Sigmar-Olaf Tergan

Visualizing knowledge and information: an introduction

Visualization has proven to be an effective strategy for supporting users in coping with complexity in knowledge- and information-rich scenarios. Up to now, however, information visualization and knowledge visualization have been distinct research areas, which have been developed independently of each other. This book aims toward bringing both approaches together and looking for synergies, which may be used for fostering learning, instruction, and problem solving. This introductory article seeks to provide a conceptual framework and a preview of the contributions of this volume. The most important concepts referred to in this book are defined and a conceptual rationale is provided as to why visualization may be effective in fostering, processing and managing knowledge and information. The basic ideas underlying knowledge visualization and information visualization are outlined. The preview of each approach addresses its basic concept, as well as how it fits into the conceptual rationale of the book. The contributions are structured according to whether they belong to one of the following basic categories: “Background”, “Knowledge Visualization”, “Information Visualization”, and “Synergies”.

Digital concept maps for managing knowledge and information

Due to the increasing amount and complexity of knowledge and information in many domains, students who self-regulate their study in e-learning scenarios often suffer from cognitive overload, as well as conceptual and navigational disorientation. Particularly, when studying in resource-based learning scenarios with complex and ill-structured subject-matter content, there is a need for both effective learning strategies and the management of knowledge and information. Advanced computer-based concept maps have the potential to foster spatial learning strategies by visualizing the knowledge and support processes of individual knowledge management, such as the acquisition, organization, representation, (self-)evaluation, communication, localization, and utilization of knowledge. In addition, they have the potential to represent and make accessible the conceptual and content knowledge of a domain, as well as information associated to it. The aim of this paper is the analysis of the potential of digital concept maps for supporting processes of individual knowledge management. Perspectives for research on the use of concept maps for individual knowledge management are outlined.

Integrating Knowledge and Information: Digital Concept Maps as a Bridging Technology

Current affordances in educational and workplace settings have much to do with managing and making use of complex knowledge and a diversity of information resources. Knowledge and information visualizations are used to make structures of knowledge and information apparent, as well as to help users coping with complex tasks and ill-structured subject matter. Knowledge visualization aims at assisting the users in learning and problem solving. Information visualization aims at helping users to explore large amounts of data by making use of the human cognitive ability to see patterns and by using interactive filtering techniques. Both approaches suffer from shortcomings resulting from the limitations of their conceptual rationale, as well as those of the representational techniques and methods used for visualization. These shortcomings may not easily be overcome with means provided by the individual approaches alone. It is suggested that synergies may be revealed when ideas and technologies from both fields are brought together. Along these lines, the Special Issue draws attention to digital concept mapping as a bridging technology to overcome shortcomings in visualizing knowledge and information. This introductory paper serves the purpose of outlining the rationale and goals of the special issue. It provides a preview of the relevance of each papers contributions to the central theme of this issue.

Evoking Knowledge and Information Awareness for Enhancing Computer-Supported Collaborative Problem Solving

Computer-supported collaboration by spatially distributed group members still involves interaction problems within the group. This article presents an empirical study investigating the question of whether computer-supported collaborative problem solving by spatially distributed group members can be fostered by evoking knowledge and information awareness, i.e., awareness of a group member with regard to both their fellow collaborators’ domain knowledge and information underlying this knowledge. The study (N = 30 triads) confirmed the efficiency of this approach by comparing (a) an experimental condition in which an environment for fostering knowledge and information awareness was provided and (b) a control condition without such an environment, with regard to communication and cooperation aspects, the quality of the group maps (needed for solving the problems), and the problem-solving performance.

Mapping and managing knowledge and information in resource‐based learning

In resource‐based learning scenarios, students are often overwhelmed by the complexity of task‐relevant knowledge and information. Techniques for the external interactive representation of individual knowledge in graphical format may help them to cope with complex problem situations. Advanced computer‐based concept‐mapping tools have the potential to foster spatial learning strategies and processes of individual knowledge management. In addition, they have the potential to represent not only conceptual knowledge, but also content knowledge about a domain, as well as knowledge resources. The paper analyzes the potential of digital concept maps for supporting processes of individual knowledge management in resource‐based learning. After a brief review of the structural, representational, processing, and usability features of digital concept maps, results of empirical research related to the following main management processes are considered: knowledge identification/evaluation, information search, knowledge generation, knowledge representation/organization, knowledge communication, and knowledge use.

Technology-Enhanced Collaborative Inquiry Learning: Four Approaches under Common Aspects

Collaborative inquiry is seen as a promising, but also a demanding way of learning. Over the past years several computer learning environments have been designed to support learners in doing inquiry. Students may investigate complex problems from everyday life or socio-scientific issues using simulations, datasets, media-enriched content information, text editors, mapping tools, graphical modelling etc. This paper describes and compares four different approaches to collaborative inquiry, developed in the projects ParIS, WISE, Viten, and Co-Lab. Commonalities and differences in their models of inquiry learning are highlighted. Building on and synthesizing research results from these projects the paper draws conclusions on issues relevant for designing collaborative inquiry learning environments, like guidance and freedom, knowledge construction, and integration of external knowledge

Digital concept mapping in learning contexts: integrating knowledge, arguments and information resources

Students who self-regulate their study have to cope with an increasing amount of increasingly complex knowledge and information. This is particularly true for students in resource-based scenarios. Visualization tools may assist students in the easy and effective orientation of the status of their knowledge, as well as the access to knowledge elements and task-relevant knowledge resources. Most existing tools focus on the visualization of knowledge, arguments, or information only. It is claimed that concept mapping may function as a bridging technology. This paper analyses the potential of advanced digital concept mapping tools for visualizing knowledge, arguments, and information resources in an integrative and comprehensive manner. Structural, representational, processing and usability features of concept mapping are outlined. It is suggested that digital concept mapping may be used for effectively managing individual knowledge and knowledge resources in resource-based learning.

Qualität von E-Learning: eine Einführung

Von E-Learning-Angeboten wird erwartet, dass diese die Akzeptanz bei Nutzern erhohen sowie zur Sicherung des Lernerfolgs und zur Forderung des Transfers erworbenen Wissens in die Anwendungspraxis beitragen. Im betrieblichen Kontext bestehen daruber hinaus Erwartungen hinsichtlich der Verbesserung der Effizienz betrieblichen Handelns sowie der Einsparung von Kosten im Sinne eines Return on Investment (ROI). Eine grundlegende Frage aller Evaluationsansatze gilt dabei den Bedingungen erfolgreichen E-Learnings. Der vorliegende Beitrag geht auf unterschiedliche Evaluationsinteressen, Evaluationsebenen und Evaluationsmethoden ein. Er verdeutlicht das Anliegen des Buches, grundlegende Uberlegungen zu den Bedingungen erfolgreichen E-Learnings sowie derzeit verfugbare Instrumente und Methoden zur Erfassung dieser Bedingungen einander gegenuberzustellen. Der Inhalt der Einzelbeitrage wird in einer Vorschau in Form kurzer Zusammenfassungen vorgestellt.

Was macht Lernen erfolgreich? Die Sicht der Wissenschaft

Die Beantwortung der Frage „Was macht Lernen erfolgreich?“ ist ein zentrales Anliegen in Bildung und Forschung. Wissenschaftler versuchen jene Bedingungen aufzudecken und zu beschreiben, die Lernerfolg masgeblich bestimmen. Ebenso wird versucht, auf der Grundlage von lerntheoretischen Annahmen und empirisch gewonnenen Erkenntnissen uber lernwirksame Bedingungen, durch Masnahmen der Instruktionsgestaltung effektive Lernprozesse in Gang zu bringen und zu unterstutzen. Fur die Qualitatsevaluation von E-Learning-Anwendungen sind diese Erkenntnisse von entscheidender Bedeutung. Sie dienen als Grundlage fur die Prazisierung von Qualitatskriterien und die Entwicklung von Evaluationsinstrumenten. Im ersten Teil des Beitrags wird auf Theorien und wichtige Befunde der Forschung zum Lernen und Wissenserwerb mit neuen Informations- und Kommunikationsmedien aus einer kognitionspsychologischen Sicht naher eingegangen. Im zweiten Teil wird gezeigt, wie diese theoretischen und empirischen Grundlagen bei der Entwicklung eines Instruments zur Beurteilung des Lernpotenzials von E-Learning-Anwendungen im Rahmen des Evaluationssystems „Evaluationsnetz“ (vgl. Schenkel, Fischer und Tergan, Kapitel 9 in diesem Buch) umgesetzt wurde.

Das Evaluationsnetz zur Evaluation von E-Learning

Von E-Learning-Angeboten wird erwartet, dass diese die Akzeptanz bei Nutzern erhohen sowie zur Sicherung des Lernerfolgs und zum Transfer erworbenen Wissens in die Anwendungspraxis beitragen. Im betrieblichen Kontext bestehen daruber hinaus Erwartungen hinsichtlich der Verbesserung der Effizienz betrieblichen Handelns sowie der Einsparung von Kosten im Sinne eines Return on Investment (ROI). Bestehende Evaluationsansatze sind nur selten geeignet, eine umfassende Qualitatsevaluation zu unterstutzen. Mit dem Online-Evaluationssystem „Evaluationsnetz“ wird versucht, Defizite bestehender Ansatze zu uberwinden. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden die Konzeption sowie die Eigenschaften des Evaluationssystems vorgestellt.