Architectures for computer supported collaborative learning

International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Lifelong Learning, 2002

To adapt information effectively to instructional contexts, we need active learning environments that reason about the domain, users mental state and information needs, the general context of information use, as well as about strategies and methods for designing effective information presentations using multiple media. The paper proposes a generic multi-agent architecture for cooperative multimedia pedagogues: Intelligent learning environments that help users to achieve their information needs. The aim is to support natural communication and effective collaboration between people and systems. Natural communication requires the integration of different modalities for information presentation and their effective use for achieving tutorial goals in various instructional contexts. Effective collaboration requires systems to work jointly with users towards achieving their information needs. Agents that comprise the proposed architecture collaborate with users towards completing a partial shared plan for achieving users information needs, as well as among themselves, towards completing a partial shared information presentation plan for achieving tutorial goals.

… , and future trends: sixteen essays in …, 2006

This paper deals with computer support for collaborative learning environments. Our analysis is based on a moderate constructivist view on learning, which emphasizes the need to support learners instructionally in their collaborative knowledge construction. We will first illustrate the extent to which the computer can provide tools for supporting collaborative knowledge construction. Secondly, we will focus on instruction itself and show the kinds of advanced instructional methods that computer tools may provide for the learners. Furthermore, we will discuss the learners' prerequisites and how they must be considered when constructing learning environments.

In this paper, we focus on expanding and optimizing learning opportunities by means of effective collaboration for a complex learning task: system dynamics modelling. Specifically, we present an approach to initiate educational dating and facilitate just-in-time collaboration by suggesting peer-to-peer interaction when it is needed, taking into account learners observed actions and models created.

2003

ABSTRACT ModellingSpace is an open learning environment, particularly suitable for science education, which permits building of models by collaborating partners in various educational settings. This paper describes the main features of the ModellingSpace environment and in particular issues related with coordination and communication during problem solving. A number of evaluation studies of ModellingSpace, which have been recently contacted are also reported here.

2007

This paper introduces a modeling language to support the computational modeling of collaborative learning educational units. The languages supporting the computational modeling educational units are named as Educational Modeling Languages (EMLs). EMLs have been proposed to facilitate the development of complex and large e-learning applications. The introduced language is proposed as an EML specially oriented towards collaborative learning. A main goal is to enable the modeling of the variety of ways in which human interaction can be supported (e.g. well-structured and ill-structured, synchronous and asynchronous, strictcoordination and free-collaboration). To do it, a separation of concerns approach is followed. The proposal, named as Perspective-oriented EML (PoEML), involves several parts (named as perspectives) where all the modeling issues are arranged and separated. The paper introduces the ideas and constructs of the main PoEML perspectives towards the modeling of the variety ...

1994

Most chapters of this book investigate how the collaboration between human learners may be supported or modelled by a computer. Our approach is quite different. We envisage here the collaboration between a human learner and an artificial learner, simulated by the computer: the student and the computer learn together by using the same micro-world. We will refer to the computerized learner as the" colearner". The main structure of such a system is shown in figure 1.

2012

One of the objectives of online learning systems is to support new learners in order to minimise failure problems and to increase training success. The availability of assistance and guidance can improve cognitive and behavioural levels of learners. This task is dedicated to a human actor, who is "the tutor". In existing tutoring systems, learner is assigned to one and only one human tutor. The latter can found some problems when the type of required assistance of his learner doesn"t belong to his skills. In addition, the absence of the tutor during a long time for technical or professional reasons is another problem. To overcome these limitations, we study the collaboration among tutors to carry out the task of learner"s monitoring that will enable tutors to meet all the needs of learners seeking assistance. In this case, we face a new research field, which is "CSCTT: Computer-Supported Collaborative TuToring". In CSCTT, tutors are organized into small groups randomly or according to their skills. They work together using communication tools to monitor and guide their learners. In this article, we present basic principles of a new research field (i.e. CSCTT), which supports collaboration among human tutors. We also offer collaboration model among tutors and a general architecture of a CSCTT system.

2009

In complex fields of knowledge, working in unmoderated small groups is a common approach for creating knowledge out of given information. Taking a look at the portfolio of learning environments, only a few systems provide the necessary functionality for synchronous collaboration. In most of them, synchronicity is reduced to communication. The aim of this work is the design of a synchronous collaboration environment which fulfills the requirements to enable members of a small group working together efficiently via computer networks. Based on the three elements communication, cooperation and coordination, a concept for an appropriate groupware is created and a flexible model defined. A sample environment called "SLE" is developed to demonstrate the applicability.

Education and Information Technologies, 2006

For several years we have been engaged in the development and research of software environments for collaborative learning, for example in the recently completed CoLabs project (which we presented at the IFIP TC3 WG3.5 working conference in Budapest in 2004, see also http://matchsz.inf.elte.hu/Colabs/), also within lately defended long-range doctoral research, in which the co-author of this paper together with his undergraduate students had developed and evaluated cooperative computer activities for children aged 10 to 18. They observed children when using those environments and studied the influence of different approaches and solutions on the degree of their involvement and will to cooperate. We have also been involved in the London Knowledge Lab pilot project for developing a collaborative layered learning space travel games construction kit. Our department's prior engagement in the development of collaborative activities also includes publishing a popular on-line journal (developed by A. Hrusecka and D. Lehotska, this online journal (in Slovak) can proudly boast up to 250,000 visits per month) for children, which intensively exploits on-line collaboration. This topic attracts us not only as a support for the learning process, but is a challenge for us as developers of educational programming tools as well. In our SuperLogo and Imagine environments we have always tried to provide users (ranging from children to developers) with new and powerful options to foster learning by exploring and developing. Thus we have equipped Imagine with the means for building objects and their behaviours in incremental loops, with parallel independent processes, event-driven programming and complex yet intuitive support for developing online environments for collaborative learning. In this paper we place our collaborative applications in the context of other related interfaces reported in literature. We use eight criteria to classify them and conclude that collaborative applications being developed by us and our students-future teachers-are distinguishable from others along two or three of 1. Better understand potential the interfaces for on-line collaboration offer to support the learning process, 2. Place our Imagine Logo microworlds into context of other related applications, 3. Build a detailed map of all aspects important for their development (i.e., build a framework for the development), 4. Present the observations from our long-range experimental development and evaluation of the collaborative environments, 5. Point out how simple and natural it is (in the academic surroundings) to develop small and yet powerful collaborative microworlds-built for instance for immediate need in a classroom-with exceptional potential for interaction and openness.

Proceedings of the 2005 conference on Computer support for collaborative learning learning 2005: the next 10 years! - CSCL '05, 2005

The research community, in order to support learning as well as collaboration, has designed systems, which, distinctive from common web-based ones (simply enabling collaborative activities), constitute new cognitive and meta-cognitive tools. The paper proceeds with a categorization of the main tools and functions that characterise collaborative learning systems (designed for primary/ secondary/ higher/ education) in order to discuss the current tradeoffs. It proposes a design framework for collaborative learning systems that are addressed to primary & secondary education. This framework is derived from considerations of cognitive psychology, science education, and CSCL community research results. The paper concludes by presenting the main themes of the actual research agenda, which is intended to help design systems that can be integrated into primary and secondary education contexts.