New Topologies for Learning

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New Topologies for Learning

• Tim OShea
• Eileen Scanlon

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Peter Drucker in Forbes 97

• IT Progress will mean the end of the residential
  university by 2030 AD
• replaced by personalized technologies for
  learning.

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Talk Structure

• Ideal Next Generation Providers
• Actual Next Generation Providers
• History of eLearning
• Recent Technological Innovations
• Nice Exemplars
• Themes Issues
• Reasons for Optimism

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The Ideal

• Comprehensive Online Curriculum
• Personalised Support
• Peer Learning Cohorts
• Integrated Admin Learning
• Mobile Blended Modes
• High Integrity
• Respected Degrees

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Major Universities

• Research Led Learning
• Digitising Intellectual Assets
• Extending Curatorial Role
• Weak on Integrated Admin
• Weak for Remote Students
• Struggling with Assessment
• History of Awarding Degrees

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Other Providers

• More Responsive Flexible
• Closer to New Tech
• Cross Borders more Easily
• Integrated Solutions
• No Researchers or Curators
• Very Limited Assets
• Value of new Awards?

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Taxonomy of models

• Using psychological models of learning to
  classify different approaches to e-Learning,
  technology enhanced learning, computer assisted
  learning

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Models

• Reinforcement
• Association
• Feedback
• Programming
• Developmental
• Symbolic
• Collaborative
• Environmental

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• One can predict that in a few more years millions
  of schoolchildren will have access to what
  Philip of Macedons son Alexander had enjoyed as
  a royal prerogative - a tutor as well-informed
  and responsive as Aristotle.
• Pat Suppes 1966

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Enhancements to Learning

• Special properties computers can contribute to
  enhance quality of learning

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Enhancements

• Visualisation
• Diagnosis
• Remediation
• Reflection
• Memory Prostheses
• Tackling the Hypothetical
• Time Travel
• Autonomy

• Pacing
• Motivation
• Redundancy
• Group Working
• Scaffolding
• Access
• Knowledge Integration

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• People are driven by a will to mastery
  (challenge), to seek optimally informative
  environments (curiosity) which they assimilate,
  in part, using schemes from other contexts
  (fantasy)
• Malone/Piaget

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Technology Drives

• Moores Law
• World Wide Web
• RFID Portable OOPS
• VoIP
• VLEs
• Constant Connectivity
• 3D Virtual Realities

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Recent Events

• 1Bn Internet Users
• 25 read Blogs
• 10 Bn Google uses/day
• Wikipedia v Brittanica
• YouTube (videos)
• MySpace (egos)
• SunSPOT Specks

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Edinburgh Exemplars

• Range of Contexts
• Digimap/EDINA/JISC
• eScience (with Glasgow)
• High Performance (CCLRC)
• Digital Curation Centre (GB)
• Divinity using key assets
• Midgealert models maps

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Scott McNeally 04

• Book are so last Millenium

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The Library has a new federated search service
which provides a Google-like search of Library
indexes and full-text databases both commercial
services taken on subscription, and databases we
have built ourselves
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We can select a subject cluster, as here, a
Quicksearch, or to search against all
(currently 300) databases, using a keyword or
keywords
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Results take only a few seconds, even for
searches against a large numberof databases.
Here we have only searched locally-created
databases
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Search results can include images we have
digitised and catalogued
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And coming soon an enriched presentation of
the LibraryCatalogue, amazon-style
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Digitised Library treasures are made available in
undergraduate and postgraduate courses
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Objectives/Aims

• LeActiveMath aims at advancing e-learning
  technology by developing innovative technology
  and by integrating advanced tools and components
  in one open, service-based system. The progress
  is evaluated in realistic learning settings1.
• The benefits for students using LeActiveMath
  include
• Learning material tailored to the students' needs
  and interests. The personalization is
  pedagogically/cognitively justified.
• Students can work interactively with tools, take
  the initiative and self-regulate learning, e.g.
  in interactive exercises, in tutorial dialogues,
  in choosing learning settings and include
  learning objects, and searching for learning
  objects and interactive exercises. 
• Students can inspect their learner model and
  negotiate modifications. These meta-cognitive
  activities will support acceptance and
  self-monitoring. Since the learner model includes
  beliefs not only about the student's competencies
  but also about motivational variables, the system
  can adapt the feedback, dialogues and the user
  interface to the learner's motivation.
• Students can communicate in their own words in
  the dialogue.

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Table of Contents
Definition
A Book
A Chapter
Example
A Page
Note
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Tutorial Dialogue
Student types a statement
Adds math formulae
Sends statement
Statement is added to dialogue and the system
responds.
Response explains concepts and sets further
exercises.
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Mastery colours represent the users knowledge
for the content of each page.
If the user hovers the mouse over these mastery
colours a percentage knowledge value is displayed.
LeAM estimates user knowledge based on their
performance on exercises.
These beliefs are based on mathematical concepts
not just content. As these concepts are shared by
different pages the mastery colours propagate to
pages that the user hasnt even viewed yet.
This allows the user to see what the already know
and what they still have to learn.
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Navigation Support

• Where am I in this information space?
• Is it really a 2D space, tree, network lattice?
• Who is also active in the space?
• How can I plan next weeks route?
• How can I travel between spaces?
• How can I travel in parallel?

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Virtuality

• Value reduces memory load, structures
  experience, easier to use and retrieve use
• Key metaphor Direct manipulation
• Virtual Microscope
• Virtual Summer School
• Virtual University
• Virtual Reality
• Virtual Library

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Themes

• Technology Push
• Globalisation Pull
• Blended Learning
• Intellectual Asset Management
• Personalisation Podcasting
• Assessment Authentication
• New Learning Topologies

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Issues

• Security Identity Management
• Object Economy (di Sessa ILE 2004)
• No Significant Difference (Kim on 3D)
• Digital Divide/Disconnect
• Interoperability
• OpenStandards
• Robust Assessment Models

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Next generation spaces virtual worlds
Second Life
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Next generation spacesintegrating web 2.0 with
the VLE
wikis
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Next generation spacesintegrating web 2.0 with
the VLE
socialbook-marking
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Next generation spacesintegrating web 2.0 with
the VLE
blogging
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Next generation spacesintegrating web 2.0 with
the VLE
social software
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Grounds for Optimism

• Past Predictions Turing, Bush, Moore, Kay
• Robust Sector WorldCOM, WebCT, ICL
• Students using Google
• University of Highlands Islands
• RCA Annual show multiple modalities
• Earth Lab
• JISC JANET
• Actual Practice Edinburgh/Stanford/MIT

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Acknowledgements

• Jeff Heywood
• David Dewhurst
• Rachel Ellaway
• Sian Bayne
• Sheila Cannell
• Jane McCloskey
• Simon Jennings
• Many Others _at_ UoE