Learning Resource Design and Sharing in
Ubiquitous Learning Environment
——The Concept and Architecture of Leaning Cell
Shengquan Yu
toyusq@gmail.com
http://www.etc.edu.cn
Uppsala May, 2010
School of Education Technology , Beijing Normal University
Sorry, my English is poor, but I’ll
try my best.
1.The Concept and Architecture
of Leaning Cell
Progresses of Learning Resource Sharing
Technologies
Reusable
Learning Unit
SCORM
Learning objects
IMS LD
Learning activities
Share of learning
content
Engineering methods and
standards for learning content
sharing
share of education strategies
and learning designs
Future path?
How to share generative information during learning process
How to evolve learning content to adapt to all personalized demands?
How to share social cognition network as well as resources?
How to share interactive learning tools?
How to implement content aggregation based semantic technology?
How to relate learning processes?
•More aggregation：form single resource to highly aggregated and complex resources
•Extending sharing scope：from learning content to learning process and strategies
•Technology upgrades：from static learning resources to learning tools & dynamic human wisdom sharing
Ubiquitous Learning
• On demand: Anytime, Anywhere, Mobile…
But more:
• Social
• Situated
• Context awareness
• Adaptive
Learning Resource Needed in
Ubiquitous Learning
•
•
•
•
•
Anything about everything
Adaptive: learning needs & all kinds of devices
Collective intelligences
Evolutive resources
Situated Knowledge: help learner solve real
similar problems
Deficiencies of Current Learning
Technologies(1)
• On the background of Knowledge-explosion, the speed
of knowledge updating is more and more faster
• Current learning technologies only support single
direction information delivery
–
–
–
–
Experts provide content and solutions as information producers
Learners are information consumers
Ignores the valuable information generated during learning process
Has a longer resource update cycle and a longer distance to users’ actual
needs
Deficiencies of Current Learning
Technologies(2)
• Lifelong learning and informal learning will be popular;
ubiquitous learning also has a brighter prospect. Thus,
there is large need for learning resources and designs
that fits the learning on demand.
• Current learning technologies emphasize formal
learning, lacking of exploration and research for
informal learning.
–
–
–
–
How to design content for discrete user attentions
How to share learning content on micro-granularity
How to adapt display on all kinds of mobile devices
……
Deficiencies of Current Learning
Technologies(3)
• Learning is not just to know knowledge itself, but to
grasp learning methods, ways to get knowledge, and
to build up a network where knowledge and human
interact with each other
• Current learning technologies emphasize learning
resources and activities sharing in a close structure
– Ignores the continuous updating of learning resources
– Ignores dynamic and generative connection of learning
resources
– Ignores building up dynamic relationships between
learners and teachers with learning resources
This research try to proposal a
new kind of learning source
organizing model——Learn Cell
The Concept of ”Learning Cell”
• The meaning of “cell”
– Component: learning cells can compose higher-level
learning resources
– Origin : learning cells grow from small to big, from weak
to strong
– Nerve cell: unite to get intelligence
Component
• Units that can reunite dynamically
• standard
Origin
• Growing resources
• Absorb collective intelligence & wisdom
Nerve cell
• Network according to semantic relation
• Intelligence, communication ability
“Learning Cell”
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Generative
Connectivity
Micro-granularity
Evolvable
Cohesive
Intelligent
Social
Open, communicates with other resources
Adaptive to multiple end-devices and platforms
Features of “Learning Cell”(1)
• Learning cell is structural knowledge network
– Interior：integrate content, activities and practices
with extensible knowledge representation model
– Exterior：different learning cells interact to build up a
larger knowledge network
Objective
instruction
Practice
Learning
content
Assessment
Learning
activities
Tool Base：
BBS
Interactive Q&A
Online survey
Online quiz
Subject tool
……
Aggregation Model
• Different from tree structure of learning objects’
aggregation model, the aggregation model of “learning
cell” is a dynamic network
• From resource organization to knowledge organization;
From linear tree-form structure to network structure
course
chapter
paragraph
Knowledge
unit
chapter
chapter
paragraph
Knowledge
unit
paragraph
Knowledge
unit
Hierarchy
aggregation model
Semantic network
aggregation model
Features of “Learning Cell”(2)
• Runtime information communication through
open services
– “Learning cell” is open structured, and can communicate with
other applications and share information
– Resource sharing over organizations and systems
3
tell
grab
Service tool
library
4
Information
needed by
learning
cells
1
Learning
cell
service
5
put in
(or link)
Run Time
Environment
Learning Cell
2
get
Features of “Learning Cell”(3)
• The evolution of resources
– Elements of learning cells include current version
information, editing process description(e.g.: notes or
revisions) and past versions.
– The evolution and development is not aimlessly ,but in
a structured and aggregated way, which is related to
the interior knowledge structure model
• The growth of resources
– Save procedural information when learning resources
are used.
– E.g. discussion records in BBS, practice feedback, and
evaluation results.
the Growth of Knowledge
1
2
3
4
time
2009-03-12
2009-04-07
2009-04-28
2009-05-09
the Growth of Collective Intellgence
• Describe users and editors in LCs, relate physical
resources to human resources
• Making LMSs share social network as well as physical
resources through sharing LCs between cross-domain
systems
Learning Cell：from link
information to link people
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Learning Cell：from link
information to link people
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Features of “Learning Cell”(4)
——the Growth of Knowledge
Using semantic technology to represent,
inquiry and reasoning knowledge
Gene of “learning cell”
• Semantic model for disciplinary knowledge
– Knowledge relation
•
•
•
•
•
•
Upper-basic
Part-whole
predecessor-posterity
foundation-development
equivalence
correlation
– extensible
– Reasoning foundation
Co-editing,
Learning activities,
Communication service,
Test & Assessment
Activity
records
Editing
records
Metadata,
aggregation model
Knowledg
e
ontology
assessmen
t
content
practice
Multiple
format
Service interface
activit
ies
Sharable
learning
resources
Generative
information
Usage
records
Learning cells stored
in cloud-computing
environment
Learning
community
Generative
information
Assessment
records
Glacier Model
of” learning cell”
Logical Structure of “Learning Cell”
Metadata, Aggregation
Model
Knowledge
ontology
Content
Multiple
format
Assess
ment
Learning tool
Learning
community
Learning content
Practice
Learning activities
Learning
assessment
Service interface
Learning records
Semantic relation
Activities
Generative
information
Cloud-computing environment
for Learning service
Content Aggregation Model
Net-Structured Aggregation Model
• The formation of dynamic link
– Creators of learning cells aggregate related learning cells
into a larger knowledge network
– Users of learning cells discover related learning cells or
other learning resources during learning process, and put
them in a personalized knowledge network
– By setting subject keywords, similar learning cells and
resources are searched automatically with the assistance
of some semantic analysis functions to find new links
– Analyze intelligently other learning cells that users have
visited, to find out related element and form links
– Users can find learning partners through links of learning
cells to form social network links among users
Comparison of “Reusable Learning Unit”, “Learning Object”,
“Learning Activity” and “Learning Cell”
Standardized
Design
Reusable
No
Learning
cell
Learning
Yes
object
Learning
activity
Yes
Learning
cell
Yes
Share Scope
Evolution
Resource Producers
Instruction material
No
Experts
Structured learning content
Reconstruction
allowed
Experts, teachers
participate little
Content and correspondent
education design, methods and
process
Integrated learning information, not
just current content, but also past
version content and the knowledgeconstruction processes; not just
content delivery, but also activities,
tools, practices and assessments; not
just preset information, but also
procedural information generated
during learning process and social
network; not just learning content but
also learning cognitive wisdom
Reconstruction
allowed
teachers participate
in more production
Content and
structure can
evolve
dynamically
All participants can
be producers,
including students
2. Running Time Environment for
Learning Cell
Architecture
Aggregate to Course
Create
Content
Storage
Create
Edit tools
Back to
Learning cell
Learning Cell
Repository
Call
Learning Environment
Connecting
Inquire & Learn
Recording
Learning Portfolio
Learning Interactive
Learning Tools
n to 1 learning
2.Running time environment based cloudcomputing technology provides service
according to user’s request:
– The most suited content
– Related content
– Usage records of the learning content
– Evaluation records of the learning content
– Editing records of the learning content
– Tools for the learning content
services
Learning
service
interface
3. Send back the learning cell and
related information
1. Users choose a learning cell to start learning process
4.Though the Learning services interface, connect
with:
– Other learners who use the same learning
content
– Experts that edit the content
– Join the activities for the learning content
– Then absorb experience, build learning relation,
form learning community, promote multiple
evolution and development of learning cells
Learning pattern
– Learning by reading/ learning by listening/
learning by watching (接受中学)
• 基于学习对象的学习模式
– Learning by doing/ acting （做中学）
• 基于学习活动的学习模式
– 学习元 学习环境通过将内容与活动、资源的无
缝整合，实现了以上两种学习方式的融合，使
学习者可以在学习内容的过程中，自然而然的
进入与内容密切相关的学习活动，实现更好的
学习体验
Learning pattern
– Learning by connecting（联系中学）
• 通过知识的语义关联和可视化导航，在知识的相互联
系中整体把握知识结构，从多个角度审视和思考，加
深对知识的理解，并有利于激发灵感和促进创新
– Learning by re-organizing（重构中学）
• 通过学习元 聚合工具，学习者可以自由的组合和管
理多个小的知识单元，建构自己的知识体系，促进知
识管理
– Learning Comparing（同题异解，在比较中学）
Learning pattern
– Learning by reflection（反思中学）
• 学习者不仅能学习当前的内容，而且能看到一个知
识单元生长和建构的历史轨迹，在这一过程性的情
境中反思知识的内在逻辑；
• 学习元 环境为学习者保留了详细的学习记录，并提
供练习和评价，促进学习者在学习过程中对自身学
习的反思
– Learning by communicating（交流中学）
• 学习者不止是通过物化的学习对象获取知识，更能
够通过学习对象关联到的专家、学习者，构建与学
习内容密切相关的社会认知网络，在交流中充分吸
收他人的智慧
Learning pattern
– Learning by teaching（教中学）
• 学习者在交流、协同编辑的过程中，可能经常性的切换
“教”与“学”的角色。许多研究表明，在“教”的过
程中，往往能够深化施教者对所教授内容的记忆和理解
– Learning by creating（创造中学）
• 学习元 学习者不仅是被动的接受知识，而且可以在综合
、重组、反思、交流的基础上，形成结构化的表达，主
动的贡献智慧，创建新的知识内容
• 学习元 学习环境为其提供了开放的创造氛围和便捷的工
具，并且通过知识本体和投票与审核结合的机制，保证
多人协同创造的内容生长方向，为学习与创新相结合提
供了较为理想的平台
Run-time Environment of
“Learning Cell”
Terminals
“Learning cell” underlying environment
Information
transmission
controller
PC
PDA
Resource
database
Location resource
information
Request
Detect inf.
Receive inf.
Analyze inf.
Universal network
Resource index
Information
Resource search
dispatch
Resource location Resource search
materials
Resource
history
Public terminal
White board
Active adaper
Wireless Internet
Network
Responce
Display adaper
Device type
Screen size
Screen resolution
Learning cell runs
Grow
API
Learning
Cell
transmission
Learning cell
extraction
Learning
cells
Divide
API
Trace API
Learning cell
storage
User
informatio
n
Smart phone
Learning service interface
...
Mobile TV
...
Learning
tools
Learning Learning Learning Learning
community content activity assessment
Learning
records
Semantic
relation
Summary
Learning cell……
 Extends shareable learning resources in space dimension
 Extends shareable learning resources in time dimension
 Adopts semantic aggregation mode, integrating content provided by
different learners according to certain knowledge structure, which is a
more practical resource sharing and co-editing mode.
 Utilizing cloud-computing and SOA technologies, making the platform
highly open and extensible; On one hand, learning cells that are
deposited in distributed devices and systems can be shared; on the
other hand, it supports plug-in tools, providing multiple content and
functions.
• Projects
– CETV: “New Media Learning Supermarket”
– Higher Education Press: ”Knowledge Community”
Thanks for your comment!
Website: http://www.etc.edu.cn