This paper puts forward a new design perspective for game-based learning. The general idea is to abandon the long sought-after dream of designing a closed learning system, where students in both primary and secondary school could learn--without the interference of teachers--whatever subject they wanted while sitting in front of a computer. This…

This paper provides a theoretical framework for "reflection amplifiers" that are used in online courses. Such reflection amplifiers are intervention techniques that aim at provoking reflective practices in learning, in order to enhance the quality and effectiveness of learning and promote meta-cognition. A literature survey identified a sample of…

Historically, Massive Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) have been used for entertainment purposes, but that is rapidly changing. Advances in computer technology and an enhanced perception of functionality have allowed MMOGs to combine with other technologies, such as networking and web-based learning, to provide educators with opportunities to…

Design-based research is a burgeoning research paradigm holding the promise of introducing more socially responsible studies to transform education. However, there is a lack of methodological standards and established research processes to inform this type of study. Although there are general principles and procedures on design-based research,…

This article presents GISMO, a novel, open source, graphic student-tracking tool integrated into Moodle. GISMO represents a further step in information visualization applied to education, and also a novelty in the field of learning management systems applications. The visualizations of the tool, its uses and the benefits it can bring are…

The Java Intelligent Tutoring System (JITS) was designed and developed to support the growing trend of Java programming around the world. JITS is an advanced web-based personalized tutoring system that is unique in several ways. Most programming Intelligent Tutoring Systems require the teacher to author problems with corresponding solutions. JITS,…

The work reported here is in the educational domain and deals specifically with the observation of instrumented pedagogical activities. Our objective is to observe learner behaviour within a web-based learning environment and to understand it. In some cases, this understanding can lead to improve the learning scenario itself. In this article, we…

In this article we present a structured set of Design Patterns (DPs) that deals with tracking students while they solve problem in specific domains such as programming or mathematics. Our collection of 17 DPs yields a three step approach: First step: to collect and analyze information on each student for each exercise; Second step: to build a…

In today's information technology society, members are increasingly required to be up to date on new technologies, particularly for computers, regardless of their background social situation. In this context, our aim is to design and develop an adaptive hypermedia e-learning system, called PERSO (PERSOnalizing e-learning system), where learners…

Recently, there is a growing interest in the automatic analysis of learner activity in web-based learning environments. The approach and system SIAM (System for Interaction Analysis by Machine learning) presented in this article aims at helping to establish a basis for the automatic analysis of interaction data by developing a data logging and…

The design of a web-based hypermedia learning solution requires a robust design process--a full iteration that conceptually, metaphorically, structurally and navigationally defines a solution with the end users at its core as exemplified by Kommers (2001). Initially this process was considered as a sequential, hierarchical pyramid from conceptual…

Graduate education in an online environment frequently means relying on a course management system (CMS) but also calls for additional interactive components. Courses in an online Master's in Family Studies incorporated wikis (Hawaiian word for "quick") to support collaboration among students. Online collaboration can replicate the expected…

Faculty teaching distance courses continuously seek ways to maximize learning for students. Two practice with feedback strategies were examined in this study for their impact on students' achievement and attitudes in an upper-division university level web-based course. One format contained higher structure and dialog creating lower transactional…

Discusses various adoption and diffusion frameworks and methodologies to enhance the use of Web technologies by teaching staff. Explains the use of adopter-based models for product development; discusses the innovation-decision process; and describes PlatformWeb, a Web information system that was developed to help integrate a universities'…

This article discusses some important aspects of Web Intelligence (WI) in the context of educational applications. Some of the key components of WI have already attracted developers of web-based educational systems for quite some time- ontologies, adaptivity and personalization, and agents. The paper focuses on the application of Computational…