Our presentation about „Personal Learning Environment for Higher Education – A MashUp Based Widget Concept“ within the MUPPLE 09 Workshop at this year ECTEL conference is now online available:
[video] Social Media in Plain English
Common Craft braucht man nicht mehr vorzustellen, lediglich ein Hinweis, dass es wieder ein schönes Erklärungsvideo gibt:
[publication] Interactive Technology for Enhancing Distributed Learning: A Study on Weblogs
Our contribution to this year HCI 2009 conference about „Interactive Technology for Enhancing Distributed Learning: A Study on Weblogs“ is now online available.
Abstract:
In this study, it was investigated whether, and to what extent, Web 2.0 technologies, actually Weblogs, can be a suitable instrument for enhancing the practice of distributed learning. In educational settings, which are based on traditional lectures many students begin serious study shortly before the exam. However, from previous empirical research, it is known that the practice of distributed learning is much more conducive to retaining knowledge than that of massed learning. A 2*2 factorial design (within – repeated measures) with pre-test and post-test in a real life setting was applied; the study lasted for the whole summer term 2007. Participants were N=28 computer science undergraduates of Graz University of Technology. We randomly assigned them to two groups of equal size: The experimental group given the Weblog treatment are referred to as Group W; whereas the control group with no access are referred to as Group C. Students of group W were instructed to use the Weblog for developing their paper and studying during the lecture and they were requested not to reveal their group affiliation. The results showed that performance scores of group W were significantly higher than that of group C. This demonstrates that Weblogs can be an appropriate instrument to supplement a classical lecture in order to enable deeper processing of information over a longer period of time, consequently resulting in enhanced learning performance.
Reference: Holzinger, A.; Kickmeier-Rust, M.; Ebner, M. (2009) Interactive Technology for Enhancing Distributed Learning: A Study on Weblogs, Proceedings of HCI 2009 The 23nd British HCI Group Annual Conference, Cambridge, London, pp. 309-312
The PrePrint is available here.
Social Learning (TU Graz) auf Facebook
Wir haben uns entschieden, dass wir auch auf Facebook unsere Aktivitäten darstellen und vor allem für Studierende zugänglich machen wollen (Homepage). Damit folgen wir dem Beispiel vieler englischsprachichger Universitäten.
Neben unseren beiden bestehenden Twitter-Accounts –
also ab sofort auf auf Facebook:
Social Learning (TU Graz) on Facebook
[video] ePortfolio experiences
Dieses Video ist dieser Tage auf YouTube erschienen und irgendwie wirken alle interviewten SchülerInnen eher frustriert – oder täusche ich mich?
[review] Get out of MySpace!
Habe mir einen Artikel durchgelesen der dieser Tage online in der Zeitrschrift Computer & Education erschienen ist: „Get out of MySpace!„.
Die Autoren haben eine Umfrage an 4 Universitäten gestartet um herauszufinden wie sehr Social Software für Lernzwecke bei Studierenden eingesetzt wird. Das Ergebnis bei 76 abgegebenen Fragebögen ist zwar nicht erstaunlich, aber ernüchternd. Während die meisten über Accounts bei Facebook, blog oder MySpace verfügen, setzen es 70% kaum oder gar nicht für Lernzwecke ein. Nachwievor sind Powerpoint und Virtual Learning Environenments die einsamen Spitzenreiter wenn es um Technologie für Lernen geht.
Die Autoren versuchen auch den Gründen nachzugehen und machen deren 5 aus, warum Social Software kaum verwendet wird:
- the seperation of life and studying
- originality and copyright issues
- sense of information flooded
- time constraint based on their disconfirming experiences
- lecturers are not up-to-date and may not know how to integrate and make use of social software
Nun ich kann mich mit diesen Aussagen sehr gut identifizieren und es zeigt die eigentliche Problematik auf. Zwar werden auch positive Effekte, wie die Steigerung von Motivation und Individualität genannt, letztendlich ist aber man noch weit von einer guten Verbreitung entfernt.
Reference: Jones, N., Blackey, H., Fitzgibbon, K., Chew, E. (2009) Get out of MySpace!, Computers & Education, article in press, online available
Facebook & Friendfeed and the Real Time Web
Das Thema der letzten Woche war sicherlich die Heirat zwischen Facebook und Friendfeed oder besser der 50 Mill. $ Kauf von Facebook.
Die Spekulation warum dies geschah bzw. auch die Aufregung voralllem der Friendfeed User war groß. Zahlreiche große Weblogs (TechCrunch 1 2 und ReadWriteWeb) berichteten. Ausschlaggebend für Facebook waren wohl einerseits eine weitere Usergruppe zu gewinnen und andererseits die Livestreamtechnik von Friendfeed gezielter einzusetzen. Wie auch immer man kann gespannt sein, wie die Auswirkungen auf den Social Media Markt sein werden zumal ja auch die Facebook Lite Version schon in den Startlöchern scheint.
Hier noch ein nettes Video zum Real Time Web (via ReadWriteWeb):
[video] Social Media Revolution
Auf alle interessante Gedanken sind in dem Kurzfilm vorhanden:
[abstract accepted] Geo-Tagging in Archaeology: Practical Experiences with the TUGeoWiki
Zusammen mit meinem KollegInnen haben wir ein Abstract zum heurigen „International Congress „Cultural Heritage and New Technologies“ (Workshop „Archäologie & Computer“)“ eingereicht. Wir zeigen im Rahmen der Präsentation „Geo-Tagging in Archaeology: Practical Experiences with the TUGeoWiki“ Möglichkeiten und Nutzen von Geotagging im Bereich der Lehre auf und freuen uns auf viele Diskussionsbeiträge.
Abstract:
Introduction and Motivation: The wide spread availability of sophisticated and cheap mobile phones, providing internet access nearly everywhere, have led to advances in the application of new technologies to support field studies and Archaeological documentation. Established tools include Wiki-based mobile geospatial information systems, so called GeoWikis.
Background and Related Work: The primary objective of a GeoWiki is to provide the integration of photographs into an external map via an Application Programming Interface such as the Google maps API. Such MashUps are both a concept and a technology for merging content, services and applications from multiple sites. Experiences gained in civil engineering at Graz University of Technology made it apparent that the creation of a special GeoWiki was necessary: the TUGeoWiki.
Methods and Materials: As a use case we will be evaluating the TUGeoWiki during an archaeological documentation of Roman stones in churches. Relevant issues include both the usability and the usefulness of this application when being utilized in the archaeology domain. During this study the usefulness will be evaluated using heuristic evaluation methods. According to ISO 9241-11 there are three key aspects of usability: efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction; In order to evaluate the TUGeoWiki against a standardized benchmark, we are applying the System Usability Scale (SUS), a ten-item attitude Likert scale, which isconsidered a valid method of evaluation for mobile devices.
We report on the practical experiences and lessons learned during the use and evaluation of the TUGeoWiki and discuss advantages and disadvantages and possible solutions. Advantages include: taking annotated, geotagged photographs, in a secluded area where the archaeologist has little equipment; the immediate exchange of information and the ability to cooperate with other archaeologists etc.; Disadvantages include the relatively low resolution dependent on the mobile device used; the relative inaccuracy of the GPS location data; and the deviation between the distance of the camera and the object; data protection against tomb raiders etc.
Hier der Link zu unserem Beitrag.
[publication] How Web 2.0 Enhance Knowledge Construction in Civil Engineering
Our research article about the use of Web 2.0 technologies in Civil Engineering Education „How Web 2.0 Enhance Knowledge Construction in Civil Engineering“ has been published.
Abstract:
At Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) lots of experience using multimedia or internet based applications in higher education has been gathered. Especially in the field of civil engineering we can refer to a seven year long practical employment. During the very first e-Learning boom at universities in Austria in 2001 some projects in the field of civil engineering have been started in order to investigate the possibilities of web-based education. Nowadays a radical change of the Web, often called Web 2.0, offers possibilities, which can change the e-Education dramatically. The use of Wikis and Weblogs lead to a more collaborative teaching and learning process. Podcasts, in the same way as web based software helps to support the learner of today in a much more efficient way as in the years before.
This paper will discuss how modern technologies can be used in the field of Civil Engineering Education and will show a lot of practical examples of today’s effort in this field at TU Graz. The authors conclude that e-Education will play a very important role in the future of higher education. Bearing in mind that learners of today are the working society of tomorrow this change leads to arbitrarily new situations. Has industry to prepare for a new kind of generation?
Reference: Ebner, M. (2009) How Web 2.0 Enhance Knowledge Construction in Civil Engineering, A. Starcic and M. Kovac (ed.), University & Industry – Knowledge Transfer and Innovation, WSEAS Press, Athen, 2009, p. 77-101
Here you will get the Draftversion.