[publication] Digital Transformation of Teaching and Perception at TU Graz from the Students’ Perspective: Developments from the Last 17 Years #tugraz #education

Our chapter on “Digital Transformation of Teaching and Perception at TU Graz from the Students’ Perspective: Developments from the Last 17 Years” we presented last year at ICL-conference is now online available:

The use of digital technologies in teaching to make it more varied, better, more diverse, or even more accessible is being pursued systematically at many universities. This article shows the developments in the digital transformation of teaching at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) over the last 17 years. In the process, the various activities of Graz University of Technology and of the central department of teaching and learning technologies about the digital transformation of teaching and its focus and change during this period are described in the form of a workshop report. The consequences and developments of the Covid-19 pandemic on digital transformation efforts are also addressed. This is contrasted with results of two students’ surveys from 2014 (N = 1,502 complete questionnaires) and 2021 (N = 1,386 complete questionnaires). Within this contribution, the authors use the survey’s data to assess how students’ attitudes towards technology-enhanced teaching were changing at TU Graz. Mean indices were created to be able to compare the two surveys. This shows that despite the less good experience with teaching at TU Graz during the pandemic the attitude towards digital teaching is relatively satisfying. Nevertheless, the authors point out that the students clearly indicate that digital (distance) learning has a negative impact on communication between students and teachers as well as between students themselves, and that measures would be desirable here.

[full chapter @ book homepage]
[draft @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Martin Ebner; Bettina Mair; Christoph De Marinis; Hannes Müller; Walther Nagler; Sandra Schön; Stefan Thurner (2023). Digital Transformation of Teaching and Perception at TU Graz from the Students’ Perspective: Developments from the Last 17 Years. In: Auer, M.E., Pachatz, W., Rüütmann, T. (eds) Learning in the Age of Digital and Green Transition. ICL 2022. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 633. Springer, Cham, pp 366–377. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26876-2_34

[publication] Students in Focus – Moving Towards Human-Centred Learning Analytics #LearningAnalytics #LearnersCorner #tugraz #LA

We are very proud that we can announce another research article about our successful Learning Analytics project titled “Students in Focus – Moving Towards Human-Centred Learning Analytics“. It got published with the book Practicable Learning Analytics.

Abstract:
Human-centred design is a well-established approach within research fields such as human-computer interaction, ergonomics, and human factors. Recently Learning Analytics (LA) researchers and practitioners have manifested great interest in exploring methods and techniques associated with this approach to manage the design process in ways that can enhance human interaction with LA technology. The project “Learning Analytics – Students in Focus” aims to use student-related data to support the learning and teaching process in a higher educational context. Our interdisciplinary team investigates LA tools that leverage students’ academic success by acquiring or developing self-regulated learning skills. We adopted a Human-Centred Learning Analytics (HCLA) approach involving students, teachers, and other educational stakeholders in the iterative design of our LA tools. This article contributes to the discussion on how to design LA tools using a human-centred approach. We describe the analysis, design, implementation, and evaluation process of three LA tools comprised in our students’ dashboard, i.e., the planner, the activity graph, and the learning diary. In addition, we present key results gained in several empirical studies which had an implication on the tools’ design. Finally, we provide insights about our experience with the HCLA approach, pointing out benefits and limitations in practice.

[Article @ book’s homepage]
[draft @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Barreiros, C., Leitner, P., Ebner, M., Veas, E., Lindstaedt, S. (2023). Students in Focus – Moving Towards Human-Centred Learning Analytics. In: Viberg, O., Grönlund, Å. (eds) Practicable Learning Analytics. Advances in Analytics for Learning and Teaching. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27646-0_5

[publication] Visualization of Learning for Students: A Dashboard for Study Progress – Development, Design Details, Implementation, and User Feedback #LearningAnalytics #tugraz

We described our dashboard-activities for our students at Graz University of Technology in this chapter about “Visualization of Learning for Students: A Dashboard for Study Progress – Development, Design Details, Implementation, and User Feedback“:

Abstract:
At Graz University of Technology (TU Graz, Austria), the learning management system based on Moodle (https://moodle.org/ – last accessed February 10, 2021) is called TeachCenter. Together with a campus management system – called TUGRAZonline – it is the main infrastructure for digital teaching and general study issues. As central instances for both teachers and students, various services and support for them are offered. The latest developments include the design and implementation of a study progress dashboard for students. This dashboard is intended to provide students a helpful overview of their activities: It shows their academic performance in ECTS compared to the average of their peers, their own study progress, and the official study recommendation as well as the progress in the various compulsory and optional courses. The first dashboard prototype was introduced to all computer science students in May 2020, and a university-wide rollout started in December 2020. The chapter describes design considerations and design development work, implementation, as well as the user feedback on the implementation. Finally, the authors present recommendations as guidelines for similar projects based on their experience and students’ feedback and give an outlook for future development and research.

[article @ book’s homepage]
[draft @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Leitner P., Ebner M., Geisswinkler H., Schön S. (2021) Visualization of Learning for Students: A Dashboard for Study Progress – Development, Design Details, Implementation, and User Feedback. In: Sahin M., Ifenthaler D. (eds) Visualizations and Dashboards for Learning Analytics. Advances in Analytics for Learning and Teaching. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81222-5_19

[publication] Developing a Professional Profile of a Digital Ethics Officer in an Educational Technology Unit in Higher Education #Learninganalytics #ethics #tugraz #research

Our chapter about “Developing a Professional Profile of a Digital Ethics Officer in an Educational Technology Unit in Higher Education” is published right now.

Abstract:
The digitalisation of learning, teaching, and study processes has a major impact on possible evaluations and uses of data, for example with regard to individual learning recommendations, prognosis, or assessments. This also gives rise to ethical issues centered around digital teaching and possible challenges of data use. One possible approach to this challenge might be to install a Digital Ethics Officer (DEO), whose future profile this paper outlines for a Educational Technology unit of a Higher Education Institution (HEI). Therefore, an introductory overview of the tasks and roles of Ethics Officers (EO) is given based on the literature. The authors then describe the current ethics program of a university of technology and collect current and potential ethical issues from the field of educational technologies. Based on this, a first professional profile for a DEO at an educational technology unit of a university is described. From the authors’ point of view, the article thus prepares important considerations and steps for the future of this position.

[article @ book’s homepage]
[draft @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Andrews, D., Leitner, P., Schön, S., Ebner, M. (2022). Developing a Professional Profile of a Digital Ethics Officer in an Educational Technology Unit in Higher Education. In: Zaphiris, P., Ioannou, A. (eds) Learning and Collaboration Technologies. Designing the Learner and Teacher Experience. HCII 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 13328. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-05657-4_12

[publication] Evaluation Design for Learning with Mixed Reality in Mining Education Based on a Literature Review #research #tugraz

We are happy that our contribution about “Evaluation Design for Learning with Mixed Reality in Mining Education Based on a Literature Review” got published now.

Abstract:
Mixed Reality technologies are on the rise in the educational sector. However, research shows that there is still a lack in knowledge concerning the evaluation of these technologies. In this paper we present a research on current practices in evaluation for Mixed Reality. For this purpose, we selected 94 publications from between 2015 and 2021 and reduced them to 45 which included formal evaluation processes. We then adapted a classification scheme by Duenser et al. [5] and categorized these papers according to their evaluation methods. We present our overall findings and explain some examples more detailed. The results are then compared to previous work outside and within the MiReBooks project and applied on the didactical framework. This allows us to illustrate the development of this sector over the last years and it helps us to enhance our own evaluation approaches. First results also show that there is a rise in evaluation approaches recently and that the overall goals for these processes did not change much from 2008.

[draft @ ResearchGate]
[full article @ book’s homepage]

Reference: Thurner S., Daling L., Ebner M., Ebner M., Schön S. (2021) Evaluation Design for Learning with Mixed Reality in Mining Education Based on a Literature Review. In: Zaphiris P., Ioannou A. (eds) Learning and Collaboration Technologies: Games and Virtual Environments for Learning. HCII 2021. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 12785. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77943-6_21

[publication] Digital gestütztes Lernen in der Erwachsenenbildung – wo liegt die Innovation? #tugraz #research #mooc

Mit Sandra Schön habe ich mir im Sommer Gedanken zu Innovationen beim digital gestützten Lerrnen in der Erwachsenenbildung gemacht:

Seit rund 30 Jahren spielen digitale Technologien eine wichtig werdende und wandelnde Rolle bei ihrer Nutzung und Auswirkung auf die österreichische Erwachsenenbildung. Nach einem kurzen Überblick über die Entwicklungen und Auswirkungen beschreibt der Beitrag zunächst Innovationen der Erwachsenenbildung durch Digitalisierung. Hier wird unter anderem auf MOOCs (kurz für Englisch: „massive open online course“) eingegangen und das Konzept des Inverse Blended Learnings sowie die erfolgreiche Umsetzung für die EBmooc-Umsetzungen präsentiert. Im Anschluss werden wichtige Herausforderungen der Erwachsenenbildung benannt, insbesondere die Herausforderung von Ungleichheiten und herausfordernde Unterschiede beim digitalen Basiswissen zwischen den Geschlechtern in Österreich. Der Beitrag schließt mit einem Appell zur aktiven Mitgestaltung zukünftiger Entwicklungen der traditionellen Erwachsenenbildungseinrichtungen auf dem Bildungsmarkt der (zukünftigen) Weiterbildungsmöglichkeiten.

Schön S., Ebner M. (2021). Digital gestütztes Lernen in der Erwachsenenbildung – wo liegt die Innovation? In: Egger R., Härtel P. (eds) Bildung für alle?. Lernweltforschung, vol 36. Springer VS, Wiesbaden, pp. 231-252, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-31054-7_12;, Preliminary Version: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349444475_Digital_gestutztes_Lernen_in_der_Erwachsenenbildung_-_wo_liegt_die_Innovation;

Book Project: Learning with Technologies in Learning #cfp #elearning #research #springer

There is a new book project we would like to invite interested authors named “Learning with Technologies in Learning

In six sections (see sections’ calls for chapters), this edited volume aims to contribute to the discussion about how to agree upon standards to design and organize learning with technologies, how to streamline future developments using online delivery, multimedia content as well as machine learning in educational settings in higher education and respective institutions, and how to put respective measures for quality assurance and validation processes into practice. This work will present a rich resource for contemporary and future design considerations in technology supported higher education.

We plan to publish this book in the first half of 2022 in Springer publishing house (Cham). At this point, we are in negotiations about the book with the publisher and expect a final decision by and contract signing with Springer by mid-April. Nevertheless, not to lose time, we start our work already now and invite you to participate with your valued knowledge and experience by submitting an abstract:

– Call for Paper publication: March 31, 2021
– Chapter manuscript proposals due (2-page abstract): April 30, 2021
– Feedback and manuscript invitation (pending publisher decision): May 15, 2021
Full chapter manuscripts due: September 15, 2021
– Notification of reviewers’ feedback: October 15, 2021
– Final chapter manuscript submission: October 29, 2021
– Notification of final decision: November 15, 2021
– Expected publication date: First half 2022

Find here the final call for contributions:
[Call for book chapter proposals]

[publication] Technologiegestützte Lehre an der TU Graz in der COVID-19-Pandemie #tugraz #research

Wir haben für das Buch “Wie Corona die Hochschullehre verändert: Erfahrungen und Gedanken aus der Krise zum zukünftigen Einsatz von eLearning” einen kurzen Beitrag zu “Technologiegestützte Lehre an der TU Graz in der COVID-19-Pandemie” erstellt und dabei exemplarisch die Umstellung einer Lehrveranstaltung unter Einsatz eines ReDesign-Canvas beschrieben.

Zusammenfassung:
Didaktische Fragestellungen waren bei der Umstellung der Lehre in der COVID-19-Krise auch an der TU Graz zunächst zweitrangig, als es im März 2020 darum ging, vom Präsenzunterricht in den Online-Modus zu wechseln. Im Beitrag wird die Arbeit des Teams „Lehr- und Lerntechnologien“ der TU Graz vor und während der ersten Wochen der COVID-19-Krise vorgestellt. Zu den Angeboten zur Förderung innovativer Lern- und Lehrsettings gehört auch der „ReDesign-Canvas“. Im Beitrag wird beschrieben, wie er beim didaktischen Re-Design in einem konkreten Fallbeispiel eingesetzt wurde. Der Beitrag schließt mit einem Ausblick über die geänderten Voraussetzungen und Strategien für die technologiegestützte Lehre in den kommenden Monaten.

[Originalbeitrag @ Verlag Homepage]
[Draft @ ResearchGate]

Zitation: Schön, Sandra; Braun, Clarissa; Hohla, Katharina; Mütze, Annette & Ebner, Martin (2021). Technologiegestützte Lehre an der TU Graz in der COVID-19-Pandemie. Das Beispiel des ReDesign-Canvas als ein Hilfsmittel der didaktisch-methodischen Neugestaltung von Lehrveranstaltungen: In: U. Dittler & C. Kreidler (Hrsg.), Wie Corona die Hochschullehre verändert: Erfahrungen und Gedanken aus der Krise zum zukünftigen Einsatz von eLearning, Wiesbaden: Springer-Gabler, S. 243-258

[publication] Property-Based Testing for Parameter Learning of Probabilistic Graphical Models #machinelearning #learninganalytics

Thanks to my colleagues – we did a publication for this year CDMAKE-conference about “Property-Based Testing for Parameter Learning of Probabilistic Graphical Models“.

Abstract:
Code quality is a requirement for successful and sustainable software development. The emergence of Artificial Intelligence and data driven Machine Learning in current applications makes customized solutions for both data as well as code quality a requirement. The diversity and the stochastic nature of Machine Learning algorithms require different test methods, each of which is suitable for a particular method. Conventional unit tests in test-automation environments provide the common, well-studied approach to tackle code quality issues, but Machine Learning applications pose new challenges and have different requirements, mostly as far the numerical computations are concerned. In this research work, a concrete use of property-based testing for quality assurance in the parameter learning algorithm of a probabilistic graphical model is described. The necessity and effectiveness of this method in comparison to unit tests is analyzed with concrete code examples for enhanced retraceability and interpretability, thus highly relevant for what is called explainable AI.

abstract of the article

[publication @ book homepage]
[draft @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Saranti A., Taraghi B., Ebner M., Holzinger A. (2020) Property-Based Testing for Parameter Learning of Probabilistic Graphical Models. In: Holzinger A., Kieseberg P., Tjoa A., Weippl E. (eds) Machine Learning and Knowledge Extraction. CD-MAKE 2020. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 12279. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57321-8_28

[publication] Learning Analytics and Spelling Acquisition in German – The Path to Individualization in Learning #hcii20 #iderblog

We did a contribution titled “Learning Analytics and Spelling Acquisition in German – The Path to Individualization in Learning” for this year HCII conference.

Abstract:
This paper shows how Learning Analytic Methods are combined with German orthography in the IDeRBlog-project (www.iderblog.eu). After a short introduction to the core of the platform – the intelligent dictionary – we focus on the presentation and evaluation of a new training format. The aim of this format is, that pupils can train misspelled words individually in a motivating and didactic meaningful setting. As a usability test was run with twenty one third graders, we are able to present the results of this evaluation.

Abstract of the publication

[full article @ publisher’s webpage]
[draft @ researchgate]

Reference: Ebner M., Edtstadler K., Ebner M. (2020) Learning Analytics and Spelling Acquisition in German – The Path to Individualization in Learning. In: Zaphiris P., Ioannou A. (eds) Learning and Collaboration Technologies. Designing, Developing and Deploying Learning Experiences. HCII 2020. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 12205. Springer, Cham. pp. 317-325.