1. eLearning Tools for PLAR Uri Shafrir Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto Masha Etkind Ryerson University

2. Demonstration of prior learning through portfolios and challenge exams Recognition of prior learning accepted by academic institutions and employers PLAR: Goals

3. Encourage learners to demonstrate prior learning by focusing on meaning Create an authentic record of direct interaction with conceptual content eLearning Tools: Goals

4. 1Interactive Concept Discovery Learning 2Meaning Equivalence Reusable Learning Objects (MERLO) eLearning Tools for PLAR

5. Interactive Concept Discovery Learning Explore alternative representations of important concepts through semantic searches of digital text-bases (e.g., digital libraries; company archives; World Wide Web)

6. Novel semantic search technology enable demonstration of prior learning by: 1.Showing different representations of important concepts within particular contexts 2.Mapping their building blocks 3.Mapping their lateral and hierarchical links to other concepts

7. Process/Outcomes Process By recursively accessing different sources of information on a particular concept, learners demonstrate familiarity with: Alternative representations of the concept that share equivalence of meaning Building blocks of the concept: consistently co-occurring subordinate concepts

8. Process/Outcomes Outcomes Interactive Concept Discovery Learning creates an authentic record of: Concept mapping that reveals lateral and hierarchical links between concepts and their building blocks Learning at the conceptual level

9. 1Interactive Concept Discovery Learning 2Meaning Equivalence Reusable Learning Objects (MERLO) eLearning Tools: Pragmatics

10. Meaning Equivalence Reusable Learning Object MERLO are knowledge databases that encode conceptual content, in any discipline, in multiple representations that include text; mathematical equations; images; etc.

11. MERLO encode conceptual content in nodes of item families that include multiple representations of: Target statements that focus on particular features of a concept Additional statements, sorted by isurface similarity to the target iimeaning equivalence with the target

12. TARGET STATEMENT Surface similarity [SS] YesNo Meaning equivalence [ME] Yes No SSYes MEYes SSNo MEYes SSYes MENo SSNo MENo

13. Process/Outcomes Process MERLO-based challenge exams provide learners with opportunities to produce and evaluate multiple representations of concepts Clear conceptual framework that encourage learners to focus on meaning

14. Process/Outcomes Outcomes Scoring algorithms accurately map ‘soft conceptual spots’ and partial knowledge Frequent and accurate feedback encourage detailed analysis of concepts and their building blocks Enhanced learning outcomes

15. eLearning Tools: Evaluative Implementations K-12: High school of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg Post-secondary: University of Toronto; Ryerson University; George Brown College Workplace/adult: Material and Manufacturing Ontario Center of Excellence

16. eLearning Tools : Evaluative Implementations MathematicsArchitecture PhysicsESL BiologyBusiness Teacher Education

17. eLearning Tools for PLAR Create authentic record of mastery of knowledge Can be used in ePortfolios and in challenge exams Identical to eLearning tools being used in colleges, universities, and workplace learning

18. eLearning tools are part of Canada Knowledge Network (now under construction) Contact: ushafrir@oise.utoronto.caushafrir@oise.utoronto.ca