Recent years have seen a growing recognition of the value of positioning teaching as a design science. In this context, we see a great potential in the possible synergy between educational design, learning analytics and teacher inquiry. This synergy is demonstrated in the form of Computer Supported Curriculum Analysis, Design and Evaluation for…

The use of learning management systems (LMS) has grown considerably in universities around the world. The University of Minho (UM) has pioneered in this area in Portugal, adopting Blackboard as its official LMS. Moodle is also used in UM in scattered initiatives, allowing for interesting comparisons. Previous studies comparing Blackboard and…

This study determines whether an activity system provides a systematic framework to analyse collaborative group work. Using an activity system as a unit of analysis, the research examined learner behaviours, conflicting factors and facilitating factors while students engaged in collaborative work via asynchronous computer-mediated communication.…

Second Life (SL), an immersive virtual environment, is increasingly being adopted in education for both formal and informal teaching and learning uses. This paper addresses the process of developing a demonstrator presence in SL, the potential of the system for formal teaching and some practical ideas on how to successfully integrate such emerging…

There is currently widespread interest in exploring the opportunities to develop learning that can be delivered in three-dimensional multiuser virtual environments (3-D MUVEs). In this paper, I argue for the need to conduct research into the emerging cultures of use in 3-D MUVEs, focussing on the example of Second Life. Drawing on social and…

One technology for education whose adoption is currently expanding rapidly in UK higher education is that of electronic voting systems (EVS). As with all educational technology, whether learning benefits are achieved depends not on the technology but on whether an improved teaching method is introduced with it. EVS inherently relies on the…

This paper describes and reflects on the development of the Schome Park Programme (SPP), which was established with the specific aim of extending our thinking about schome, which aims to be the optimal educational system for the 21st century. In an earlier stage of the Schome Initiative, it became clear that people find it almost impossible to…

This paper examines the effective deployment of conversational agents in virtual worlds from the perspective of researchers/practitioners in cognitive psychology, computing science, learning technologies and engineering. From a cognitive perspective, the major challenge lies in the coordination and management of the various channels of information…

The supervision of undergraduate student dissertations is an area in need of research. Although some studies have already addressed this, these are primarily based on academic staff responses. This study contributes to knowledge by gathering the responses of students and focusing on formative electronic assessment. Data was collected using a…

In this paper, we present the comprehensive version of CSIEC (Computer Simulation in Educational Communication), an interactive web-based human-computer dialogue system with natural language for English instruction, and its tentative application and evaluation in English education. First, we briefly introduce the motivation for this project,…

Focuses on the cultural and pedagogical considerations in the design of student-centered learning systems with particular reference to three cases in Singapore. The experiences illustrate some of the challenges and problems in designing and implementing learning systems in three different contexts: local-institutional, trans-institutional, and…

A non-science undergraduate course provided an opportunity for constructivist design, (i.e., provide learners with personal control, authentic learning contexts and diverse personal interactions including collaboration) using the World Wide Web, e-mail, and video. Describes the course design, implementation, and evaluation. Concludes authentic…