Implementation of pedagogical principles into the software design process of e-learning applications

• Main Author: Kolås, Line
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Subjects: e-learning

E-learning in higher education faces challenges related to variation and personalization, after a decade of attention to learning objects and computer-supported collaboration. The main objective of the thesis is to investigate how to assure the quality of the development process of e-learning applications by the implementation of pedagogical principles into the software design process. Specifically this includes the pedagogical principles of individualization, variation, meta-learning and best practice. This thesis contributes to the field of e-learning by four main contributions (C1-C4): C1: Design pattern-based wizards to implement best practice The first main contribution of the thesis is the idea of using pedagogical design patterns as a basis for the development of wizards in e-learning applications. Design patterns are archetypes on well-used solutions and enable the implementation of best practice and the expertise of experienced online teachers into the application. In the process of a pedagogical and technological configuration of an application, the design pattern-based wizard provides an interface presenting pedagogical opportunities, hints and comments to novice online teachers.C2: The E-learning Circle The E-learning Circle is a software design tool, assuring the quality of the design process of e-learning applications, focusing on variation, individualization and meta-learning. It consists of a number of concentric circles, which are divided into three sectors; student, teacher and learning objectives. The inner circles cover pedagogical considerations, while the outer circles specify how the pedagogical theories may be implemented with technology. The strengths of the E-learning Circle are the compact presentation combined with the overview it provides. It is also useful in dealing with complexity, providing a common language and embedding best practice. The E-learning Circle is not a prescriptive method, but is useful in several design models and processes. It represents a holistic approach to the design of e-learning applications and prevents the overexposure of e.g. learning objects or assessment in an e-learning system.C3: The E-learning ontology The E-learning ontology is a contribution to the need of a formal representation of a set of concepts and the relationships between those concepts within the e-learning field. This is necessary when planning to use topic maps as a HCI-solution within e-learning. The E-learning ontology suggests