Ana Loureiro
Ana Loureiro is an Assistant Professor at Department of Educative Technologies, School of Education, Polytechnic Institute of Santarém (Portugal). She is also a Research Fellow at Research Centre Didactics and Technology in Teacher Education (CIDTFF), University of Aveiro (Portugal); and a Member of the Investigation Unit of the Polytechnic Institute of Santarém (UIPS). Her main research fields are connected with e-learning and Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL), more specifically with the use of 3D virtual immersive worlds and web 2.0 tools for collaborative, cooperative and social learning (with an impact in life-long learning process). She has several publications related with her main research areas. She is a Doctoral Candidate (D.Ed.) at University of Aveiro. She holds a Master in Multimedia in Education, a Post-Graduation in Information Management and a Degree in New Technologies of Communication (also from University of Aveiro). She is been teaching since 1999 in areas like ICT, Educative Technologies, Multimedia.
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This research was conducted in immersive 3D virtual environment Second Life®, with the support of Web 2.0 tools to support the physical classroom - in a logic of extended classroom. It was based on the assumption that socialization is a key factor for collaborative learning and knowledge construction. The study aims to identify the variables that may influence knowledge sharing in virtual learning environments, with the aim of contributing to the improvement of learning situations using online tools. This research is exploratory in nature and falls within the field of phenomenological studies. This study was implemented in two phases, with four classes of higher education, two daytime classes and two classes of night courses. All following the same syllabus and the same course. We conclude that students in virtual spaces tend to feel more confident, open, participatory, creative, understanding and seem to participate in online training sessions because they are indeed interested in learning. Moreover, the possibility of providing online tutorial session allows to reach a larger number of students. These online sessions can be established in a time and place (virtual) free of restrictions and can be adjusted, allowing a more effective participation by students. Thus, based on observations taken from the study implemented, can also be noted that the contrasts in behavior observed among students in daytime and nighttime regime, regarding the engagement with online tools, seem to be based on the level maturity, the level of independence as students and intrinsic motivation.
However, before we can apply and suggest best practices we need to get to know the virtual environments we intend to use (2D and 3D). We must characterize and understand how interactions and relationships are established, in particularly, between the users of this Multi-User Virtual Environment. We have made preliminary observations of residents’ behaviour at Second Life®, including some informal or natural learning contexts. Our analysis of those observations led strongly to theory of Connectivism approach, which is defined as a learning theory for the digital age.
This paper will present the outlined research and a literature review about the Connectivism theory and its application to the virtual environments.
Keywords - Connectivism, connective knowledge, e-learning 2.0, learning contexts, virtual environments, web 2.0.
Papers by Ana Loureiro
This research was conducted in immersive 3D virtual environment Second Life®, with the support of Web 2.0 tools to support the physical classroom - in a logic of extended classroom. It was based on the assumption that socialization is a key factor for collaborative learning and knowledge construction. The study aims to identify the variables that may influence knowledge sharing in virtual learning environments, with the aim of contributing to the improvement of learning situations using online tools. This research is exploratory in nature and falls within the field of phenomenological studies. This study was implemented in two phases, with four classes of higher education, two daytime classes and two classes of night courses. All following the same syllabus and the same course. We conclude that students in virtual spaces tend to feel more confident, open, participatory, creative, understanding and seem to participate in online training sessions because they are indeed interested in learning. Moreover, the possibility of providing online tutorial session allows to reach a larger number of students. These online sessions can be established in a time and place (virtual) free of restrictions and can be adjusted, allowing a more effective participation by students. Thus, based on observations taken from the study implemented, can also be noted that the contrasts in behavior observed among students in daytime and nighttime regime, regarding the engagement with online tools, seem to be based on the level maturity, the level of independence as students and intrinsic motivation.
However, before we can apply and suggest best practices we need to get to know the virtual environments we intend to use (2D and 3D). We must characterize and understand how interactions and relationships are established, in particularly, between the users of this Multi-User Virtual Environment. We have made preliminary observations of residents’ behaviour at Second Life®, including some informal or natural learning contexts. Our analysis of those observations led strongly to theory of Connectivism approach, which is defined as a learning theory for the digital age.
This paper will present the outlined research and a literature review about the Connectivism theory and its application to the virtual environments.
Keywords - Connectivism, connective knowledge, e-learning 2.0, learning contexts, virtual environments, web 2.0.
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It is though important to know which tools you will choose for each purpose, in which way and to what extend, in order to achieve successfully your goals. In fact, there is no single ’right way’ for researchers to use Web 2.0 tools in order to improve the way they work. How you use them will depend on you, your discipline, those around you and the research you are doing. There are though some important and useful “key-actions” that could support this process.
Objectives of the workshop:
The general goals of the proposed workshop is to provide the participants with practical guidelines and alternative perspectives on searching and selecting useful info for their research as well as presenting and sharing their research results. After the workshop, the participants should be able to consider various types of sharing and presenting their research and improve their skills in using them.
More specifically, this workshop aims to:
1. introduce the idea (and its importance) of scientific publishing and sharing research results;
2. give useful advice on how to build a dissemination web strategy;
3. introduce useful social media tools for researchers;
4. give ideas on how to build up a network and how to curate and filter useful networks;
5. show how to manage information overload;
6. give practical tips on creating links between SNSs;
7. show how researchers can measure the impact of their digital footprint and choose the appropriate Web analytics tools
8. show how to maximize the traffic of a site or a blog and create viral effects;
9. give practical tips on how to prepare and where to publish research results.
Brief description: audience & format
The workshop is targeted for students interested in getting to learn about the basic principles of sharing research and the strategies and tools for that. Several ways of sharing and presenting research will be presented to illustrate the basic principles and the variety of the forms. Then, the strategies for using social media and content curation for enhancing research will be presented. The workshop will also include several practical activities.
The workshop will include four major parts (90 min):
a) Brief discussion facilitated by a list of guiding questions (1st part): The organizers will first explain the main reasons of sharing research and the importance of building a dissemination strategy. Then they will propose a list of useful ways/tools that participants could use to disseminate their research and curate the content (20 min).
b) Brief discussion facilitated by a list of guiding questions (2nd part): The organizers will continue with the second round of the discussion. Participants will be invited to discuss about methodologies and tools that can help them prepare and publish (how/where) their research results (20 min).
c) Choose between 2 activities:
-Hands on session (1): Participants will work in groups of four or five. Each group will have the task to design a web strategy guide that could help researchers disseminate their research in the most efficient and creative way (50min: 30 min activity & 20 min group presentations).
-Hands on session (2): The attendees will work again in groups of four or five. They will be invited to explore the tools and find ways to use them in order to prepare and publish their research presentations (50 min: 30 min activity & 20 min group presentations).
Tutors:
Maria Perifanou, Mikhail Fominykh and Ana Loureiro