Video-Lectures over Internet

Recent trends suggest that multimedia (in particular audio and video) will increase their share of Internet traffic, and that users are becoming more and more acquainted with viewing multimedia content on their computers and mobile devices. Scholarly institutions are experimenting since several years with the distribution of video-lectures, which are generally not meant as a replacement of traditional lectures, but rather as a different kind of support of the educational process. After recalling the pioneering ideas, discussed in this chapter is the pedagogical soundness of the idea of using videos over Internet for teaching and learning. Later reviewed are the various directions that research has taken over the last 10 years to support and enhance this modality.

Technological Evaluation and Optimization of E-Learning Systems Components

The main research objective of the chapter is to provide an analysis of the technological quality evaluation models and make a proposal for a method suitable for the multiple criteria evaluation (decision making) and optimization of the components of e-learning systems (i.e. learning software), including Learning Objects, Learning Object Repositories, and Virtual Learning Environments. Both the learning software ‘internal quality’ and ‘quality in use’ technological evaluation criteria are analyzed in the chapter and are incorporated into comprehensive quality evaluation models. The learning software quality evaluation criteria are further investigated in terms of their optimal parameters, and an additive utility function based on experts’ judgements, including multicriteria evaluation, numerical ratings, and weights, is applied to optimize the learning software according to particular learners’ needs.

A General Framework for Inclusive Lifelong Learning in Higher Education Institutions with Adaptive Web-Based Services that support Standards

The chapter introduces some key issues of a general framework to support the full participation of students with functional diversity issues (i.e. disabilities) in the learning process by covering the full life cycle of service adaptation at Higher Education institutions. This support is achieved in terms of combining universal design approaches and personalization techniques. Firstly, standards and specifications that try to cover the wide range of possible user needs are considered. Secondly, dynamic contextual recommendations are applied during the course execution to provide the inclusive personalization support. The approach is designed for Higher Education institutions, which are required to integrate this inclusive support into their existing services infrastructure. This framework is analyzed in the context of the EU4ALL project. In particular, the authors of this chapter describe the key components where the research has focused; specifically service based recommendations in order to support some adaptive and inclusive end-user services at UNED.

Game Based Lifelong Learning

Digital Games as a means of learning have become more important in recent years. Infrastructural and sociological developments have created fertile grounds for game innovations, by exploiting the latest technologies, and a new generation of learners have welcomed this form of learning. This chapter focuses on an overview of the current state of the art of learning games, explaining different perspectives. As the gamers’ generation has now grown up, the educational contexts for lifelong learning like higher and vocational education are moving into the scope of game based learning, and therefore deserve special attention.

Technological Aids to the Efficient Assessment of Prior Learning

It is generally acknowledged that learning and education play a prominent part throughout employees’ careers across their entire lifespan. In the era of lifelong learning, Assessment of Prior Learning (APL) is a powerful means for enhancing employees’ further professional development and learning, formally and informally. Though there is a growing attention for APL, the procedures, design, development and maintenance of APL remain a quite costly and time-consuming experience. After a description of the background and features of APL, this chapter examines the possibilities for re-using and interoperability by means of e-technologies. The chapter discusses the major components of the APL procedure, including the current possibilities for exchange and operability (e.g. specifications of QTI, IMS). The chapter concludes with a description and validation of an educational model of assessment for APL.

Adaptive Sequencing of Information for Lifelong Learners

Educational technologies have experienced an impressive change in recent years. This, in turn, is having a clear impact on educational practices and processes. Two important consequences for lifelong learning experts are the new possibilities of reusing learning material from different sources, and the need of adapting learning resources to different learners instead of using one-size-fits-all approaches. This chapter deals with the problem of sequencing learning material from both points of view: how to create adaptive sequencings of learning units, and how to share them with other systems by using the semantics of a well-known standard like IMS-LD. The complexity of the process puts the spotlight on the limitations of this widespread IMS specification.

Diplek

Modern ICT has evolved through the years and is now in position of delivering educational content to specific target groups in remote locations. Advanced e-learning techniques are now used not only for delivering content to high school and university students, but can be used in lifelong training programs. Due to the target group most of these programs have (i.e. professionals with little time to spend, people of a certain age with reduced ICT skills, etc.), it is vital that organizations choose wisely among the many Learning Management Systems currently available. The purpose of this chapter is to describe and examine the features of such a platform. DIPLEK is a platform developed using service oriented architecture to enable easy access to educational content and activities for novice learners and instructors.

Social, Personalized Lifelong Learning

This chapter discusses a challenging hot topic in the area of Web 2.0 technologies for Lifelong Learning: how to merge such technologies with research on personalizationand adaptive e-learning, in order to provide the best learning experience, customized for a specific learner or group of learners, in the context of communities of learning and authoring. The authors of this chapter discuss the most well-known frameworks and then show how an existing framework for personalized e-learning can be extended, in order to allow the specification of the complex new relationships that social aspects bring to e-learning platforms. This is not just about creating learning content, but also about developing new ways of learning. For instance, adaptation does not refer to an individual only, but also to groups, which can be groups of learners, designers or course authors. Their interests, objectives, capabilities, and backgrounds need to be catered to, as well as their group interaction. Furthermore, the boundaries between authors and learners become less distinct in the Web 2.0 context. This chapter presents the theoretical basis for this framework extension, as well as its implementation and evaluation, and concludes by discussing the results and drawing conclusions and interesting pointers for further research.

Collaborative Development of Educational Modules

Lifelong learning has to accommodate a variety of types of learners who differ in age, learning experiences, media preferences, learning styles, capability for working in teams, among others. To be more effective, lifelong learning scenarios require the establishment and integration of innovative methods, tools, and procedures into well-defined processes, aiming at producing customized and high-quality educational products, capable of better engaging the students (and teachers as well) in an active learning process. Collaborative development plays an important role in this perspective, providing means for developers from different domains, working on multi-disciplinary and heterogeneous teams, geographically dispersed or not, cooperating, sharing data and information regarding the materials being developed. At the very end, the envisioned scenario is to evolve collaborative development in collaborative learning, broadening the learning opportunities to actively involve learners in their own knowledge construction process. In this chapter, the authors explore the collaborative development of educational modules and its implications in lifelong learning scenarios. They discuss the establishment of a systematic process for developing educational modules, providing a set of guidelines and supporting mechanisms to collaboratively create, reuse and evolve them. Also, as part of the process, the authors focus on issues of content modeling aiming at helping the developers to determine the relevant parts of the knowledge domain and to structure the concepts and related information. They illustrate the application of ideas by the collaborative development of an educational module for software testing domain. The module has been preliminarily evaluated; in general, positive attitudes toward the quality and flexibility it provides can be observed.

Learning, Unlearning, and Relearning

Given ever-changing societal and professional demands, lifelong learning is recognized as a critical educational goal. With postsecondary students’ increased demand for online learning opportunities and programs, postsecondary educators face the challenge of preparing students to be lifelong contributing members of professional communities of practice online and at a distance. The emergence of powerful Web 2.0 technologies and tools have the potential to support educators’ instructional goals and objectives associated with students’ professional preparation and the development of lifelong learning skills and dispositions. In this chapter, the authors explain how postsecondary educators can use the Web 2.0 technologies associated with blogging, social networking, document co-creation, and resource sharing to create intrinsically motivating learning opportunities that have the potential to help students develop the skills and dispositions needed to be effective lifelong learners.