Towards a Benchmark for the Evaluation of LD Expressiveness and Suitability Manuel Caeiro Rodríguez

UNFOLD-ProLearn2 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Goals General goal: Enhance the modelling support of Educational Modelling Languages (EMLs) focusing mainly on Collaborative Learning Particular goal: Obtain an evaluation benchmark of EMLs’ Expressiveness and Suitability

UNFOLD-ProLearn3 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 What is an EML? The purpose of EMLs is to support the modelling of learning practices (e.g. a course, a lesson, a lab practice, a workshop, etc.) in a generic way. CEN/ISSS Workshop on Learning Technologies: An EML is a semantic information model and binding describing the content and process within a unit of learning from a pedagogical perspective in order to support reuse and interoperability

UNFOLD-ProLearn4 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Evaluation Criterions Expressiveness Suitability  Final LD users: Application developers  Specific purposes: Reusability and Interoperability Capacity to denote the models in a domain Quality of having the properties that are right for a specific purpose

UNFOLD-ProLearn5 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Development Approach Focused on the coordination of the entities involved not on pedagogical or technological issues Approach: problem decomposition

UNFOLD-ProLearn6 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Evaluation Methodology

UNFOLD-ProLearn7 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Perspectives Perspectives in Workflow:  Process  Information  Resource  Organizational Perspectives in Groupware:  Communication  Cooperation  Collaboration  Awareness A modelling feature that involves a certain purpose and that can be analyzed independently

UNFOLD-ProLearn8 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Patterns An abstraction that is frequently repeated in a modelling domain Func.1Task Decomposition DescriptionIt should be possible to breakdown a task into several subtask. MotivationTo provide a structure to achieve a global goal solving simpler problems. Instructional Examples  A course is organized in several separate lessons.  A long term project is divided in several stages. Forces  Sub-tasks can be mandatory or optional. Issues  The conditions to finish the global task may involve the state of execution of the sub-tasks.

UNFOLD-ProLearn9 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Activity Theory Framework Environment Subject Object Goal CommunityRulesDivision of Labour Activity Expanded Mediational Model ACTIVITY

UNFOLD-ProLearn10 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 The Functional Perspective What has to be done? Goal breakdown and decomposition of activities into sub-activities.

UNFOLD-ProLearn11 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Functional Patterns Goal Featuring Patterns  Textual description, Mandatory task, Optional task, Grade, Input artefact task, Output artefact task, etc. Composition Patterns  Task decomposition, Manual decomposition, Conditional decomposition, etc. Multiple Instance Patterns  Learner task, Support task, Work task, etc. Relationship Patterns  Complementary task, Antagonist task, etc.

UNFOLD-ProLearn12 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 The Resource Perspective What resources are intended to do it? Learners, teachers, software agents, equipment, etc.

UNFOLD-ProLearn13 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Resource Patterns Resource featuring Patterns  Learner profile, Portfolio, Group structure, etc. Role Enrolment Patterns  Conditioned, Capacity-based, Manual, etc. Resource Assignment Patterns  Direct, Role-based, Manual, Familiar, Separation of duties, Conditioned, etc.

UNFOLD-ProLearn14 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 The Information Perspective What information is available? The artefacts that can be used.

UNFOLD-ProLearn15 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Information Patterns Data Visibility Patterns  Activity data, Block data, Multiple instance data, etc. Data Interaction Patterns  Internal Interaction, Compound task to decomposed tasks, to multiple instances, etc. Data Transfer Patterns  Transfer by value, Transfer by reference, Copy, Transfer with block, Data transformation, Synchronization, etc.

UNFOLD-ProLearn16 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 The Operational Perspective What operations are available? The applications and services that can be used.

UNFOLD-ProLearn17 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Operational Patterns Operational Featuring Patterns  Textual description, Ontology-based, Instance, etc. Invocation Patterns  Request, Request-response, Solicit-response, etc. Monitoring Patterns  Role-based, Filtered, etc.

UNFOLD-ProLearn18 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 The Organizational Perspective What organization is involved? Roles, Groups, Functional Units, Organizational Units, etc.

UNFOLD-ProLearn19 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Organizational Patterns Structure Patterns  Organisational position, Organisational unit, Aggregations, etc. Relationship Patterns  Delegation, Priority, etc.

UNFOLD-ProLearn20 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 The Process Perspective When does it have to be done? The order in which activities can be performed.

UNFOLD-ProLearn21 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Process Patterns Branching and Synchronizing Patterns  Sequence, Parallel division, Synchronization, Exclusive choice, Multiple election, Discriminator, etc. Structural Patterns  Arbitrary cycles, Implicit termination, etc. State-based Patterns  Delayed election, Milestone, etc.

UNFOLD-ProLearn22 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 The Temporal Perspective At which moment does it have to be done? The time in which activities can be performed.

UNFOLD-ProLearn23 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Temporal Patterns Synchronisation  A starts B, A finishes B, A before B, etc. Scheduling  Deadline, Start point, etc. Allocation  Maximum, Minimum, Average, etc.

UNFOLD-ProLearn24 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 The Authorization Perspective What roles are allowed to do? Permissions, visibility, etc.

UNFOLD-ProLearn25 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Authorization Patterns Permission Featuring Patterns  Artefact, Application & services, Class, Environment, Activity, etc. Permission Assignment Patterns  Static, Manual, Conditioned, etc. Permission Owner Patterns  Role, Application or Service, Policy, etc.

UNFOLD-ProLearn26 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 The Awareness Perspective What roles need to know? Notifications, monitoring, etc.

UNFOLD-ProLearn27 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Awareness Patterns Event Source Featuring Patterns  Role-presence, Role-actions, Environment, Class, etc. Processing Patterns  Filter, Conjunction, Sequence, Counter, Composition, Storage, etc. Event Sink Featuring Patterns  Role, Resource assigned to task, Application or Service, etc.

UNFOLD-ProLearn28 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 The Interaction Perspective What interactions are intended to be produced? The control and management of the interaction in the activity.

UNFOLD-ProLearn29 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Interaction Patterns Session Control Patterns  Automatic, Manual, Conditioned, etc. Membership Control Patterns  Guest list, Minimum participants, etc. Conversation Control Patterns  Automatic response, Typed response, etc. Version Control Patterns  Operation-based, Role-based, etc. Time Stamp Patterns  Periodic, Operation-based, etc.

UNFOLD-ProLearn30 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 The Causal Perspective Why to do it? Metadata, learning goals, pre-requisites, etc.

UNFOLD-ProLearn31 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Summary 10+1 perspectives patterns, but we are refining them

UNFOLD-ProLearn32 Valkenburg, 23 September 2005 Conclusions Relationship with other EML evaluation proposals: not based on complete unit of learning modelling. Next step: to provide a meta-model that enable the development of applications with truly reusability and interoperability properties. Final goal: that teachers can perform the same things in a virtual environment that in their conventional classrooms.

Thanks! Manuel Caeiro Rodríguez