scholarly journals Design of an Intelligent Educational Resource Production System

Author(s):  
Brahim Faqihi ◽  
Najima Daoudi ◽  
Rachida Ajhoun

In the field of learning, we are witnessing more and more the introduction of new environments in order to better meet the specific needs of the main actors of the process. The shift from face-to-face learning to distance learning or e-learning has overcome some of the challenges of availability, location, prerequisites, but has been rapidly impacted by the development of mobile technology. As a result, m-learning appeared and quickly evolved into p-learning. The arrival of the "Open Software" concept has given birth to several "open-something" initiatives, among which are the Open Educational Resource (OER) and the Massive Online Open Course (MOOC). These learning resources have also made progress, although they are fairly recent. Admittedly, this diversity of environments offers a wealth and a multitude of pedagogical resources. However, the question of the capitalization of contents, knowledge and know-how of each of these environments is necessary. How can the exchange and reuse of pedagogical resources be guaranteed between these different learning environ-ments? otherwise-said how to guarantee the interoperability of these resources? In order to contribute to the creation of an pedagogical heritage, we propose to design a case-based system allowing the author, when creating a course in a particular context and environment, to exploit the resources that are already available. The goal is to put in place an intelligent production system based on case-based reasoning. It is based on four phases ranging from indexing to reuse, through the similarity measurement and the evaluation. In the first part, we will detail the evolution of learning environments. In the second part, we will review the existing course production platforms, their prin-ciples and their challenges. In the third part, we will present case-based reasoning systems, and then we will introduce our target system.

Author(s):  
R J Singh

This article reports on the use of blended learning in higher education. Blended learning has become popular in higher education in recent years. It is a move beyond traditional lecturing to incorporate face-to-face learning with e-learning, thereby creating a blend of learning experiences. The problem is that learning in higher education is complex and learning situations differ across contexts. Whilst there is face-to-face contact at some institutions, others offer distance learning or correspondence learning. In each context, the mode of learning may differ. The challenge is to cater for various learning opportunities through a series of learning interactions and to incorporate a blended approach. The aim of this study was to examine various ways of defining blended learning in different contexts. This was done through an examination of experiences of the use of blended learning in different higher education contexts. The study presents a case of blended learning in a postgraduate course. The experiences from all these cases are summarised and conclusions and recommendations are made in the context of blended learning in higher education in South Africa.


Author(s):  
Brenda Anak Lukas ◽  
Melor Md Yunus

Education sector in Malaysia had put emphasis on the use of online learning or e-learning with technology and devices as a mediator of communication to replace face-to-face learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, with the improvement of learning technologies, English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers faced various challenges in language teaching. In this regard, this study aimed to investigate the challenges ESL teachers faced in implementing e-learning during COVID-19. Using a qualitative approach, this research was a case study which involved 20 primary ESL teachers. Data collection was done through an in-depth interview to explore teachers’ e-learning experiences and challenges in teaching the English language. Based on the findings, the majority of teachers expressed that the use of e-learning was effective with various limitations such as teachers’ readiness to adopt e-learning, accessibility to mobile phones and Internet connectivity, classroom management in term of low students’ participation and assessment. Thus, the researcher recommended more studies to highlight teachers’ insight regarding the significance of e-learning. ESL teachers, stakeholders, policy makers, and institutions can benefit from the results of the study and come out with practical strategies to utilize online sources for education in the pandemic situation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. p69
Author(s):  
Apostolou George ◽  
Papatsimpas Achilleas ◽  
Gounas Athanasios ◽  
Gkouna Ourania

The purpose of this study is to investigate the reaction of Greeks to this new educational reality due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Since the first restrictive measures were implemented in March 2020in Greece, distance learning has become a dynamic part of people’s daily lives with the prospect of remain in gas such in the future. A total of N=170 students, parents, teachers, civil servants, private sector employees who were involved in the distance learning process either as instructors or as students in the period of Covid-19 pandemic in Greece, were selected with the use of snowball sampling. A questionnaire using demographic and satisfaction related variables was completed by the respondents, namely citizens across Greece, based on a Likert scale questionnaire which is a useful and multidimensional instrument, to assess satisfaction within the time frame from July 7, 2020 to October 20, 2020; the period when there occurred a loosening in the restrictive measures between the two lockdowns in Greece. It was investigated how the demographic factors, specifically gender, age, occupation, and place of residence, influence the attitude of the respondents towards synchronous and asynchronous distance learning as well as their intention to continue using online education services in the future after the lifting of the restrictive measures. Additionally, the customers’ preferences concerning the most enjoyable distance learning experience were examined, so that they will be available to the distance learning program designers. Descriptive statistical analysis and non-parametric statistical hypothesis tests were conducted in SPSS and R. Most of the respondents had not participated in online courses before the Covid-19 outbreak, 46 % did participate in e-learning courses before the Covid-19 lockdown while 54 % did not and 34.1% respondents prefer face-to-face learning, while 15.9% prefer e-learning. Also, 50% respondents prefer a combination of face-to-face learning and e-learning. Hypothesis tests showed that there are statistically significant differences between users’ preferences as well as regarding their demographic characteristics. Undergraduate and postgraduate university students continue to participate in online learning courses and are willing to invest financial resources and time in this new educational process (?2(4)=10.440, p=0.034), unlike high school students who prefer face-to-face learning (p=0.042). The present study will lead to practical implications, such as the formation of e-learning programs which aim for the best user experience and the best learning outcomes. Also, private educational organizations can include the results in the key elements to implementing a strategic marketing mix.


Author(s):  
Bo Xing

Massive open online courses (MOOCs), also known as kind of free and accessible online education environment, have been deeply appeals to people and broadly covered in different medium. Nowadays, it seems MOOCs are everywhere. Originally, MOOCs are designed to offer learning content to the participants who do not have an adequate educational infrastructure, or where cost has become a barrier to educational access. However, as the MOOCs become more popular, an important question need to be asked: how do traditional face-to-face learning students benefit from MOOC environments as well? This chapter introduces MOOCs as an assistant platform to rebuild the course structure in order to tie education more closely to work. The major advantage of this hybrid teaching and learning model is that it is flexible as it allows students to work through materials at their own pace and at a time that is most convenient to them. Although the successful integration of such different teaching and learning modalities is a big challenge, the presented case study and the preliminary experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid methodology.


Author(s):  
Aissetou Drame Yaye

The University Abdou Moumouni (UAM) of Niamey in Niger mainly focused on traditional face to face learning, and even the existence of the African Virtual University since the years 1999 did not change the situation. It is only after the official opening at the University of the Francophone Digital Campus in December 2003 that lecturers and students started overseeing and taking advantages of all the benefits of e-Learning and distance learning. The present paper builds on the author’s personal initiatory experience in e-Learning to highlight some specific challenges that traditional universities such as the UAM face in their efforts to introduce e-Learning and distance learning as a new mode of course delivery. The study shows that even though challenges are big, political and institutional support can freshen the perspectives and change opportunities into realities.


2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiam Chooi Chea ◽  
Lim Tick Meng ◽  
Phang Siew Nooi

With the advancements in communications technology brought about by the advent of the Internet and World Wide Web, attention has been drawn to Open and Distance Learning (ODL) as a mode for teaching and learning. In Malaysia, the establishment of ODL universities such as Open University Malaysia (OUM) has expanded the role of ICT in learning and knowledge generation. By leveraging on Internet technology, ODL universities are able to transmit education across the country and even globally. ODL sets about making quality e-learning and e-content more accessible to both facilitators and learners. Utilising this method, new opportunities are continuously created to make higher education more accessible to those who seek to improve and upgrade themselves. This paper examines OUM's practice of using the innovative technology of online learning and teaching to make higher education easily accessible to those that seek it. With greater advancements in technology, the future of higher education may lie more with ODL than with traditional face-to-face learning.


Author(s):  
Vincent Salyers ◽  
Lorraine Carter ◽  
Alanna Carter ◽  
Sue Myers ◽  
Penelope Barrett

<p>While e-learning is now characterized by a past and trends within that past, there continues to be uncertainty about how e-learning is defined and conceptualized, whether or not we like e-learning, and whether or not it is as meaningful to us as face to face learning. The purpose of this study was to document the e-learning perceptions of students at three Canadian post-secondary institutions. Key components of e-learning courses including ease of navigation, course design, resource availability, and adequacy of e-learning supports and their impact on the student learning experience were also evaluated. Based on a survey of students (n= 1,377) as well as their participation in focus groups, the following are presented as important findings: the majority of students studying in e-learning courses at the three institutions represented in the study were women; ease of navigation, course design, and previous experience with e-learning consistently demonstrated a statistically significant predictive capacity for positive e-learning experiences; and students expressed less preference for e-learning instructional strategies than their faculty. Study findings hold implications for e-learning faculty, instructional designers, and administrators at institutions of higher education in Canada and elsewhere where e-learning is part of the institutional mandate. Additionally, further research into student perceptions of and experiences with e-learning is recommended.</p>


Author(s):  
Jonatan Castaño-Muñoz ◽  
Teresa Sancho-Vinuesa ◽  
Josep M. Duart

<p>Online interaction is considered to be a key aspect of effective e-learning and improved academic achievement. However, few studies have examined how effectiveness varies with the degree of interaction intensity. Using data for 17,090 students from three Catalan universities, in this paper we study the productivity associated with five different levels of interaction intensity in learning. We also compare the results obtained for fully online education with those for face-to-face learning. The analyses show that interaction in online education has diminishing returns, while in face-to-face learning it does not do so in a pure way. These results have implications for determining the optimum level of interaction that should be sought when designing courses and educational policies.</p>


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