A basic framework for integrating social and collaborative applications

into learning environments

Ayman Moghnieh and Josep Blat

Universitat Pompeu Fabra, GTI GroupFundació Barcelona Media

4-year EU-funded project that will develop an infrastructure for lifelong competence development.

- User-centered design of learning platforms

- Integrating web2.0 applications

- Connecting learners with social networks and multimedia repositories

Objectives of interest

Domain of work and studies

• 3-year participatory ethnography, studying design and development of applications for LLL

• Studied scenarios:– TENCompetence learning environment (PCM)

– TC Digital Cinema pilot (Web2.0 mashup)

– Knowledge Resource System Management (KRSM)

• Focus:– Definition of learner requirements

– Drafting of design specifications

– Correlating with existing multimedia and social applications (web2.0)

A. Moghnieh et. al. Supporting Distance Learning Activities and Social Interaction: a Case Study. ICALT 2008

M. Perez et. al. A context-based methodology for the integration of Web 2.0 Services in Learning Scenarios. ETAL 2008

A. Moghnieh et. al. Parameterized User-Centered Design for Interacting with Multimedia Repositories. MMEDIA 2009

Observations & findings

Main Observations:- Learners are from Mars, Designers are from Venus (absent learner model, designers often act as the learners’ surrogates)- Difficulties in following User-centered methods in Elearning (user-centered is NOT usability inspections)- The system’s conceptual design often reflects its architecture (subject to technical constraints)

Main findings:- Very limited use of user-centered design- Difficulties in integrating web2.0 applications adequately- Limited understanding of the applications’ compatibility

Basic framework for integrating web2.0 applications

• Capturing learners' requirements with parameterized methods

• Modelling technique for a learner-centered conceptual model

• Ordering and selecting proper web2.0 applications

• Evaluating the integration of web2.0 applications in a given scenario

Battery of Web2.0 Services

primitive activities

Use cases and scenarios

User Needsscenario activities

mapping

Contextsgeneric activities

correspondance

System Model

Service selection

Selected services

datatypes

Capturing design requirements

- Four parameters: duration (D) centricity (C) recall (R) and precision (P)- Definition of formal use cases and use case analysis- Three inquisitive techniques: discussions, semi-structured interviews, and contextual inquiries

Datatypes definitions

RPCD values

User action sequences{

Analysis of parameterized requirements

ValueParameter 0 1 2 3

PrecisionSeveral unrelated collections

Several loosely related collections

Single specific collection

Single specific item

Recall Number of results ≤ 5

5 < Number of results ≤ 20

20 < Number of results ≤ 120

120 < Number of results

DurationInstantaneous (minutes, 1-3 query cycles)

Short-lived (< 1h, single task)

Long-lived (< 1 day, single objective)

Incessant, continuous

CentricityAccess not related to objectives

Access loosely related to objectives

Access highly related to objectives

Access is the objectives

A. Moghnieh et. al. Parameterized User-Centered Design for Interacting with Multimedia Repositories. MMEDIA 2009

Context-based modelling of a learning environment.

(a) Root. (b) Peripheral Interaction. (c) Learning (d) Browsing and Search

Definition of Context:- clusters use cases with similar (RPCD) - describes a single conceptual component- encapsulates objects and related actions

Selection mechanism and evaluation

Selection Mechanism:(several similar applications compete to support one context) Filter:

- Web2.0 applications that support or interoperable with the system‘s objects - Whose functionalities do not conflict with those available in other contexts Order: - By the number of learner activities they cover in the interaction context

Evaluation procedures:(framework supports pre-development and post-development)

Pre-development: - Early heuristic evaluation - Usability inspections

Post-development: - General design recommendations - Logging and inquiries (mixed quantitative/qualitative)

Example: The KRSM’s conceptual design

Pedagogical needs

Knowledge mining

Knowledge transfer

Knowledge personalization

Pedagogical needs

Knowledge mining

Knowledge transfer

Knowledge personalization

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Primitive Activities

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Primitive Activities

KNOWLEDGE

MINING KNOWLEDGE

TRANSFER KNOWLEDGE

PERSONALIZATION Services

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GroupMe X X X Flickr X X X X X

Delicious X X X X X X Drupal X X X X X X X

Youtube X X X X X X

M. Perez et. al. A context-based methodology for the integration of Web 2.0 Services in Learning Scenarios. ETAL 2008

Conclusions

Integration of web2.0 applications can follow user-centered design methods

A successful integration rests on a good mapping of learner needs

Framework supports the user-centered design of applications other than learning

(RPCD) used are related to general design aspects of HCI

Thank you!Questions? Comments?

ayman.moghnie@upf.edu