Who Where Why What UK HE

1
Who? Where? Why? What?UK HE LOM in CALL much
ado about nothing?

• Dr. Chris. Bowerman
• School of Computing Technology
• University of Sunderland, UK
• Chris.Bowerman_at_sunderland.ac.uk
• 44 191 5153629

2
Who? Chris. Bowerman

• Principal Lecturer, Computing Technology
• AI, Education, e-learning, NLE, computational
  linguistics
• Research Student Manager

3
Where? Sunderland University

• NE England, Mid sized, 6 Schools ELL, ADM, BUS,
  CT, SCI, GRS
• http//argus.sunderland.ac.uk/view/view.shtml
• SCT Disciplines of Computing, Maths.,
  Engineering Technology, UG 1200 students, 80
  PGR, 250 PGT, 60 academics, 12 UK, EU, Industry
  sponsored projects. CISCO, MS, Macromedia
  Academies. SU Racing!

4
SCT Courses

• UG PG courses
• COM from soft IS, MM, Forensic, SE, BusComp,
  Nets, AI/Robotics, Comp Eng
• ENG from Mech Eng, Auto Eng, Auto Mechatronics,
  
• PG Eng mgmt, eTechnol for Bus, IS Engineering,
  Internet Eng, Intel Sys, SE
• On site Dl, agreements at UG, PG PGR levels
  Mid E, Asia, EU, US SDSU

5
SCT Research PGR

• Research inc NRP/PhD
• intelligent systems (including neural networks,
  natural language engineering, hybrid systems,
  cognitive neuroscience, neuro/fuzzy systems,
  cognitive robots, machine learning, learning
  agents and genetic algorithms)
• human computer systems (including multimedia,
  computer-aided learning, universal accessibility,
  usability engineering development
  methodologies)
• software engineering (including software testing
  and the organisational risks of implementing
  information systems, methodologies and solutions
  for industry, databases and information systems),
  
• Internet technology (including electronic
  commerce, search engine technology, supporting
  advanced communications networks as well as their
  simulation and optimisation)
• mathematics modelling (including cybernetics
  and complex systems).
• automotive engineering includes intelligent
  manufacturing systems, control engineering,
  ergonomics and advanced practice to improve
  people as well as processes.

6
Where? UK Scene

• UG Bachelors 3-4 years
• PGT Masters 1-2 years
• PGR Doctorate 3-6 years FT, PT, DL
• Training integrated methodology, writing,
  presenting, qual/quant, careers
• Courses integrated NewRoutePhD 4 years
• Professional Doctorates 4 years
• Professional Masters

7
References Questions

• www.sunderland.ac.uk
• www.cet.sunderland.ac.uk
• www.newroutephd.ac.uk
• Questions?

8
Why? The GETS Project

• International Cooperation Using Educational
  Technology In Graduate Studies In Computer
  Science And Technology
• EU/FIPSIE funded

9
GETS

• Using educational technology to equip students
  for graduate study
• Software Engineering and its applications
• engineering of e-learning systems, embedded
  systems, e-commerce and hybrid systems
• Training
• mixture of electronic learning, face to face
  courses, workshops as well as innovative team
  working activities which develop real-world,
  professional skills

10
Activities

• Specific course modules, generic transferable
  skills courses (e.g., ethics, cultural training,
  research methodology, entrepreneurship).
• Global perspective
• Exchanges 30 students, 10 staff
• Workshops locally and internationally
• Evaluated from staff and student viewpoint
• Electronic interactions before, during, after

11
Partners Questions

• Partners
• EU Universities Algarve (Eng), Hagen (CS),
  Sunderland (CS/Eng)
• US Universities Arkansas (CS), Auburn (Eng), San
  Diego State (Eng)
• Website http//gets.dvt.fernuni-hagen.de
• https//server.dvt.fernuni-hagen.de/bscw
  collaborative tools
• http//www.fernuni-hagen.de/DVT/Aktuelles/program.
  html Hagen w/s
• https//server.dvt.fernuni-hagen.de/bscw/bscw.cgi/
  0/60557 poster
• Questions?

12
What? LOM in CALL Much ADO About Nothing?

• Dr. Chris. Bowerman
• Dr. Nick. Armitage
• School of Computing Technology
• University of Sunderland

13
Overview

• Background to CAL ILE
• Learning Environments mass education, right
  stuff, automatic assembly
• E-learning everywhere
• Excitement benefits, TL, classes
• Problems
• Engineering content, syntactics
• Conclusion

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Background CAL ELE

• Skinner Boxes
• CAL - didn't work
• ITS - too difficult
• ILE - new name same problems
• Telematics - DL OL
• AES ITS for the web
• Begat ELE/VLE
• Academies -gt Schools -gt Modules -gt JIT Learning

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Electronic Learning Environments

• The right stuff content, person, time,
  device,context, way
• Content Assembly Delivery
• OO model whats an atom of knowl.?
• Quality mixed?
• Student info exposed
• Metadata standards
• students, teaching, technology, architecture, XML
  
• Authoring tools
• Tutors needed still - ask.com
• What business model? IPR? High cost? Scaleable?

16
E-learning everywhere

• Much excitement
• Grown out of CAL, ICAL
• Lots of standards confusion over process,
  status, procurement
• Benefits
• Re-useable content providers, platforms
• Tracking learners, open access
• Assemble content just in time on demand
• Automatic, immediate feedback
• In the Deans eye its lower cost and new
  student modes of learning

17
Whats in a language class?

• TL GT/Communicative, ZPD, Krashen hypothesis
• Traditional
• Negotiated learning, teaching, assessment
• Perhaps authentic materials, relationship with
  humans Consistent approach
• Content creation on the fly
• E-class
• Differing approaches, interfaces
• Gaps and overlaps in knowledge
• Flexibly assembled materials
• Based on standards eg LOM, IMS/LIP, Ariadne
• Assembly not equal to Negotiation

18
There may be problems ahead

• but while theres metadata and screen light and
  RDF
• LOs are videos, texts, exercises, lessons,
  courses
• With LM can be discovered/googled combined
  post-query
• Need metadata descriptions, assembly tool
• Linear necklace or COM/CORBA crown jewel
• N.B. problem of re-use at different level -gt
  alternative metadata or artificial/real
  intelligence
• Need the content but
• Lower teacher input (ITS dont work)
• Lots of Los to find seamless pass through
  material for all
• .. lets go e-learning advance

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Much ado about something

• Content production model (Plass)
• Have been pedagogicaly driven and written by
  anoraks
• Craft
• Enhanced SE with task analysis
• Technologist with emphasis on user interface
• Cognitive psychology approach based on user
  behaviour
• Consult once and develop standalone
• LOM, self-contained, no communication (not even
  OO)
• Pick and mix in hands of teachers
• Golden rule develop time lt contact time (unless
  big payoff)
• Integrate COM to allow coherence
• Develop useful objects on server let teachers
  edit
• A craft approach

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Content Production Syntactics

• Crafted based on SE - user task analysis
• Separate data/content from processing
• COM objects (MCQ, Cloze) on server
• Appear in web page editor, produces XML content
• Can be circulated
• Copied and pasted, edited
• Published re-used

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Syntactics

• Example XML
• lt?xml version"1.0" ?gt
• - lttaskgt
•   lttypegtmcqlt/typegt
•   ltsource type"image"gt
• http//www.someserver.com/images/romanempire.gif
• lt/sourcegt
•   ltquestiongtTake a look at the map opposite.
  Which one of the following countries (these are
  their modern names) was NOT in the Roman Empire
  at this time?lt/questiongt
• - ltoptionsgt
•   ltoptiongtTurkeylt/optiongt
• (... other options)
•   ltoptiongtSaudi Arabialt/optiongt
•   lt/optionsgt
• - ltfeedbacksgt
•   ltfeedbackgtKnown as Asia Minor, it was in the
  Empire. At that time, the Turks had not invaded
  and the people were a quite different race from
  the modern Turks, and were predominantly Greek
  speakers.lt/feedbackgt
•   (... other feedback)
•  
• ltfeedbackgtSaudi Arabia is the exception Rome did
  not venture further East than Israel. Of course,
  at this time there was still no Islam - this area
  to the East included the old kingdom of Persia
  (Iran) and other ancient kingdoms then of small
  threat to the Romans. That would change with the
  emergence of Islam.lt/feedbackgt
•   lt/feedbacksgt

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Syntactics

• Edit page

23
Syntactics

• Gap fill

24
Syntactics

• Student page

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Syntactics

• Student click

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Syntactics

• Exercises challenge response crossword,
  finding text gap fill jigsaw match 2 parallel
  lists MCQ word search
• Adopting such architecture would
• Range of server side code objects
• E.g. dictionary, parser, authenic dialogue,
  graphics, text
• Accessed transparently from client side
• Re-used by teacher with simple editor

27
More Problems Solved?

• Content Creation Plotplan Graphplan (expand,
  extract) with relaxation if ideal not met.
  Scaleable? Cope with diff. vocab?
• Content Creation BSI eSupport standard
  (BS8426)
• Content Discovery IR of LOs, vector based query
  LM. How to sequence? Will it work?
• Content Discovery TSO/HMSO DOI for e-learning.
  Make it persist.

28
Conclusion

• Need to build web-accessible COM resources eg
  ODBC databases
• Select appropriate component architecture eg
  SOAP, CORBA, .net/COM
• Adhere to encapsulation and document public
  properties, methods, events of objects
• Create client-side interfaces as re-useable
  objects eg applets, activeX, DHTML-binary
  behaviours
• Use XML for dynamic editing/creation/storage of
  content from teachers
• Focus on architecture of system then pedagogy
  will follow as the community adopts

29
References

• BS8426 A Code of Practice for the provision of
  eSupport in electronic learning systems
  http//www.bsi-global.com/
• Syntactics http//www.callinguistics.com/syntactic
  s/
• Laurillard, D. 1993 Rethinking University
  Teaching a framework for the effective use of
  educational technology. London/New York
  Routledge 1993
• Plass, J. (1998) Design and Evaluation of the
  User Interface of Foreign Language Multimedia
  Software a Cognitive Approach. Language Learning
  and Technology 21 25-35
• Hodgins et al, (2002), Making sense of learning
  standards specifications a decision makers
  guide to their adoption, S3 Working Group, MASIE
  Centre, NY, USA
• IEEE LTSC, (2002), Learning Technology Standards
  Committee Document series 1484 No. IEEE LTSC
  1482.12 Learning Object Metadata,
  http//ltsc.ieee.org
• HotPotatoes http//web.uvic.ca/hrd/halfbaked/index
  .htm

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Contact Details

• Dr. Chris. Bowerman - Principal Lecturer in
  Research Student ManagementSchool of Computing
  Technology, University of Sunderland, DGIC, St
  Peter's Way, Sunderland, Tyne Wear, GB-SR6 0DD
• E chris.bowerman_at_sunderland.ac.uk T 44 191 515
  3629 F 44 191 515 3461 M 44 709 2213947 W
  http//www.cet.sunderland.ac.uk/postgrad
• Questions?