ADALE’06 Dublin June 20, 2006

Issues in developing adaptive learning management systems for higher education

institutions

Jesus G. Boticario, Olga C. Santos

aDeNu Research Group

{jgb, ocsantos}@dia.uned.es

http://adenu.ia.uned.es/

alfanet.ia.uned.esalfanet.ia.uned.es

ADALE’06 Dublin June 20, 2006

OverviewOverview

• EHEAEHEA– ChallengesChallenges

– RequirementsRequirements

• aLFaLFaNETaNET (IST-2001-33288) (IST-2001-33288)

– ApproachApproach

– FeaturesFeatures

– ComponentsComponents

– Evaluation & Lessons LearnedEvaluation & Lessons Learned

• ConclusionsConclusions

ADALE’06 Dublin June 20, 2006

Reports and European Programmes => (Dearing, Bricall, E-Learning, eLearning Programme…)

EHEA ChallengesEHEA Challenges

Student-centred learning

DFEE-UK 1998We recommend that, … HE give high priority to … implementing learning and teaching strategies which focus on the promotion of students’ learning

eLearning (EU) (2001-04; 2004-06)help “the learner to match his or her own needs for personal development” provide “facilities for LLL to upgrade the skills of people with disabilities”

User-centred learning = eLearning ?

eLearning Programme 2004-06

“e-learning takes into account individual needs and learning-styles, … not based on a "one size fits all" philosophy”

ADALE’06 Dublin June 20, 2006

EHEA RequirementsEHEA RequirementsQuestion

How to construct LMS that support HE user-centered scenarios?

Adaptation

is about creating a learner experience that purposely adjusts to various conditions (personal characteristics, pedagogical knowledge, the learner interactions, the outcome of the actual learning processes) over a period of time with the intention to increase pre-defined success criteria (effectiveness of e-learning: score, time, economical costs, user satisfaction) [aLFanet, 2004]

Students Courses

concrete scenarios where each user satisfies a particular set of learning goals

Focus on learnerstheir needs, backgrounds, learning styles and observed behavior when facing alternative learning situations become relevant

learning situations have to be explicitly managed throughout different courses

ADALE’06 Dublin June 20, 2006

alfanet.ia.uned.esalfanet.ia.uned.es

European R&DEuropean R&D

ADALE’06 Dublin June 20, 2006

aLFaaLFaNET NET ((IST-2001-33288IST-2001-33288)) Contributions

Combination of design-time and run-time adaptation Covering the full life-cycle of eLearning Adaptive course delivery standard-based

IMS-LD, IMS-CP, IEEE-LOM, IMS-LIP, IMS-QTI Providing open source components (GPL)

LD and QTI Authoring Tools, LD engine Coppercore, Adaptive and interaction packages

ParticipantsSAGE, UNED, OUNL, KLETT, EDP, ACE-BNET

ADALE’06 Dublin June 20, 2006

Full life cycle in LMSFull life cycle in LMS

LMS Auditing

Learner

Administrator

LMS Usage

LMS Administration

Tutor

Authoring / Design

Author

ADALE’06 Dublin June 20, 2006

Full life cycle in Full life cycle in aLFaaLFaNETNET

LMSAuditing

Design Publication

Learner

Use

LD + QTI

User Manager Course ManagerConfig UI and Recom

PresentationInstructional

Design Interactive Services

QTI InterpreterAdaptation

Module

Audit

ADALE’06 Dublin June 20, 2006

Authoring focused on LDAuthoring focused on LD

IMS-LDIMS-LD

Pedagogical modelstemplates:

• Concept learning• …………………• ………………..

Practice

Contact Tutor

QTI re-test

Remediation

QTI test

Inductive/visual Deductive/verbal

Yes

No

Yes

No

Learning StyleProperty value?

Mastered QTI test?

Mastered Re-test?

Practice

Contact Tutor

QTI re-test

Remediation

QTI test

Inductive/visual Deductive/verbal

Yes

No

Yes

No

Learning StyleProperty value?

Mastered QTI test?

Mastered Re-test?

Inductive presentation (guidelines)·    Inductive presentation requires presenting first a number of possible examples and then giving a definition of the concept. ·      - The examples should be as diverse as possible to allow learner to generalize. They should represent the full range of cases that the learner will encounter after the instruction. ·       - Begin with easy examples so learners can master the activity and build confidence. - End with ………………………..

- Create dynamic & adaptive tests based on QTI test items and their metadata

- Create the course (example of a tree view of a course in the authoring tool)

ADALE’06 Dublin June 20, 2006

Design

Auditing feedback

Alfanet LMS:

• Presentation Layer• LD-engine (CopperCore)• Adaptation agents• Dynamic adaptive assessments (QTI)

Publication

Publication

UseAuditing

Course and material design

LD (pre-designed adaptations and

provides the hooks and the information

upon which the runtime adaptation

bases)

IM (interactive adaptations based on

analysis of the actual user interactions

lead to the recommendations and

adaptive dynamic tests)

aLFanet – a full life cycle

Auditing feedback

Examples of adaptation:

- Presentation layer:Personalised interface

- Dynamic adaptive assessment:Rule based selection from the relevant item banks

- Pedagogical model: inductive – deductive

if "KnowledgeLevel" = Beginner & "StudentLearningStyle" = Inductive Then Show ……….

- Adaptation module: advice for remediation

“John, taking into account your profile and your past interactions ………………..”

ADALE’06 Dublin June 20, 2006

aLFaaLFanet LMSnet LMSGuidedGuided and andPersonalized Personalized LearningLearning

Learning Learning Tasks and Tasks and ActivitiesActivities

RecommendationsRecommendations

ADALE’06 Dublin June 20, 2006

4 different pilot sites: “Spanish course for German Learners” (KLETT), “Environment and Electrical Distribution” (EDP), “How to teach through the Internet“ (UNED) and “Communication technology” (OUNL)

111 users: 22 at KLETT, 28 at EDP, 40 at UNED and 21 at OUNL

Strengths (users) dynamic adaptation and recommendations supplied flexibility of task order residing on the internet (i.e. all information is available) variety of different exercises and assessments good guidance and feedback by the use of tests course material is adapted to each personal learning profile

Weak points (authors) » improvement and integration of the authoring tools » more documentation on how to implement different adaptive scenarios

Evaluation Results Evaluation Results aLFaaLFaNETNET

ADALE’06 Dublin June 20, 2006

Evaluation outcomes

– effectiveness of the LMS is rated positive

– efficiency is rated less positive (performance problems)

– usability and navigation using the current interfaces was low rated

Lessons learned

the design phase is experienced as a complex task (templates)

defining adaptations within a course still needs technical knowledge

experiencing adaptation diversity in learning materials and open learning paths

user characteristics considered (cognitive modality, learning style, interest,

knowledge level, level of activity and similarity between learners) useful to provide an adapted responses

Lessons Learned Lessons Learned aLFaaLFaNETNET

ADALE’06 Dublin June 20, 2006

EHEA is challenging HE institutions to provide personalized ICT services management of individual and group profiles, contents, devices, interaction modes, and their relationships with each ICT service

aLFanet (eLearning + R&D)

aLFanet is aLMS based on a pervasive use of educational standards (IMS-LD, IMS-CP, IEEE-LOM/IMS-MD, IMS-LIP, IMS-QTI), which combines predefined rules with dynamic responses on runtime

From aLFanet experience follows inter-service user models based on standards are needed (ALL) users’ needs and preferences evolve over time (dynamic adaptation) developing extensive specifications present serious difficulties

templates and interactive assistance tools monitoring and tracking facilities should focus on providing qualitative features personalized feedback to users

users’ needs and preferences, service and environment features

ConclusionsConclusions

ADALE’06 Dublin June 20, 2006

aLFaaLFanet net architecturearchitecture

AdministrationModule

J2EE Application Server

Security Layer Presentation Layer

Dispatcher

IMS-LD Interpreter

Tracker

InteractionModule

ContentsServer

User Manager

AuditModule

Server

CoursesManager

Services

Data

CommonRepositories

WebDAV Serv er

Authoring Tool

WebDAV Client

Object Model

System Manager

IMS-QTIInterpreter

Adaptat.Module

MAPM

JADECopperCore

dotLRN

•IMS-LDIMS-LD

•IMS-LIPIMS-LIP

•IMS-QTIIMS-QTI

•IEEE-LOMIEEE-LOM

•IMS-CPIMS-CP