Floss in technology enhanced learning

FLOSS in Technology-‐Enhanced Learning

Sara Fernandes, Antonio Cerone, Luis Barbosa, Pantelis Papadopoulos

United Nations University - International Institute for Software Technology

Aim & Overview

Aim

Provide an assessment framework for analyzing Learning Management System (LMS) tools

Assist teachers and Higher EducaJon InsJtuJon decision makers in the selecJon of the suitable LMS tool

Overview

Background Methodology

SelecJon Assessment Criteria

Results and Analysis Conclusions


Background

Online educaJon

Natural transiJon of the InformaJon Society and Knowledge Economy Perceived as an innovaJon that has considerable potenJal for technology enhancing teaching and learning Promote lifelong learning Reach out to non-‐tradiJonal learners

InternaJonal crisis

Funding cuts on educaJon Need to reduce costs Maintain educaJonal quality Impact of Internet on InsJtuJons

Introduce new approaches into education that will enable governments to continue promoting high-level education


Background

FLOSS – Free/Libre Open Source SoRware

Result of a development process that respects freedom

Takes place within communiJes

InternaJonal crisis and FLOSS

Funding cuts on educaJon Need to reduce costs Maintain educaJonal quality Impact of Internet on InsJtuJons

Applying FLOSS paradigm to education may be and advantage to explore

Allows insJtuJons to be more independent (pricing and licenses policies of soRware companies)

Empowers users with independency to run, copy, distribute study, change, and improve it according to their needs


Background – some terminology

The use of ICT in educational context often requires the use of proper terminology.

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

SoRware systems design to support student learning.

Contain a number of presentaJon, assessment, communicaJon and management tools

E-‐Learning

The use of ICT to assist teaching and learning process.

Technology-‐Enhanced Learning (TEL)

Online facility (or system) that directly supports learning and teaching ( e.g. insJtuJonal intranet, VLE etc)


Background (some terminology cont.)

Technology-‐Enhanced Learning Environment (TELE)

Learning environment that uses technology to enhance and enrich the learning process.

Computer-‐supported collaboraJve learning (CSCL)

Pedagogical approach where learning takes place via social interacJon using computer or through internet.

Learning characterized by sharing and construcJon of knowledge among parJcipants using technology (mean of communicaJon or common resource)

InstrucJon Methods

Used in teaching (Explaining, DemonstraJng, CollaboraJng and Learning by teaching )

CollaboraJve learning (CL)

PromoJon of collaboraJon between students

CollaboraJon between students and teachers


e-‐Learning 2.0

Social learning

PerspecJve that states that people learn within a social context and it is facilitated by concepts such as modeling and observaJonal learning

E-‐Learning was based on InstrucJonal Packets

Student perspecJve -‐ Delivered to the student using assignments

Teacher perspecJve – Evaluate the assignments

e -‐ Learning 2-‐0

Leads to the concept of social learning through the use of social soRware tools such as: blogs, wikis, forums, and chats, promoJng learning at a wider scale than individuals or learning groups, up to a societal scale, through social interacJon between peers.


Method

SelecJon of cases

Source Forge Keyword “LMS” Weekly downloads URLSPY

Assessment Criteria

FuncJonal CommunicaJon Features Assistance Features

Impact Languages Total Number of countries where is used

Development of an assessment framework


SelecJon

Source Forge

Search of EducaJonal Projects in Source Forge (>100)

Keyword “LMS”

30 projects

Downloads

11 projects (Moodle, Dokeos, Claroline, Atutor, Sakai, ILIAS, OpenElms, Eclass.Net, e-‐Learning ApplicaJons Suite, Docebo reborn, BrilhaspaJ)


SelecJon

URL SPY

Database containing informaJon on hundreds of websites

World Wide Rank

Total Number of years that the tools as been available

External Links – number of websites that refers the project website

Number of pages – visited by users within the tool website

EsJmated Daily Users – esJmated number of users of the website tool


SelecJon


Assessment Criteria

FuncJonality – correspond to features of the soRware

CommunicaJon features

Assistance features

Impact – correspond to the impact of each tool worldwide

SelecJon (previous slides)

Number of countries

Number of Languages


Assessment Criteria -‐ FuncJonality

Forum – students can submit post in a discussion forum

Forum Management – teachers can create discussion forums, moderate discussions, etc

File Exchange – Files upload and download by teachers or students

Email – email an entire class by using a single email alias

Online Journal / Notes – enables students to create journal entries

Whiteboard – tool used by teachers and students in synchronous mode (virtual classroom)


Assessment Criteria -‐ Assistance

Bookmarks – helps organize content

Calendar – Student and Teachers to create events in the online course calendar and supports announcements

Content Search – Allows the users to search for content

Orientation – Online help for users

Group Work – create groups for discussions, assignments, etc.

Community network – students can create online clubs, interest groups, etc at a system level.

Portfolios – Allow students to collect their work.


Assessment Criteria -‐ Impact

Impact of each project by: 1. Analyzing data from the pre-selection table 2. Number of languages 3. Total number of countries

Relevant for the analysis of the concept of Learning 2.0 and the concept of social learning, since with these parameters we can determine the range of a certain tool.


Assessment Framework


Analysis and Results (2)

LSM tool analysis according to the communication features



LSM tool analysis according to the assistance features



Impact Criteria data


Findings

Exception of Open Elms and ECLass.Net the tools fulfill all requirements for communication tools

Assess different Instructional Methods: Explanation and Demonstration methods are available in almost all LMS through whiteboard Collaborative model is available in Forum

Explaining and Demonstration methods are almost present in all almost all LMS through Group Work and Orientation Collaborative method is present, for example, Group Work Learning by teaching, where students assume the role of teachers, can be found on Community Networks


Conclusions

Choice and usage of LMS according to social and economic viewpoints

Moodle more used

FLOSS tools are not 100% free

Despite similarities, the appropriateness of different FLOSS LMSs can be greatly affected by specific needs of:

• Students

• Teachers

• Institutions


FUTURE WORK

We intend to pursue the analysis of the 8 selected tools, through a usability point of view;

Conduct further analysis from an educational point of view concerning the support of instructional methods, such as individual and collaborative learning using survey techniques.


Thank you!

“The fact is that given the challenges we face, education doesn't need to be reformed -- it needs to be transformed. The key to this transformation is not to standardize education, but to personalize it, to build achievement on discovering the individual talents of each child, to put students in an environment where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions.”

― Ken Robinson, The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything

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Floss in technology enhanced learning