Renate Motschnig-Pitrik

Patterns for blended, Person-Centered learning: strategy, concepts, experiences, and evaluation

Within the last few years, e-learning has become a focal point in several universities and organizations. While much research has been devoted to producing e-content, describing it with metadata, and to constructing e-learning platforms, less attention has been paid to using technology to improve the learning process in terms of depth and scope. Our research is targeted at filling this gap by considering learning support from a technical as well as socio-psychological perspective. We investigate how these two worlds can be brought together to result in maximum cross-fertilization. In this paper we focus on conceptual modeling of successful blended learning processes, their semi-formal description as patterns, and on the use of patterns as sources for the derivation of web-based templates. We report on experiences and evaluations of employing patterns in the context of blended, Person-Centered learning in technical subjects. Our major conclusion is that blended learning has added value only if designed thoughtfully and accompanied by high interpersonal skills of instructors.

Modelling of set membership: the notion and the issues

Abstract Although high-level data abstractions have been recognized as very important for modelling complex applications, one abstraction that is not widely incorporated into design methodologies is that of sets. This research analyzes sets as abstractions of individual members, in order to develop a list of criteria for a ‘good’ set modelling construct, referred to as a grouping. In addition, ways in which the member-of relationship, mapping individual members onto a set can be enriched with additional semantics, are proposed within an object-oriented context.

Person-Centered E-Learning in Action: Can Technology Help to Manifest Person-Centered Values in Academic Environments?

Person-centered significant or experiential learning as developed by Carl Rogers addresses the learner at three levels: intellect, social skills, and feelings or intuitions. Although the added value of personal growth, improved creativity, interpersonal skills, and better problem-solving capabilities is well documented in the literature, its transition into higher education practice clearly lags behind because of the increased effort required to facilitate person-centered courses. The goal, therefore, is to make person-centered learning and teaching more effective and feasible by enriching it with elements of computer-supported learning (“e-learning”), resulting in a blended approach: person-centered e-learning (PCeL). This article discusses expressions of Rogers’ core conditions in learning situations, the contributions and limitations of technology support, manifestations of PCeL in a course on project management, students’ reactions, and results of an empirical study regarding students’ motivation. Finally, the article shares some personal experiences of the author in the form of a catalogue of PCeL practices.

A generic framework for the modeling of contexts and its applications

Abstract Large information bases that are used by several different users and applications accommodate the demands of their users more effectively, if they can be split into possibly overlapping fragments, called contexts. The latter allow one to focus attention on specific concerns such as topics, tasks, or user-views. This paper proposes a conceptual, generic framework for contexts supporting context-specific naming and representation of conceptual entities, relativized transaction execution, operations for context construction and manipulation, authorization, and change propagation. A partial validation of the framework is given by showing how specific topologies of contexts, associated with specific authorization and change propagation policies, result in design templates for modeling well-known applications such as modules, views and workspaces. Further, examples are used to illustrate how modifications of the templates lead to generalizations of these applications that better support specific applications, such as those calling for tight cooperative work. The context framework is aimed at providing a common kernel for the modeling of information base partitions in general and well-known notions such as views, workspaces, topics, versions and requirements engineering viewpoints, in particular.Large information bases that are used by several different users and applications accommodate the demands of their users more effectively, if they can be split into possibly overlapping fragments, called contexts. The latter allow one to focus attention on specific concerns such as topics, tasks, or user-views. This paper proposes a conceptual, generic framework for contexts supporting context-specific naming and representation of conceptual entities, relativised transaction execution, operations for context construction and manipulation, authorization, and change propagation. A partial validation of the framework is given by showing how specific topologies of contexts, associated with specific authorization and change propagation policies, result in design templates for modeling well-known applications such as modules, views and workspaces. Further, examples are used to illustrate how modifications of the templates lead to generalizations of these applications that better support specific applications, such as those calling for tight cooperative work. The context framework is aimed at providing a common kernel for the modeling of information base partitions in general and well known notions such as views, workspaces, topics, versions and requirements engineering viewpoints, in particular.

Co-Actualization: A New Construct in Understanding Well-Functioning Relationships

The person-centered approach, positive psychology, and also neuroscience contribute evidence of a tendency toward actualization inherent in living organisms. In this article, the authors build on the observation that actualization in humans tends particularly to be promoted by being in well-functioning relationships with others. Each such fruitful relationship has a self-developing quality as well as being enhancing to the relationship partners.The resulting process is referred to as co-actualization. The postulated tendency toward engagement in that process is called the co-actualizing tendency. The article characterizes co-actualization especially from a relationally oriented person-centered perspective on psychology, education, systems thinking, psychotherapy, conceptual modeling, and neuroscience. The authors cite evidence from various sources, identify questions for further research, include phenomenological considerations, and discuss potentials of the co-actualizing process in close and larger scale relationships.

The Person-Centered Approach Meets Neuroscience: Mutual Support for C. R. Rogers's and A. Damasio's Theories

Neuroscience offers new ways and levels to look into the functioning of our organisms. It thus can be used as a means to confirm or question psychological phenomena. In this article, the authors aim to view Carl Rogerss theory of personality and behavior in light of Antonio Damasios theories and hypotheses concerning emotions, feelings, and conscious thought. The results indicate a tight correspondence of basic concepts and hypotheses such as the actualizing tendency and the vital role of feelings in thought. Furthermore, several ways accrue in which neuroscience and psychology complement one another in producing a more complete and, hence, reliable image of human functioning.

Knoocks: New Visualization Approach for Ontologies

Ontologies are becoming popular in various communities. They give users the possibilities to understand, exchange, analyze or share knowledge of a specific domain. However ontologies can be very large and complex and therefore visualizations should help the user to understand and manipulate ontologies easily. Most visualizations concentrate on the structure of ontologies. For users, instances are often more interesting, because they represent the real world objects. This paper presents Knoocks (knowledge blocks) as a visualization approach which focuses on instances related to their structure. An evaluation which compared Knoocks with Jambalaya and CropCircles showed its benefits in visualizing instances.

Contexts and Views in Object-Oriented Languages

The object-oriented paradigm views systems as being composed of objects that model real-world entities. Objects sharing the same properties and responsibilities are categorized under one class. However, object oriented languages, in general, lack means that allow objects to be grouped on extrinsic grounds, such as concerning some specific topic of interest, being relevant to a particular user group, or being dependent on changes made to other objects. Also, object-oriented (OO) languages do not allow objects of the same class to exhibit relativized structure and behavior, for example in order to meet specific user needs. View mechanisms developed for OO databases address the above issues, although, as will be argued, to a limited degree only. Therefore, this paper proposes a context mechanism for OO languages that extends the functionality of views. It will be shown in which way the context mechanism can deal with issues such as relativized structure and behavior of objects, relativized method execution, content-based authorization, and propagation of changes across contexts.

Inclusive universal access in engineering education

The context of our research is technology- enhanced learning in CS education. In the paper we extend the concept of Universal Access by including essential non- technological aspects resulting in a concept we call inclusive universal access (IA). IA aims to actively involve students in learning and assessment; to address them on all levels of learning including intellect, skills, and personality; and to employ universally accessible tools to support the educational activities. Based on the guiding principles of IA we present IA-enhanced scenarios and courses along with evaluations of IA factors for these courses. We conclude that an educational approach following the IA philosophy is well suited to engage engineering students in deeper learning experiences and to increase their employability. Our findings are based on courses with group sizes around 20 students, partly involving international students and instructors.

Two technology-enhanced courses aimed at developing interpersonal attitudes and soft skills in project management

Recent strategies in the European Union encourage educational styles which promote the development of attitudes and skills as a basis for knowledge construction. The question is whether technology-enhanced settings have the potential to support such educational styles. The Person-Centered Approach, developed by the American psychologist Carl Rogers and adapted in several innovative educational settings holds great promise in promoting experiential, whole person learning. In this paper we illustrate technology-enhanced, personcentered education by describing two course settings and scenarios in which we emphasize, respectively, constructive, interpersonal attitudes and soft skills in the context of project management. As a result of each of the two courses students stated that they had learned significantly on the level of attitudes and soft skills. They considered exchange and discussion with colleagues and active participation during the course as the top factors from which they benefited. Furthermore, the majority of students felt that it was easier for them to work in teams and to establish social relationships in the two courses presented in this article than in traditional courses.Recent strategies in the European Union encourage educational styles which promote the development of attitudes and skills as a basis for knowledge construction. The question is whether technology-enhanced settings have the potential to support such educational styles. The Person-Centered Approach, developed by the American psychologist Carl Rogers and adapted in several innovative educational settings holds great promise in promoting experiential, whole person learning. In this paper we illustrate technology-enhanced, person-centered education by describing two course settings and scenarios in which we emphasize, respectively, constructive, interpersonal attitudes and soft skills in the context of project management. As a result of each of the two courses students stated that they had learned significantly on the level of attitudes and soft skills. They considered exchange and discussion with colleagues and active participation during the course as the top factors from which they benefited. Furthermore, the majority of students felt that it was easier for them to work in teams and to establish social relationships in the two courses presented in this article than in traditional courses.