to enhance effectiveness (completion rates and amount of progress) and efficiency (time taken to complete) in lifelong learning. The effects were tested in a controlled experiment, with the results showing effects on effectiveness though not on efficiency. The study shows that indirect feedback is a promising line of enquiry for navigational support in lifelong learning.

Combining social-based and information-based approaches for personalised recommendation on sequencing learning activities

Lifelong learners who select learning activities to attain certain learning goals need to know which are suitable and in which sequence they should be performed. Learners need support in this way-finding process, and we argue that this could be provided by using Personalised Recommender Systems (PRSs). To enable personalisation, collaborative filtering could use information about learners and learning activities, since their alignment contributes to learning efficiency. A model for way-finding presents personalised recommendations in relation to information about learning goals, learning activities and learners. A PRS has been developed according to this model, and recommends to learners the best next learning activities. Both model and system combine social-based (i.e., completion data from other learners) and information-based (i.e., metadata from learner profiles and learning activities) approaches to recommend the best next learning activity to be completed.

Towards a learning path specification

Janssen, J., Berlanga, A., Vogten, H. and Koper, R. (2007). Towards a learning path specification. Proceedings of the ePortfolio 2007 Conference. October, 17-19, 2007, Maastricht, The Netherlands. [See also http://hdl.handle.net/1820/1680 ]

Swarm-based sequencing recommendations in e-learning

Open and distance learning (ODL) gives learners freedom of time, place and pace of study, putting learner self-direction centre-stage. However, increased responsibility should not come at the price of over-burdening or abandonment of learners as they progress along their learning journey. This paper introduces an approach to recommending the sequencing of e-learning modules for distance learners based on self-organization theory. It describes an architecture which supports the recording, processing and presentation of collective learner behavior designed to create a feedback loop informing learners of successful paths towards the attainment of learning goals. The article includes initial results from a large-scale experiment designed to validate the approach.

Self Organising Wayfinding Support for Lifelong Learners

Lifelong learning puts learner self-direction centre-stage. However, increased responsibility should not come at the price of over-burdening or abandonment of learners as they progress along their learning journey. This paper introduces an approach to wayfinding support for lifelong learners based on self-organisation theory. It describes an architecture which supports the recording, processing and presentation of collective learner behaviour designed to create a feedback loop informing learners of successful paths towards the attainment of learning goals. The approach is presented as an alternative to methods of achieving adaptation in hypermedia-based learning environments which involve learner modelling. The article concludes with a discussion of the questions being addressed in our ongoing research.

Learners’ evaluation of a navigation support tool in distance education

Bolman, C., Tattersall, C., Waterink, W., Janssen, J., Van den Berg, B., Van Es, R., et al. (2007). Learner’s evaluation of a navigation support tool in distance education. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 23 (5), 384-392.

Online Consultation on Experts’ Views on Digital Competence

This report describes experts’ views on what it means to be digitally competent today. Although experts‘ views vary, the method applied in this study enables to derive an aggregated view on digital competence. The report identifies twelve areas of digital competence, some of them relating to specific purposes (e.g. communication and collaboration), others to domains (e.g. privacy and security). The twelve areas are presented through a brief description and further illustrated by statements describing a rich pallet of knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to each area.

Modelling routes towards learning goals

Purpose – This paper aims to define the need for a route modelling language in e‐learning, identifying requirements and candidate languages, before providing a recommended approach.Design/methodology/approach – Several sources of requirements are drawn from the literature then used to review available approaches to route modelling. The best candidate is then applied in a number of case studies to check its applicability.Findings – An existing open standard, IMS learning design, is identified as meeting the requirements. To date the standard has been applied in a different area, so the match to the route modelling problem is favorable.Research limitations/implications – The scope of the work excluded an examination of requirements arising in the lifecycle management of routes; further investigation should check this point.Practical implications – Practical application is hampered by the lack of an appropriate e‐learning infrastructure in which to apply the approach. Pilot infrastructures should become avai...

Swarm-based adaptation: wayfinding support for lifelong learners

This article introduces an approach to adaptive wayfinding support for lifelong learners based on self- organisation theory. It describes an architecture which supports the recording, processing and presentation of collective learner behaviour designed to create a feedback loop informing learners of successful paths towards the attainment of their learning objectives. The approach is presented as an alternative to methods of achieving adaptation in hypermedia-based learning environments which involve learner modelling.

Using IMS Learning Design to Model Curricula

The traditional notion of the curriculum as a fixed list of topics to be studied sequentially is under strain as the pressure for flexibility in education increases. However, curriculum flexibility can lead to curriculum complexity, so that guidance systems are needed to assist learners in their study choices. This article proposes the use of the open, technical specification IMS Learning Design as a formal model for the description of curricula used by guidance support systems for learners. The article compares the approach to other work in the area, and illustrates its application with a number of case studies. The article concludes by describing the type of advanced guidance services which are enabled through a standardized approach and examining the e-learning infrastructure required when implementing the approach.