The killer app in LAMS V2.1: Branching

James DalzielProfessor of Learning Technology, and Director,

Macquarie E-Learning Centre Of Excellence (MELCOE)Macquarie University

james@melcoe.mq.edu.auwww.melcoe.mq.edu.au

Presentation for 9th Sakai Conference, Paris, France, July 1st, 2008

Overview

• Background to LAMS• LAMS integrated into Sakai• LAMS 2.1 Branching Case Study

– Interactive Whiteboard adoption Role Play

• Other LAMS 2.1 Features• Upcoming: Activity Planner• Discussion

Background to LAMS

• LAMS is the world’s leading software for Learning Design– 1000s of educators across 80+ countries– Translated into 25 languages

• Visual “drag and drop” approach to designing activities– Helps educators to visualise teaching and learning processes

• LAMS Sequences can be shared, re-used and adapted– LAMS Community (www.lamscommunity.org)– Approximately 3300 members, 86 countries, 290 shared

sequences downloaded 7500 times, 3700 discussion postings

• Freely available as open source software– (Fee-based hosting and tech support from LAMS International)

Background to LAMS

• LAMS can be used stand-alone, or integrated with Virtual Learning Environments (Single-Sign-On)– Learners: URL to LAMS sequence from course page– Educators: Author, select, launch and monitor sequences

• Current integrations include:– Sakai– Moodle– Blackboard (Blackboard & WebCT versions)– .LRN– Microsoft Sharepoint

LAMS Integrated with Sakai

LAMS + Sakai: Learner Sequence launched from Sakai Course page (SSO)

LAMS + Sakai: Instructor Monitoring of Learner Progress through Sequence

Instructor Authoring of New Sequence (inc Branching) to launch for students in Sakai

To test LAMS + Sakai, sign up at http://sakai.lamscommunity.org/

Interactive whiteboard adoption role play

• Available in LAMS Community - developed as an adaptation of an earlier role play (on LAMS adoption)

• Considers the adoption of interactive whiteboards in a typical secondary school from the perspective of 4 roles– “Pro” teachers – who are very keen on IBs

– “Con” teachers – those concerned about wider adoption of IBs

– School management – see both benefits and issues

– Students – like IBs when well used, dislike tech for tech sake

• Three main stages: Pre-role play role preparation, role play proper, then post-role play reflection

Interactive whiteboard adoption role play

• Introducing LAMS V2.1– Branching

• Teacher allocated• Group-based• Tool-output based (MCQ, Forum, Vote, Task List)

– Sequences in optional• Student choice of one or more sequences

• “Branching” is always teacher or system driven (ie, automatic from the student’s perspective); optional sequences allows for student choice “branching”

Key concept before we start: Properties bar in Authoring (click on it to open)

LAMS 2.1: Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Role tasks with Branching

LAMS 2.1: Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Inside branching for role tasks

LAMS 2.1: Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Naming of branches

LAMS 2.1: Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Setting up role groups

LAMS 2.1: Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Naming role groups

LAMS 2.1: Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Branching type = groups

LAMS 2.1: Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Mapping groups to branches

So… after launching the Role Play sequence in Monitor, a Learner can now access it…

Interactive Whiteboards – Role play: Student view of Forum (private for Pro Teacher role)

LAMS 2.1: Alternative branching approach: Teacher choice instead of group-based

LAMS 2.1: Alternative branching approach: Launch in monitor, then allocate to branches

LAMS 2.1: Teacher allocating students to branches by hand in Monitor

LAMS 2.1: Alternative branching approach: Student view of Branch 2 (“con” teacher)

LAMS 2.1: Alternative branching: Tool-output based branching based on Vote (using MCQ)

Imagine using Vote to create new “yes” and “no” subgroups for extra resources & forum

LAMS 2.1: Tool-output branching: Creating conditions from tool outputs

LAMS 2.1: Tool-output branching: … then mapping conditions to Branches

Branching summary

• Three types of branching– Group-based– Teacher choice– Tool output (& conditions)

• Can have multiple groups, multiple branching activities, multiple sub-groups applied to one branch, “skip” option for branching (no task for some learners)– Tool outputs can be Boolean (either/or) or Scores– Current tools are MCQ, Forum, Vote, Task List

• Task List is first example of “Conditions” approach

LAMS 2.1: New Optional *Sequences* feature (under optional; properties for settings)

LAMS 2.1: New Optional Sequences - allows students to choose 1 or more sequences

Pedagogical uses of new features

• Can assign different students to different topics– Each group investigates a different aspect of a phenomenon, then

reports findings back to the whole class

• Can use Branching with Tool Output (and Skip) to provide remediation tasks for only some students (eg, quiz score < X, then do branch remediation activities; otherwise skip branch)

• Can allow students to choose from different optional sequences (according to topic, skill, thoroughness, etc)

• Can seek student opinion (eg, Role Play Vote), then create group tasks that respond to different opinions

Other LAMS/RAMS 2.1 Features

• Live Edit of running sequences• New Tool: Task List• Flash Audio/Video player can be used in all tools• Merge/Insert sequences in Author• Optional Non-Flash Learner Interface (mobile LAMS)• Sequence completion status• Re-arrange lesson order on main page• For full feature list, see

– http://wiki.lamsfoundation.org/display/lams/LAMS+2.1+Feature+List

Application to Research Activities

• The concept of re-usable sequences of learning activities can also be applied to research activities– Research team management

– Research workflows

– Modeling of research processes ahead of time (eg, biosecurity)

• RAMS (Research Activity Management System)– Shares a common workflow core with LAMS

– Many new LAMS features (Branching, Live Edit, Conditions, etc) have arisen from RAMS requirements

New Feature (from RAMS): Live Edit (starting with running sequence in Monitor)

New Feature: Open live sequence in special author mode (some locked)

New Feature: Can change sequence structure/tools for those not locked

New Feature: Live sequence is immediately updated for current users

New LAMS 2.1 Task List Tool: Author View

Student View of Task List Tool

New “Conditions” Feature: Creating Conditions for Branching using tool data

Flash Movie/Audio Player can be used in all tools

Example of Non-Flash Learner Interface: Useful for mobile devices (eg, iPhone)

Upcoming: Activity Planner (aka Pedagogic Planner)

• A new layer over the top of LAMS that provides good practice templates, advice on choosing and editing, and simplified authoring (NB: under development)

Flexible Learning Design Platform:Capable of many pedagogic approaches

Good practice templates +Limited authoring

“Full” Authoring

LAMS Activity Planner: Selecting a template

LAMS Activity Planner: Filling out the key content for a selected template

Further LAMS Information

• Introduction to LAMS – walkthroughs, videos, case studieshttp://cd.lamsfoundation.org/

• General demonstration accounts for LAMShttp://demo.lamscommunity.org/

• General information about LAMS http://www.lamsfoundation.org/

• LAMS Communityhttp://www.lamscommunity.org/

• Live Edit new features 2.1http://saturn.melcoe.mq.edu.au/lams2/docs/winks/newLiveEdit.htm

• Adoption of Interactive Whiteboards in schools Role Play – download V1 version of sequence from http://lamscommunity.org/lamscentral/sequence?seq_id=376440

• Animated “mock-ups” for Pedagogic Planner concepthttp://saturn.melcoe.mq.edu.au/jly/Ped_planner.htmhttp://saturn.melcoe.mq.edu.au/jly/Ped_plannerv2.htm

Discussion