EVA_pm: How XML can Scaffold Project-Based Learning http://tecfa.unige.ch/tecfa/teaching/staf18/files-g/commNcontrol.html

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EVA_pm How XML can Scaffold Project-Based
Learninghttp//tecfa.unige.ch/tecfa/teaching/s
taf18/files-g/commNcontrol.html

• Paraskevi (Vivian) SYNTETA
• TECFA - FPSE, Univ. of Geneva
• September 13, 2001

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Project-Based Learning
A constructivistic instructional model that
organises learning around projects.
Advantages
Challenges

• Increases student motivation
• Improves student problem-solving
• Promotes meta-cognition
• Promotes self-regulated self-learning
• Opportunities for interdisciplinary learning
• Culminates in realistic results

• Initiating inquiry
• Direct investigations
• Managing time
• Overcome writers block
• Limited experience in project design
• Collaboration feedback
• Project follow-up
• Monitoring progress
• Monitoring knowledge

Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
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Efforts to improve PBL
Guzdial
CSILE
Team Facilitator
CaMILE
Learning Appropriate Goals
Barron et al.
Reflective learner
Torp Sage
Initiate inquiry
Collaboration
Direct inquiry
PIViT
Klein et al.
Cognitive Technology Group
PBLSS
WBILE
Blumenfeld et al.
Design Diary
MOST
Barron et al.
Draw conclusions
Overall context
Acquire present knowledge
Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
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EVA_pms Goal
Develop a constructivist environment and method
to scaffold students projects through all its
phases.
overcome writers block
Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
5
Conceptual Framework
Constructivism
Resources-Based Learning
Project-Based Learning
Scaffolding
Net PBL
Genex
Reflection
Engagement Theory
Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
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EVA_pms components

• EVA_pm ML
• EVA_paper ML
• Editing toolset
• editor in favor
• stylesheets
• commNcontrol tools
• Virtual Book

Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
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EVA_pm ML
Markup Language for project specification
management

• specification (setting goals, breaking them up
  into achievable objectives)
• scaffolding to initiate inquiry
• express and concretise ideas
• reflect on solutions by providing explanations
• produce a coherent research design
• management (work packages, planning)
• structure the work
• for planning, communication, reflection and
  resourcefulness
• meta-report (meta-cognitive scaffolding)
• reflection to engage in learning
• enhance learning by monitoring understanding

XML as cognitive tool
Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
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EVA_pm ML example (merci Nico )
Resources
Work packages
Comments
Specification
Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
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EVA_paper ML
Markup Language for projects final paper

• about the final product (summary, intro, body,
  conclusions, etc.)
• scaffolding to writing a paper
• express and concretise ideas
• reconstruct learning
• meta-reflect on the result(s) by providing
  explanations
• produce a coherent research review
• focus on text, distract attention from decoration

Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
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EVA_paper ML example (merci René Sylvain )
Main body
Abstract - Preface
Introduction
Conclusions
Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
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The editing toolset
Editor in favor style sheets

• editors in favor (?)
• XMetal for Microsoft users ()
• epcEdit for all platforms ()
• XEmacs for rare cases )
• style sheets for project and paper (multiple
  views)
• from one xml file
• from a combination of xml files
• with or without discussion

Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
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commNcontrol tools
EVAs web portal for the projects (for tutors,
students, guests)

• monitor, share visualize information
• through the portal that parses XML information
• motivate with peering
• through awareness tools
• promote collaboration scaffold interaction
  with tutor(s)
• through discussion tools mailing lists
• facilitate group editing
• through a versioning system (file transfer tools
  and file locking)
• facilitate tutors evaluation(s)
• through the evaluation tools (audits final
  evaluation)

Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
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commNcontrol ex. (merci nathalie Yves )
Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
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Virtual Book
EVAs web portal for the papers

• concretise students work
• by seeing it as a part of a virtual book
• distribute results (peer benefits)
• through the portal that parses XML information
• searchable information
• by being structured

Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
15
Development method
Co-operative prototyping

• with STAF-18 mostly

Evolution of commNcontrol
Evolution of Virtual Book
Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
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Implementation

• XML Infoset
• Grammars 2 major DTDs (as cognitive tools),
• 4 minor (for data storing) 1 reused
  (ibtwsh6.dtd)
• XML files 4 major (to structure semantics), 4
  minor(to store data)
• XSLT 7 stylesheets (to visualize)
• Cocoon (Apache XML Project)
• its XSL processor to transform to HTML
  XIncludes (to merge)
• Java
• 8 Java servlets
• 2 Java classes
• reuse modification of a DOMWriter
• import of an OReilly class
• SAX DOM API
• to parse XML files update them

Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
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Testing Evaluation

• Evaluation Prototyping
• Group 12 students STAF-Gina for STAF-18
• Steps Choose project - course - presentation -
  explanation - follow phases - edit XML -
  coaching - finish - questionnaire
• Evaluation of the LE (Learning Environment)
• general approach good encouraging
• grammar quite mature
• toolset useful stable scripting code
• usability of the online interface can be
  improved
• XML editing remains difficult challenging
  objective
• Evaluation of the student learning
• Fairly good Students manage to make a simple
  research plan

Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
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Conclusions
suceeded
suceeded
Initial goal Develop a constructivist
environment and method to scaffold
students projects through all its phases.
suceeded
achieved
almost
suceeded
almost
suceeded
distribute to bigger audiences
suceeded
? ? ?
suceeded
verify whether knowledge was acquired
Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001
19
Perspectives

• Interesting method
• needs more testing (bigger/different classes -
  better XML editor)
• interface can be improved thanks to feedback
  gathered
• Wishing list for future versions of EVA_pm
• easier editing
• better interface of commNcontrol
• more interaction features
• possibility to configure the grammars
• make EVA_pm a Web archive (a servlet 2.3
  compatible .war distribution) to make it
  completely portable

Vivian SYNTETA, TECFA Workshop, Les Avants
(Montreux), 12-14/9/2001