Adaptation of e-Learning Environments: Determining National Differences through Context Metadata

J. M. Pawlowski, T. Richter: Context & Culture Metadata

Adaptation of e-Learning Environments: Determining National Differences through Context Metadata

KCTOS, Vienna, December 2007

Authors: Thomas Richter

Korean German Institute of Technology, Korea University of Duisburg Essen, Germany

Jan M. Pawlowski University of Jyväskylä, Finland


The Basic Idea:

Reuse existing Contents:

Context B

Rewrite Contents For Single

National Contexts

Context A

Learning Objects as v Full Courses

v Course Modules v Pictures

v Multi Media Files v etc.

‚Classical‘ Content Development in

A National Distribution Situation

Future Approach For Content

Development in an Intercultural

Distribution Situation


The Context of e-Learning (1): National and Intercultural Context Provide Different Problems

National Context

v  Known technological standard v  Common learning strategies v  Common sensibilities (pol, rel) v  Single law (e.g. curricula) v  Similar learning preferences v  Similar educational basis v  Same historical experiences v  Common social behavior v  Similar picture of the world

Intercultural Context

v  may differ v  may differ v  may be opposite v  different laws v  may strongly differ v  may strongly differ v  may be opposite v  may strongly differ v  may strongly differ

Adaptation of contents is needed!


Adaptation: a process of high complexity Complicated processes take time, cost money and include a high failure risk

Questions: What information is needed?

What has to be changed? How to change?

The Context of e-Learning (2): Differences Between Contexts Force Adaptation

How to describe the context?!



The Context of e-Learning (3)

Influence-Blocks: Describing Influence Factors by Context-Metadata

Culture

Companies

Rules, standards & agreements

Financial aspects Media richness

Internet security

Demographic development

Religion

Geography & education

infrastructure

Technical infrastructure

Rights

History

Politics

State of development

Human actors

Learner satisfaction

e-Learningenvironment

country / region

company

learner

author

Influences through culturerelated assisting style

Influences through different world-view

Influences through implying content related learning needs

Influences authorbuilding up

his world viewtutor


GID Id.-Nr. MD-Name Germany Republic of Korea 1 CM10001 Teacher‘s Role assistant on the way to know-

ledge person of respect, authority

2 CM1002 Value of Errors chance to learn failure

3 CM10003 Context Type of Soci-ety

low context high context

160 CM10040 Life-Style individual oriented group oriented

15 CM10015 Cultural Variable, Language

various dialects, high german cultural elements in understan-

ding

various dialects, korean cultural elements in understanding

45 DDM20005 Education Achieve- ment

regionally balanced, primary school (4yrs), mid. school (6yrs), high school (3yrs), free of charge, balanced between women and men; university 1st education free; duty middle school

concentrated on towns, prima-ry school (6yrs) and middle

school (3yrs) free of charge, high school (3yrs) and universi-

ty must fully be paid; duty middle school

65 TIM40010 Implemented Mobile Standard

high-speed mobile technology is only available in urban regions – about 30% of population

high-speed mobile technology seemless available for about

70% of population (urban) 129 HAM10039 Self Set Educational

Goals knowledge and interest carrier and social position

135 HAM11045 Way How to Give Feedback

direct feedback incl. critics direct critics can cause face loss

Context Metadata (1)

Context Metadata represent influence factors through attributes


Context Metadata (2) Durability and Dependencies of Influence Factors

The influence factor’s impacts depend on: v Intensity of the attribute’s characteristics

v Course subject

v Attribute characteristics of other influence factors

v Type of context

The Context’s characteristic: v  Not permanent – changes are expectable

v  Context elements don‘t react simultaneously


Context Metadata (3) Dependencies between influence factors


Context Metadata (4) Dependencies between influence factors

course- module Cx(A)

attached Referen- Ces to the database

attached personal metadata reg. to

the autor

e-Learning context metadata database

data collecion function

automatic comparison

manual comparison list of

differences Cx(A), Cx(B)

valida- tion process

1

4

3

2

5 6 7

9

8

10b

10a

11


Collecting special data: v  Special needs must be announced

v  Data provided by those in special needs v  Support (e.g. best practices) for those in special needs (knowledge) v  Specific data regard. to Author’s and SME’s supported by themselves

Collecting general data: v  As far as possible: automated gathering (e.g. CIA World Book)

v  help through: Embassies, universities, other research institutions (a Wiki-like collecting system is faced)

Context Metadata (5)

Data storage: v  Providing of a general database concept

v  Providing of necessary storage and service applications v  Providing of necessary transmission rates for data

v  Providing strategies to divide the data


Research Results 2007

v Metadata:

v Isolated around 160 different influence factors

v Classified them in 16 classes

v Defined those as context metadata based on

DIN PAS 1032-2

v Developed strategies and procedure models:

v  Automated gathering (basic data),

v  Storage and collection of data

v  A partly automated comparison process


v  Additional developed v  A test method to determine the attribute‘s character-

istics and the adaptation success (exploration phase 2008)

v A survey for v  determining attribute values of user related

context data v  finding new influence factors v  ensuring cultural characteristic (first bicultural

test implementation in Dec 2007-Jan. 2008) of assumed influence factors

v  verifying if learners in professional trainings behave similar and have similar expectations like university students

Research Results 2007


Any Questions?

Thank you for your attendance!

Contact: Thomas Richter

[email protected] KGIT e-Learning Research Center, South Korea