1. COMPUTER SUPPORTED LEARNING
Distance vs. Face-to-face
Synchronous vs. asynchronous
Individual vs. Collaborative

2. Distance Learning Development of methods & tools for supporting
Distance synchronous learning
Distance asynchronous learning

3. Synchronous Remote Lecturing
Known factors:
Voice more important than image
Interaction between both sides
Complementary learning material
Cultural background
Chile

4. New factors we discovered
Teacher and students should look at the same material
Teacher controls the display of material
Manipulating, creating, editing new material
Prefer moving teacher instead of sitting
Previous or post class relationship, activities
Especially interesting for teaching network programming

5. Asynchronous Distance Learning
Lesson planning in Asynchronous Distance Learning means:
Selecting and sequencing of the learning material having a “normal” student in mind
Adapting the material and the sequence to the student who is actually using the learning material
Adaptability of the learning material

6. Our proposal to lesson planning for asynchronous distance learning
Intelligent use and reuse of learning material by:
Using a combination of components approach with semantic networks
Serving learners with different learning material according to different:
Learning strategies (inductive, deductive, ..)
situation (individual, collaborative)
Learning device (PC, PDA, etc...)
Link quality (video, photo, text, ...)

7. A Strategy for Adaptable Lesson
Planning in ADL
Define an ontology for learning activities that students may be involved during the distance course. This ontology should take in account collaboration
Define a software environment (tools, programs) for the teacher and the students to support each one of these types of activities activity
Ontology of learning activities
Activity type 1
Activity type 2
Activity type 3
Activity type 4
Tool 1
Tool 2
Tool 3
Tool 4
Tool 5
Software tools set (parameter of the system)

8. Steps For Planning a Certain Lecture
Selecting and sequencing learning activities, in order to accomplish a learning goal
The type of activities is chosen from the ontology
For each activity, the lesson unit’s author should provide the material for the teacher and the students
Activity
of type 2
Material
Tool 2
Tool 3
Activity
of type 1
Material
Tool 1
Tool 2
Activity
of type 4
Material
Tool 3
Tool 4
Tool 5

9. Learning goals description language
Symbols
Means
The activities associated to reach the goal 1.1 (the most right node) should be finished, before the first activity associated with the goal 1.2 is started. The son nodes in this relationship can be objectives or activities.
There are not beginning and finishing restrictions among the activities associated with goals 1.1 and 1.2. The same as the relationship before presented; the son nodes can be objectives or activities.

10. Define Learning Goals Hierarchically
An example for a software engineering course

11. Associate with Activities
Define duration of every activity

12. The system builds the syllabus
According to the duration of each activity, their dependencies, and the starting date of the course, the system automatically builds an activity plan for the whole lesson
It provides a visual tool for re-defining duration and dependencies in order to fit it into the duration of the course
The system releases the material according to this schedule

13. Intelligent download of learning material
Parallel downloading of the material, in case of mirrors (servers or other students)
Intelligent tradeoff for selecting the file to be downloaded under QoS criteria
Based on user’s profile and history
(more on this at the end, if there is enough time)

14. The COLDEX Learning Network Architecture
Communities of learners
Servers are networked
Served by a “dedicated” Server

15. Distributed Collaborative Experiments
Based on “Authentic activities” learning theory
Children learn by imitating work of real scientist
Challenge-based learning
The system should
help them to overcome the difficulties, like computing complicated equations, for which they do not have the required knowledge
allow them to work collaboratively
receive the help of the experts

16. Monitoring earthquakes
6 schools have a seismograph
They can share their data with others
They also can have data from other “professional” seismographs

17. Propagation of the wave

18. Calculating the Epicenter

19. The tool (part of it)

20. The remote operated telescope
Goto 45 CM
Cassegrain
CAMERA
SBIG ST-8
CATS
Server
CCD
Client Cats
Server Web
Cliente browser 1 2 3

21. Our Proposal for Synchronous Face-to-face The Computer-integrated Classroom

22. Motivation: The Electronic Classroom
Lecturing Java networking
Pcs for students
Electronic board
2 Projections
Lan+internet
Standard software

23. Functionalities Teacher’s screen on all students’ PC
A student’s screen on all PCs
A student’s screen projected on the wall
A student’s pc on the board

24. Problems we found Distribution of documents inside the classroom
Sharing the content of the document (not only the view) efficiently
Storing back modified or new documents on the server
Keeping track of document versioning
Keeping track of the use of the documents

25. CiC Scenario The CiC idea and aims:
creation of a set of tools to support face-to-face teaching environments
automation of data workflow processes based on an ontology of actions for educational activities in (an outside) the classroom
monitoring and supporting community actions

26. System Architecture Remote interface used anywhere
Server interface and archive used
on separate workstation / hardware
for storing and handling data
logging session and user info
Teacher Interface used
on electronic board
for handling actions
controlling session
Remote interface used
anywhere
for transfering and editing
documents from the archive
Student interface used
on student workstations
for editing and sharing documents

27. Classroom Workflow Session Control (Teacher)
Start session
Join session
Document Archive / Manager (Server)
Join session
Join session
File Handling
(Students)

28. Classroom Workflow Session Control (Teacher)
retrieve / send
documents
retrieve / send /
couple
documents
Document Archive / Manager (Server)
retrieve / send /
couple
documents
retrieve / send /
couple
documents
File Handling
(Students)

29. Functionalities Distributing / collecting assignments
Distributing / collecting homework
Sharing selected documents with selected users
Coupling active document with all / selected
Discussing with logged users
Remote access to / mirroring document structure
Keeping track of users‘ actions during session
Creating and editing documents (FreeStyler / XML)
Searching documents

30. The Teacher’s Tool
The teacher’s tool while distributing a workseet

31. Using e-boards in the CiC
Advantages
Showing MM learning material
The eye contact with the audience is maintained during presentation
Gestures can be used to bring attention to important parts
Disadvantages
Static presentation (lack of flexibility)
Changes of context, typing, searching for files interrupt the normal flow of the class

32. Proposal 1: FreeStyler Java

33. Proposal 1: Description and Scope
The system avoids the Context Changes.
Integrates explanations and examples.
Integrates different tasks under one framework.
Integrates Presentation and Edition at the same time.
Creation, modification and reuse of material.

34. Prop. Customizable Interfaces
public class Calc {
static main(String …

35. Proposal 3: Gesture Based Hand Writing Instructions
Hierarchical
Structuring of the learning material (automatically)
Based only
on Gestures

36. Conclusions and Solutions
Standard software is not developed for this situation
New interfaces are needed
Integration of activities in a single window (compiling, editing, running, explaining)
Interaction based on gestures and direct manipulation
Flexibility to change, create new, save , load learning material

37. Supporting Lesson Planning and Presentation
Why lesson planning ?
Avoid excessive work: searching files and programs, typing long commands, managing windows on the e-board screen, etc. Especially disturbing when using different kind of material in one session
Interference with idea the teacher is trying to present
The focus of attention & students disorientation problem
Information overload

38. Requirements to Lesson Planning
The right material (programs, tools, files with learning material) should be retrievable by direct manipulation at the right time
Context changes must be fast to do
Plan should be flexible enough to adapt to students‘ needs and characteristics and to the teacher’s style of teaching
Support group activities: planning the distribution of additional material, exercises, discussion, receiving material from the students, etc..

39. The COSOFT Environment
An earlier version included a framework for planning and flexible “presenting” (playing) a learning unit
Based on a semantic graph (like the others)
Graph structure key for achieve flexibility
First lesson planner based on Dolphin

40. Semantic graph for lesson
Didactic Networks(1)
Semantic graph for lesson
node = represents a learning activity,has reference to learning material + metadata
Nodes Metadata = author, cration date, keywords, version ... & activity type etc...
Edges Metadat = author, nodes that it relates, comments etc...
edge = rethorical relation between nodes + metadata

41. Didactic Networks(2)
The rethorical nature of the edges semantic enables to introduce the notion of didactic strategy in the lesson graph.
Strategy can be changed or adapted during the lecture
Introduction to the rethoric type of the edges
Notion of didactic strategy

42. Reuse and Collaboration Support
Authoring
Packing & labelling parts of the lesson with metadata (from a node to the entire unit) to facilitate reuse by cut-and-paste.
Graph structure also facilitates this process
Co-authoring in sych/asynch modes
public & private content
Versioning support
Anotation
Awareness (who made what)
Lecture
same lessoon graph can be used in different situations
Dynamical adaptation for face-to-face teaching learning situation
Reacting to students’ quetions, doubts, etc.
Framework allows seamless sharing, distribution, collection of material
new material can be added to the lesson graph as public or private

43. Lesson Mapper Navigating through the lesson map
Navigation through the lesson map
Click on the first node = opening of the referenced presentation on another screen

44. Lesson graph vizualization
Lesson Mapper (2)
Lesson graph vizualization
Lesson map visualization
Didactic strategy selection
Animation = first info visualisation , notion of legend
Then didactic strategy selection : definition of edges weight + new map apparency

45. Conclusions
Which is the best way to support Teaching/Learning with computers technology ?
The one that fits better to solve the particular teaching/learning situation
Maybe a combination of all ?