The future of Virtual Learning Environments and Technology Enhanced Learning

Dr Daniel ThiemertIntelligent Systems Research Laboratory

School of Systems Engineering University of Reading, UK

www: http://www.isr.reading.ac.uke-mail: d.thiemerti@reading.ac.uk

What is the workshop about

• About TEL and VLE- For what?- Why?

• Latest trends- Adaptive learning environments- Competency-based learning (at the work place)- Some examples and demos

• How you can get involved• All interspersed with some questions to and from you

Technology Enhanced Learning Now

• Very well established in the industry• Continuing education on almost any subject• State of the art and practice is Blended Learning• Estimated worldwide market volume 2014 > 95,000 Mio $

• Example: Turnover in Germany: • 523 Mio € in 2012• 582 Mio € in 2013 (+13.5%)

TEL and VLE

• VLE is part of TEL• Two main streams

- Learning (Management) Systems• To enhance the learning experience directly, e.g. usability, content, etc.• Really what the learner sees

- Leaning Analytics• To enhance the offerings by analysing

- how students/cohorts perform - Where there might be problems in the course design (e.g. many

students fail a particular assignment)- But also give feedback to the student with respect to where he is

standing compared to the cohort- Information therefore used both by the student as well as the

teacher/organisation

Why VLE and TEL?

• Well…- Technology is ever more present in every day life, so it is only

natural for it to find its way into the education sector- Students do not only want to learn in school (that is, if they are

motivated)• AAA Access: Anything, Anytime, Anywhere to learning content• Support for home assignments• ...

• Classic distance learning (Open University)• Regulatory Requirements FELTAG Recommendation• Virtual Learning Environments can support personalised learning improved learner experience- Adaptive Learning Environments (will come back to that in a

bit)

Questions (from me)

• Are you using any learning management systems?- Moodle, Blackboard,…?

• What are your experiences?- The good- The bad- And the Ugly

Future of Technology Enhanced Learning

Innovation is just around the corner:• New content paradigms

- Serious games and gamification- Simulation and immersion, 3D, AR

• New interaction paradigms- Non-touch interfaces- Multi-touch interfaces

• New delivery paradigms- Mobile learning- Micro learning, assistance systems- Learning on the spot

• New organizational paradigms- Massive(ly) Open Online Courses- Small scale Open Educational Resources

• New Learning Machines- Making use of analytics

Why Adaptive Learning Environments ?

• Pedagogical Reason- Different learners are not equal- Pedagogically different learning pathways through the same

content of a Knowledge Domain- Teachers are adaptive

• Business Reason- Different learners do not need to learn the same stuff- Situation and role dependent learning within a Knowledge

Domain

• Societal Reason- More and more „smart“ systems coming up- Individualization and personalization of learning

…and / but

• Learners cannot always be left to decide for themselves in which order to access learning content- Completely free learning needs a lot of discipline- Needs knowledge of what is to come in the learning

content• Chaotic learning is not as efficient as structured learning

- Some guidance is needed, based on some factors

Adaptive Learning Environments

• Is all about adapting to the specific learner’s needs• Adaptive Learning Environments are quite well understood.

- Dating back to 1977- much technical progress in recent years

• but huge gap between research and practical usage

Why this gap ?

• Most advanced systems not available for large user groups- Adaptive engines difficult to implement in standard LMSKeep the adaptive engine outside the LMS

• Cognitive modeling of content is rather difficultKeep the pedagogical knowledge, the domain knowledge and

the instructional media separated

• Pedagogical models are abundant – but rarely formalized Allow for a higher expressiveness of description

• Humans do not like to be part of a computer program Conscious decision of the learner in any learning step

How can this be improved ?

Good learning is well structured !• 1st level = lecture level

- Informationally and didactically closed pieces- Labeled Concept Container CC

• 2nd level = Knowledge Object KO level- KOs may be differentiated according to various factors

• Pedagogical concept- Introduction, Historical Overview, Current State, Summary

• Role and Situation- Technical Expert or Manager ? Fast or slow ?

• Personal Needs- Handicap ? Age ? Gender ? Culture ? Motivation ?

Example Didactics

Math for primary school educationCC are:• The Basics of Numbers

- 3 KO

• Basic Arithmetic Operations- 3 KO

• Addition- 4 KO

• Subtraction- 4 KO

Learning Pathways

• The alignment of CCs for a learner is called a macro learning pathway MLP- chronologically

forward/backward- physics/society - manager/technician

• The alignment of KOs in every CC is called a micro learning pathway µLP- Exx: Inquiry Based or Multi

Stage Learning- Exx: High/Low bandwidth

An example of Personalisation

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuysRWqAHC4

… so

• Personalisation happens based on some factors- Learning history- Learning environment- Personal needs and preferences

• Factors are called didactic factors (developed by educational experts)- However: still very much in the research phase

• Need to establish how they influence the learner experience• Prioritisation• Etc.

Learning Management Systens

Some Prototypes

• http://portal.intuitel-classroom.eu/

Questions to you

• How would you use such a system in your domain?

• Do you see this as useful, from a teacher perspective?

• Comments?

Learning Analytics

• To enhance the offerings by analysing - how students/cohorts perform - Where there might be problems in the course design (e.g.

many students fail a particular assignment)- But also give feedback to the student with respect to where he

is standing compared to the cohort- Information therefore used both by the student as well as the

teacher/organisation• Only established in the last couple of years• Mainly focusing on cohort analysis

Competency based learning

• Much more applicable to a setting that includes workplace-based learning / vocational training

• Entrustable Professional Activity

• Task based instead of construct based approach

• Crucial question: would I entrust this candidate unsupervised with this task? (with my sick mother, animal or teach my daughter/son…)

• An EPA is a task that an individual can be trusted to perform unsupervised, in a given professional context, once sufficient competence has been demonstrated.

What to do with Learning Analytics

Assessment Tools

Analytics

Feedback to:• Student• Teacher/Supervisor

Types of Feedback

• Where are - you doing well- You need improvements

• What to focus on next

• To Supervisor:- How are the students overall doing- Are there any flaws in the course- What to focus on

Questions to you

• How would you use such a system in your domain?

• Do you see this as useful, from a teacher perspective?

• Comments?

How you can get involved

• Why:- You can steer the research and development- You can get access to latest technology- And… there is funding available.

• EU is funding within its H2020 programme “Technologies for better human learning”- Subscribe to http://www.ideal-ist.eu/- Regularly partner searches are sent around in various domains

• ERASMUS+ actions on learning• Funding usually 100% of staff cost plus some 25% overhead• If you can, go to relevant information and networking days to make

contacts- There might be travel costs, but the benefits usually outweigh these

Final Points

• What do you expect from VLE and TEL?

• How do you see the future?

• What other application areas (apart from just learning)?- Career Management- …

Thank you

Dr Daniel ThiemertIntelligent Systems Research Lab (ISR)

School of Systems EngineeringUniversity of Reading

Whiteknights, RG6 6AY UKPhone: 00 44 118 378 7842

Fax: 00 44 118 975 1994d.thiemert@reading.ac.uk, www.isr.reading.ac.uk