[publication] E-Learning Model in Practice – Does it Work and Fit?

Our contribution to this year Global Time Conference about “E-Learning Model in Practice – Does it Work and Fit?” is now online available as draft version.
Abstract:

This paper presents a general model of e-learning in higher education and compares four running e-learning courses for further education to each other. The courses are described and their account within the model is discussed. The main question in this context is to find out whether it is possible to make a generalization over all courses or not? In fact of all different impact factors, such as teaching strategies, scopes and results as well as their changes during the courses, it can be concluded that this e-learning model works in general for this kind of courses anyway.

E-Learning Model in Practice – Does it Work and Fit?

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Reference: Ebner, M., Petrovic, M. (2012), E‐Learning Model in Practice – Does it Work and Fit?, Global Time Conference 2012, p. 1-­7

[CfP] Young Academics E-Learning Research (YAER12)

FNM-Austria likes to assist young researchers to present the community their studies, works, implementations and engage them to contribute at the International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning (2012).
Therefore a Call for Papers called “Young Acedemics E-Learning Research” is announced and the deadline to sumbit an extended abstract is 23th April 2012:

Call for Papers: ICL 2012 Special Track YAER12

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[#LAK2012] Learning Analytics and Knowledge 2012

Our publication on “It’s just About Learning the Multiplication Table” got accepted for this year conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge 2012. We will talk about our research results concerning the project “Intelligent Multiplication Table”. The abstract of our contribution:

One of the first and basic mathematical knowledge of school children is the multiplication table. At the age of 8 to 10 each child has to learn by training step by step, or more scientifically, by using a behavioristic learning concept. Due to this fact it can be mentioned that we know very well about the pedagogical approach, but on the other side there is rather less knowledge about the increase of step-by-step knowledge of the school children.
In this publication we present some data documenting the fluctuation in the process of acquiring the multiplication tables. We report the development of an algorithm which is able to adapt the given tasks out of a given pool to unknown pupils. For this purpose a web-based application for learning the multiplication table was developed and then tested by children. Afterwards so- called learning curves of each child were drawn and analyzed by the research team as well as teachers carrying out interesting outcomes. Learning itself is maybe not as predictable as we know from pedagogical experiences, it is a very individualized process of the learners themselves.
It can be summarized that the algorithm itself as well as the learning curves are very useful for studying the learning success. Therefore it can be concluded that learning analytics will become an important step for teachers and learners of tomorrow.

We are looking forward to meet you in Vancouver to discuss our research results 🙂 .

[publication] Does a Citation-Index for Websites Make Sense?

Our publication on “Does a Citation-Index for Websites Make Sense?” in the Global Computer Science Technology Journal (Open Access) is now online available.

Abstract:

The usefulness of external references to websites is a crucial factor of web-monitoring. It is of high general interest whether your website is visited by the estimated target group or not. This publication measures the value of references of websites by bringing the idea of citation- index to web-analytic tools. The approach presented is considering the number and quality of actions a visitor of a specific website does and the time s/he spent on this website as well as the previous website the user is coming from. The combination of these three parameters are expressed by formulas and afterwards visualized by different tools. Finally this approach is tested and discussed on an existing project. It can be concluded that this concept is indeed useful to get a deeper insight whether external websites addressing the intended target group or not.

Does a Citation-Index for Websites Make Sense?

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Reference: Ebner, M., Alimucaj, A., (2011) Does a Citation-Index for Websites Make Sense?, GJCST (2011), Volume 11, Issue 20: 1-9 [.pdf]

[publication] Microblogging Practices of Scientists in e-Learning: A Qualitative Approach

Our publication on “Microblogging Practices of Scientists in e-Learning: A Qualitative Approach” is now online available. The paper is published in the iJet (International journal of emerging technologies in learning) Journal Nr. 4/2011 [Link].
Abstract:

Microblogging services, in particular Twitter, have experienced an explosive uptake in the last few years with a decelerated grown rate since 2010. Apart from celebrities, PR and news agencies, the bulk of user profiles stems form private individuals. Amongst them, individual scientists have started to make use of Twitter for professional purposes. This paper presents a qualitative approach of discovering microblogging practices and obtaining rich descriptions of few cases that give a deeper insight into how Twitter is used by scientists active in the field of e-Learning and how this practice shapes their social networks. The methodological approach is based on online ethnographic studies. Therefore Grabeeter, a tool for collecting all public tweets of a person in various formats, has been adapted in order to obtain the data appropriate for a qualitative analysis following a grounded theory approach. After an analysis of the current state-of-the-art we will outline the methodological approach for our qualitative analysis that focuses on discovering tacit aspects of microblogging practices such as value or purpose. Finally the results of the online ethnographic approach and individual cases will be discussed and compared to similar studies. This work presents the explorative phase of a detailed qualitative approach towards exploring microblogging practices of scientists.

Microblogging Practices of Scientists in e-Learning: A Qualitative Approach

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Reference: Kieslinger, B.; Ebner, M.; Helga, W. (2011) Microblogging Practices of Scientists in E-Learning: A Qualitative Approach. – in: International journal of emerging technologies in learning (iJet) 4/2011, S. 31 – 39; https://online-journals.org/i-jet/article/view/1820

[publication] First Experiences with OLPC in European Classrooms

Our publication on “First Experiences with OLPC in European Classrooms” is now online as Draftversion available.
Abstract:

For many years now E-learning researchers have been discussing the use of laptops in educational settings. The One Laptop per Child project, (OLPC project), has been used in developing countries since the year 2002 to avoid the increase of the digital divide between those with ready access to technology and those with limited access. Austria has become one of the first countries in the European Union (EU) to start an OLPC-project of its own. The focus of the project was on the use of digital devices in education at elementary school level. Accompanied by a solid research team, which brought teachers, e-learning experts and a software developer together, a first attempt was established. This article will describe the preliminary work and the first real life setting of this project, concluding with the experiences of the whole research group. It will also summarize a recommendation for the transfer of the project to developing countries.

First Experiences with OLPC in European Classrooms

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Reference: Ebner, M., Dorfinger, J. & Neuper, W. (2011). First Experiences With OLPC in European Classrooms. International Journal on E-­Learning, 10(4), 343-­‐364. Chesapeake, VA: AACE.

[publication] Is Twitter a Tool for Mass-Edcuation?

My publication about “Is Twitter a Tool for Mass-Education?” at this year S-ICT conference in Vienna is now online available. The slides have been already published here.
Abstract:

Teaching as well as attending lectures in big lectures halls is an often-usual situation in middle European universities. Bearing in mind that a huge mass of learners leads to a decrease of lecture-student interactivity during lectures, the research work aims to enhance traditional face-to-face teaching by technology. The well-known and widely usedmicroblogging platform Twitter is used to display questions, notices and ideas on a wall just in time. Therefore a so-called TwitterWall is developed by Graz University of Technology concerning special pedagogical needs. Afterwards a first use in a big lecture is pointed out and discussed. The publication concluded that the use of Twitter in combination with specifics oftware can help to enhance lecture interactivity in mass-education.

Is Twitter a Tool for Mass-Education?

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Reference: Ebner, M. (2011), Is Twitter a Tool for Mass-Education?, 4th InternationalConference on Student Mobility and ICT, Vienna, p. 1-6

[publication] Offene Bildungsressourcen: Frei zugänglich und einsetzbar

Zusammen mit Sandra habe ich einen einführenden Beitrag zu offenen Bildungsressourcen für das Sammelwerk “E-Learning-Handbuch” geschrieben. Dankenswerter Weise dürfen wir ihn auch online veröffentlichen!
Zusammenfassung:

Offene Bildungsressourcen (engl. Open Educational Resources, kurz OER) sind frei zugängliche, nutzbare und häufig auch modifizierbare Online-Ressourcen für das Lernen und Lehren. Seit Anfang des 21. Jahrhundert begann das Thema mit einer zunehmenden Zahl an Projekten, Berichten und Mitwirkenden immer bekannter zu werden. Zahlreiche Argumente, unter anderem bildungspolitische, didaktische wie auch wirtschaftliche, sprechen dafür, sich an der Erstellung von OER zu beteiligen. In diesem Beitrag werden ausgewählte OER-Initiativen und -Projekte vorgestellt, die Potentiale von OER diskutiert und Motive für die Einführung von OER-Strategien an Hochschulen beschrieben. Zudem werden auch praktische Tipps zur Recherche, Erstellung und dem Austausch von OER gegeben. Der Beitrag schließt mit einem Abschnitt, der darauf hinweist, dass bei offenen Bildungsressourcen sich nicht nur der Vertriebsweg deutlich von traditionellen Lernobjekten (z. B. gedruckte Lehrbücher und Arbeitsmaterialien) unterscheidet, sondern dass auch weitere Prozesse einfach anders sind, u.a. das Qualitätsmanagement.

Offene Lernressourcen: Frei zugänglich und einsetzbar

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Referenz: Ebner, Martin & Schön, Sandra (2011). Offene Bildungsressourcen: Frei zugänglich und einsetzbar. In K. Wilbers & A. Hohenstein (Hrsg.), Handbuch E-Learning. Expertenwissen aus Wissenschaft und Praxis – Strategien, Instrumente, Fallstudien. (Nr. 7-15, pp. 1-14). Köln: Deutscher Wirtschaftsdienst (Wolters Kluwer Deutschland), 39. Erg.-Lfg. Oktober 2011. URL: www.personalwirtschaft.de/elearning

[publication] Playing a Game in Civil Engineering

Our this year publication on “Playing a Game in Civil Engineering” at ICL 2011 conference is now online available as Draft version. The slides were already published here.
Abstract:

The goal of our research work was to find out whether in-depth learning of complex theoretical engineering knowledge at higher education level could be improved by the use of online games. In this context we addressed the research question to what extent online games contribute to the students learnin goutcome. The corresponding online game was used for the first time during a lecture on Structural Analysis at bachelor’s level with 159 students of the third semester. We used a pre-/post-testdesign with questionnaires and an independent online tracking. As a result we can point out that playing the game did not increase the learning outcome per se and the didactical scenario should be reconsidered. Nevertheless, the usage of the game for learning purposes was underlined by the oral feedback given which says that students enjoyed playing the game more than learning in a traditional way.

Playing a Game in Civil Engineering The Internal Force Master for Structural Analysis

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Reference: Zechner, J.; Ebner, M. (2011), Playing a Game in Civil Engineering. – in: 14th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning (ICL2011) ̶ 11th International Conference Virtual University (vu’11). (2011), S. 417 – 422

[publication] A Qualitative Approach towards Discovering Microblogging Practices of Scientists

Our this year publication on “A Qualitative Approach towards Discovering Microblogging Practices of Scientists” for ICL 2011 conference is now online avaible as Draft version. The slides were already published here.
Abstract:

Although Microblogging (for instance Twitter) is still rather young compared to other traditional weblogging services there already exists quite a number of studies on itsusage. The majority of scholars dealing with this topic have chosen a quantitative approach focusing on different aspects such as publishing patterns, follower patterns, publishing practices, etc. However, there are less qualitative evidence and case studies on how Twitter is used by adults in their personal working practices. This paper presents a qualitative approach of discovering microblogging practices and obtaining rich descriptions of few cases that give a deeper insight into how Twitter isused by scientists and how this practice shapes their social networks. The methodological approach is based on online ethnographic studies. ThereforeGrabeeter, a tool for collecting all public tweets of a person in various formats, hasbeen adapted in order to obtain the data appropriate for a qualitative analysis following a grounded theory approach. After an analysis of the current state-of-the-art we will outline an approach for a more qualitative analysis that focuses on discovering tacit aspects of microblogging practices such as value or purpose. Finally some initial results from four individual cases will be discussed. This work presentsthe initial phase of a detailed qualitative approach towards exploring microblogging practices of scientists.

A Qualitative Approach towards Discovering Microblogging Practices of Scientists

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Reference: Ebner, M.; Kieslinger, B. (2011), A Qualitative Approach towards Discovering Microblogging Practices of Scientists, – in: 14th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning (ICL2011) ̶ 11th International Conference Virtual University (vu’11). (2011), p. 51 – 57