1. Task-oriented approach to information handling support within web-based education Lora M. Aroyo 15 November 2001

2. The “WWW invasion” in education Growing amount of information Lack of adequate support Missing link between the students and instructors Finding and validating relevant educational information

3. Looking for a solution methods to support both students and instructors information handling tasks: searching for relevant information on a certain topics applying information for course tasks visualization, organizing, structuring and maintaining validating information

4. Aims of the research investigate the problems related to user-oriented and context-based information handling within Web-based education propose an approach for efficiently managing course-related information resources increasing personal satisfaction and performance of students and instructors in their course-related tasks

5. Support areas for information handling within web-based education Mapping tools KBS IRS Visualisation tools

6. Support areas for information handling within web-based education

7. From the aims to AIMS AIMS – Agent-based Information Management System AIMS method – indirectly guiding and assisting both students and instructors in performing their course related activities AIMS tool – facilitating students and instructors with techniques to apply AIMS method and this way to achieve higher course performance

8. AIMS Metaphor

9. Proposed approach interactive user-oriented system task-based search conceptual visualisation flexible agent-based architecture Software Agents Information Visualization Mapping Approaches Information Retrieval Constructivist Theory Information Processing Theory Experiential Learning Lateral Thinking Informational Education Support

10. Proposed approach (2) A three dimensional scheme is constructed in order to link all the aspects of the proposed solution for information handling support within the context of web-based education - ATP Model (Approach- Technology-Process): Visualisation techniques Semantic information modelling Intelligent support for cognitive processes

11. AIMS problem domain

12. AIMS Global Information Model

13. Domain model - defines the subject-domain ontology by means of a concept map (CM) of domain concepts with links between them –domain concepts - linked to documents with weight indicating the relevance –domain concept - component of the user model as an overlay on the domain CM Library model - provides means for maintaining a collection of information items related to different courses and domains - course materials and domain-related documents together with their characteristics –library documents - domain terms, course tasks and topics –document - component of the user model as an overlay on the library documents Course model - defines the structure of a course: course topics and tasks –task is represented in terms of domain concepts: includes task description, prerequisites, and task status Learner model - represented in terms of course tasks, domain concepts, and library documents: an overlay on the subject domain CM and course and library models; open model, built jointly by the user and the system

14. AIMS agent hierarchy

15. AIMS distributed architecture

16. Client-Server view on AIMS communication stack

17. AIMS student environment

18. AIMS instructor domain environment

19. AIMS instructor library environment

20. AIMS instructor course environment

21. AIMS admin environment

22. AIMS Experiments Preliminary studies - visualisation Concept mapping study Pilot user interface and main functionality experiments Main experiment – learning outcomes, user interface and functionality