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2016, Developing Successful Strategies for Global Policies and Cyber Transparency in E-Learning
It is quite important to effectively benefit from e-learning tools and environments which have dynamic structures in order to meet the learning needs of distance learners. E-Learning provides independence of time and space, student-centered, learner-controlled, flexible learning environments and equal educational opportunities. However, this flexibility has increased learners' self-cognition, self-control and self-responsibility for learning. In order for learners to cope with these issues, it is important to use metaphorical interfaces made up of metaphors as structures that provide clues to understand a new and complex concept, system or model. In this study, three main issues are discussed. These issues are e-learning and distance education, interface designs for distance education and metaphors in interface design. In the last part of the study, the advantages and disadvantages of metaphorical interface design in distance education are discussed. Based on these discussions, some important recommendations provided. The main purpose of this study is to discuss three main issues. These issues are e-learning and distance education, interface designs for distance education and metaphors in interface design. In the last part of the study, the advantages and disadvantages of the metaphorical interface design in distance education and e-learning environments will be discussed. Based on these discussions, some important recommendations will be provided.
2012
This paper aims to discuss the use of visual metaphors in the development of System Interfaces for Distance Education about the differences between two scholars concerning Human-Computer Interaction: Donald Norman and Jakob Nielsen, whether or not to use the metaphors. The possibility of networking, both as a framework for access and processing of information, and as a framework for exchange and collaborative activity is the high quality of emerging technologies. These techniques allow structures to implement new and more complexes forms of social interaction, arising the possibility of immediate exchange of information and content in cyberspace. Hence, the individuals become at the same time, transmitters and receivers, producers and consumers of the message. Therefore, communication is no longer linear and one way to become multilingual, polycentric and polysemic. In this context, the interfaces through which individuals will interact should be designed towards their needs in a fa...
2016 7th IEEE International Conference on Cognitive Infocommunications (CogInfoCom), 2016
Metaphors are present in a wide range of everyday activities. They usually work by understanding or explaining complex subjects by terms from more familiar domains. Metaphors in everyday context are often used unconsciously, as their sources are basic entities and perceptual experiences. They can, however, be used deliberately in educational discourse to explain difficult concepts and introduce new ideas in an intelligible manner. This approach falls under constructivism, which claims that an effective learning strategy is to scaffold on the previous knowledge and conceptual representations. However, there are some limitations of introducing a new concept indirectly via a metaphor. We consider these issues here in the domains of physics education, human-computer interfaces and human-robot interactions. We argue that metaphors are most effective for novices, when one needs to grasp a general idea about a concept and understand its functions without a detailed analysis. In this respect, metaphor can be a powerful tool for bridging gaps in understanding between familiar terms and abstract ideas that are yet to be learned.
2015
People use metaphors in their daily communication to explain complicated matters and express meanings and understandings. Metaphors define our everyday realities and guide our thoughts and actions. Traditionally, specific metaphors have been related to teaching and learning: a teacher is often spoken of as a gardener, a guide, or even as a sage on the stage. Similarly, the metaphors of learning as acquisition and the learner as an almost empty vessel are very common concepts in relation to lecturing. Learning is also often understood as participation and collaboration, and these metaphors indicate that teaching and learning are seen as activities that take place when the teacher and the students are together. However, when the use of technology and access to a ubiquitous Internet become a part of everyday teaching and learning, new metaphors are needed if we are to speak adequately about this changed instructional place. Technology shapes the ways in which we teach, learn, and collaborate, and both teachers and learners now have the potential to be present in more spaces simultaneously both inside and outside the classroom. The empirics for this paper stem from a PhD project that was undertaken during a physiotherapy degree programme in Denmark, where e-learning was being introduced for the first time. Guided by a symbolic interactionist approach, one of the research questions concerned whether and how teachers and students in the programme felt that teaching and learning had been changed by e-learning technology. To answer this question, emphasis was placed on the linguistic images, concepts, and metaphors that were used in relation to the e-learning setting. Data were collected from participant observation of teaching, focus groups with the e-learning students, interviews with the teachers, and participation in e-learning design workshops. The findings showed that teaching in relation to e-learning was oftentimes understood through the metaphor of hypertext with hyperlinks leading to podcasts, videos, and other resources on the Internet, which the students accessed from home and which were referred to in the classroom. Moreover, the space of teaching was found to be widened by technology, and learning was sometimes spoken of as a constant selection of links or paths through a landscape of resources and information. This paper will discuss the use of metaphors in relation to teaching and learning generally and to e-learning specifically. On the basis of the empirical material from the PhD project, it will present and discuss the new metaphors that were used in this particular physiotherapy e-learning programme.
Computers & Education, 2001
Most Internet-based education and training sites use the metaphor of a virtual classroom, and the methodology follows the model of a virtual lecture. This article investigates ways in which other instructional techniques, such as discussions, case studies, workshops and ''buzz groups'' can be delivered in a virtual classroom on the Internet in order to create a more interactive and interesting learning experience. Aspects covered include student participation by creating own web sites, holding discussions and a student rag procession. The article concludes with a list of ''Lessons learnt'' from 4 years of lecturing in a webbased environment.
1998
A recent powerful idea in the design of Web-based learning environments is the usage of virtual places. The employment of interface metaphors is one of the approaches enabling inexperienced users to feel comfortable in such virtual environments. We have designed a Virtual Environment for Distance Education and Training (VEDET), which provides basic virtual spaces, resources, and services.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2007
The paper is devoted to problems of computer metaphors,, such as Interface metaphor and Visualization metaphor. Interface metaphor is considered as the basic idea of likening between interactive objects and model objects of the application domain. A visualization metaphor is defined as a map establishing the correspondence between concepts and objects of the application domain under modeling and a system of some similarities and analogies. This map generates a set of views and a set of methods for communication with visual objects. Some positions of the metaphor theory are discussed. Concept of metaphor action is suggested.. "Formula" of metaphor is constructed. A set of examples of metaphor was analyzed. Aprioristic quality criteria of interface and visualization metaphors are suggested. These criteria allow evaluating as existing metaphors and to search for adequate metaphors for designing new specialized systems.
… papers from conference on Computers and …, 2003
Metaphors are generally accepted as essential to the design of effective human computer interfaces. However, "The generally assumed theoretical benefits of user interface metaphor are supported by surprisingly little empirical evidence." (Blackwell, 1998) This paper discusses the concept of "concrete metaphor" and the problems that it presents in interface and interaction design. Concrete metaphors are composed of objects that users are familiar with from their everyday experience (L'Abbate and Hemmje, 1998). Since we live in a physical world, then it seems natural that computer interfaces should resemble as closely as possiblephysical objects. We already know how these devices work, and so a metaphor based on the known should help us to understand the unknown. After all, "The essence of metaphor is understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another." (Lakoff and Johnson, 1980) Certainly, this has been the prevailing school of thought when discussing the application of metaphor to Human Computer Interface (HCI) design. However, there is another school of thought that the use of metaphor is detrimental to HCI design. For example, Halasz and Moran (1982, p. 386) considered analogy as "dangerous when used for detailed reasoning about computer systems-this is much better done with abstract conceptual models." Our argument is that metaphor can be used for the representation and explanation of abstract conceptual models. Recent work by Lakoff and Núňez (2001) describes the notion of conceptual metaphor-a cognitive mechanism that derives abstract thinking from the way we function in the everyday physical world 1 .
Information Design Journal, 2003
The paper presents a design strategy for e-learning hypermedia interfaces based on the notion of conceptual-navigational map. It proposes to analyze the cognitive and communication problems that arise in the use of hypermedia applications with specific goals, such as e-learning courseware modules, with the linguistic tools of pragmatics and discourse analysis, and shows how this can help in identifying specific communication problems related to the grounding and contextualization of new information, and how it can lead to new insights for design and to interfaces inspired by the linguistic means used in verbal communication to manage analogous problems. The implementation of such a design strategy in the SWISSLING courseware modules is discussed, and future directions of development towards context- aware adaptive hypermedia are briefly outlined.
Participatory Educational Research, 2015
This article addresses the historic and cultural influences of semiotics on human learning. In reviewing over thirty studies conducted since the 1950s, semiotic tools, such as pictures, graphics, metaphors and stories, have positively influenced student's learning. These studies suggest a critical role of semiotics in higher education courses taught in online learning environments. Semiotic tools can positively influence students in online courses, as in the cases where course completion rates of courses containing strategic semiotic elements were higher than comparable online courses without those semiotic elements. The implications for course design is the inclusion of strategic semiotic elements as part of course design addressing content, system navigation, and technologies to deliberately and intentionally plan semiotic features that appeal and not alienate reluctant online students. Features which bridge students' prior knowledge and cultural contexts to new content materials and academic success should be considered to better enlist and retain learners. Observing successful semiotic marketing practices could shed light on how these tools could be best incorporated into online courses and provide important cultural elements to mediate new learning. Ultimately, more than technology, management systems, and content should be studied when working with online students; human factors, like historic and cultural experiences, must also be considered.
Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 2011
Metaphors are figures of speech in which a word or phrase that denotes a certain object or idea is applied to another word or phrase to imply some similarity between them. Due to their ability to make speaking and writing more lively and interesting, metaphors have always been popular among students. While metaphors provide significant enhancement of contexts and build upon the sense of community, they can limit the boundaries of the communication between students and teachers. In order to carry out student oriented courses, teachers ought to consider the metaphors students use. In an effort to understand and fill in this communication gap, the authors of this paper have initiated a study that aimed to drive out the e-education students" metaphors in order to suggest a vision for future e-courses. The authors have designed the "E-Education Metaphor Analysis Survey" that comprised 35 items and captured data about e-education students" metaphors. The questionnaire was posted on Surveymonkey.com and was distributed to e-education students in two countries: Turkey and Cyprus. 352 students filled the questionnaire. The answers revealed that the metaphors students use are influenced by their way of life, their personal characteristics, their educational background and their feelings. Internet was the most common metaphor used for e-education. A very interesting fact was that 47% of the students considered E-Student to be equivalent to "rich students" education" and that the term recalled them the metaphor "richness". Although there were many research studies on common metaphors and their impact on eeducation, there were no studies in the literature about eLearning metaphors. This paper presents an innovative approach that focuses on 7 key research questions and represents a first step of a more detailed future project undertaken by the authors.
2009
This paper presents a case study that illustrates the significance of using metaphors in the design of educational software. We have chosen to apply our approach to the specific domain of Operating Systems (OS), showing how beginners can learn OS basic concepts more efficiently. Our software helps students study scheduling, using a simple and fundamental algorithm – the Priority Round-Robin (PRR) algorithm, used for scheduling in most OS, in a metaphorical context consisting of familiar and not-too-complex set of tasks. To this end, the rationale and the features of the proposed software are clearly presented; showing that, besides the use of metaphors, the design of the educational software was also based on modern social and constructivist learning theories. The architecture of the proposed software consists of two main parts: a) an information space where students are provided with opportunities to access appropriate information about the specific subject-matter they have to lear...
The aim of this chapter is to highlight the role that metaphors and figurative language may play in virtual learning environments that are based on written communication. In these contexts they may satisfy cognitive, emotional and affective needs of learning. Research results achieved so far show that metaphors, establishing meaningful analogies among different domains, may deeply affect conceptual reorganization and thus knowledge enhancement. Moreover, metaphors successfully support the expression of the affective domain and the building of a common identity; at the same time they give concreteness and familiarity to the immateriality of the virtual spaces. By presenting results gathered in two research studies here reported, the chapter focuses in particular on the role that metaphors may play in supporting social presence and collaborative knowledge building in online learning experiences.
The purpose of this study is to determine the Internet-related metaphors used by Information Technology students and examine these metaphors in terms of their class, gender, daily internet use, internet use experiences and internet use proficiencies. This exploratory research seeks to answer four specific questions in line with determining the internet metaphors of IT students. A questionnaire developed by the researchers was used for data collection. The questionnaire included a total of 13 items, 10 of which are multiple choice and three of which are open-ended. Based on the findings obtained in the study, the Information Technology students were found to use their own internet metaphors besides the widespread internet metaphors. It was concluded that the students produced metaphors emphasizing the sharing of and access to information for the internet and that among widespread internet metaphors, they used the network metaphor most and among the metaphor families, they used the "open space" metaphor family most. This finding revealed that sharing of and access to information and networks was most important factors for the students' use and perception of the internet. In addition, it was also revealed that there was a significant difference between the frequencies of the information technology students' use of the metaphor families with respect to the class. Based on the results of metaphor analysis, required recommendations were presented related to inform students about the scope and features of the internet in their courses.
International Journal of Embedded Systems, 2021
The aim of the study is to determine the perception of pre-service classroom teachers on distance education using metaphor technique. The study group of the research consisted of 34 participants studying at a private university in 2020-2021 fall semester academic years. Since the study is a descriptive study, survey model was used. The data were analyzed using the content analysis method, categories and themes were created. Participants’ perceptions about distance education were interpreted according to the determined themes and categories. At the end of the study, recommendations were provided about using the distance education process more efficiently and getting ready for the necessary change.
2010
The interactional feature of hypermedia that allows high-level student-control is considered as one of the most important advantages that hypermedia provides for learning and teaching. However, high-level student control in hypermedia might not always lead to high-level learning performance. The learner is likely to experience navigation problems such as disorientation, loss of concentration, and waste of more time in hypermedia, which has a highly dynamic structure due to the constant increase in information. It is believed that visual metaphors could be used to increase the navigation performances of learners in hypermedia. In this respect, the purpose of the present study is to determine the effects of visual metaphors -used for navigation in hypermedia -on the navigation performances of learners. For this purpose, 33 teacher candidates of Information Technologies attending Anadolu University participated in the study, and their navigation performances in two different hypermedia with the same content were evaluated. Three different performance measurements such as disorientation, time and the teacher candidates' selfevaluation of their performances were used. According to the results obtained, it was revealed that the teacher candidates presented higher-level performance in hypermedia in which a visual metaphor was used.
Teaching & Learning, 2002
One task of educational technology is to develop and use the tools of technology to enhance teaching and learning. Another important function of educational technology, however, is to be "ahead of the curve" in understanding how forms of technology like the Internet impact culture and restructure our awareness within culture. This paper uses the semiotic and abductive principles of juxtaposition via metaphor to explore six aspects of learning and culture which have been changed by the Internet, but where the changes have been such that we have not been conceptually positioned to see them. We conclude with an acknowledgement of the arbitrariness of the metaphors we have actually used and a call for an abductive proliferation of metaphor examination along the very lines of the medium under study-that is, we seek a thread of metaphors.
User interface (UI) is point of interaction between user and computer software. The success and failure of a software application depends on User Interface Design (UID). Possibility of using a software, easily using and learning are issues influenced by UID. The UI is significant in designing of educational software (e-Learning). Principles and concepts of learning should be considered in addition to UID principles in UID for e-learning. In this regard, to specify the logical relationship between education, learning, UID and multimedia at first we readdress the issues raised in previous studies. It is followed by examining the principle concepts of e-learning and UID. Then, we will see how UID contributes to e-learning through the educational software built by authors. Also we show the way of using UI to improve learning and motivating the learners and to improve the time efficiency of using e-learning software.
2008
Abstract: The use of computer conferences as "Virtual Seminars " has become a convenient way to allow spatially seperated participants to interact under the purpose of acquiring specific knowledge in the area of distance education. In order to facilitate orientation, to indicate social meanings, and to structure the communicative processes, two different types of spatial metaphors have been applied in interface design of these telematic settings: large-scale metaphors depicting extended geographical areas (campus-sites, buildings) and small-scale metaphors depicitng rooms. Their adequateness crucially depends on the correspondence between the real world domain and software domain. Possible obstacles for this match stem from a lack of providing interactivity, from cluttering the interface with pseudorealistic details and from the specifities of the asynchronous and text-based communication modes.
JET (Journal of English Teaching)
Language learning can get two essential benefits from metaphor, as it is an effective tool for language learning and a useful tool for revealing abstract, obscure, and tacit ideas. One of the most problematic phenomena in education today is online learning (OL). Although all higher learning institutions have adopted it for almost three years, OL is still far from being effective. To get a better understanding of OL, this study aims at exploring EFL students’ experience and perception of OL employing metaphor analysis. Involving 69 students of a private university in Jakarta, Indonesia, data was collected online through Google Form in which the participants were asked to complete a sentence running “Online learning is like … because ….” The gathered metaphors were then analyzed using the content analysis procedures. The results showed the most predominantly metaphors produced by the participants are positive (32 items), followed by negative metaphors (25 items), and neutral metaphors...
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