Interaction and adaptation in SCORM-based SE course

Todorka Glushkova,

University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria

todorka.glushkova@gmail.com

Introduction

The interaction and adaptation are key characteristics of every e-Learning system. They guarantee personalization of the training process.

The report will present our investigation of correlation between adaptation to specialty of SE subject domain and interactivity in basic learning processes as receiving of information; choosing of training resources and collaborating with the SCORM Learning Management System.

Interactivity

We define Interactivity as dialog between users and the Learning Management System in the training process and will view it at the following three levels:

Standard Experience- The physical structure and hierarchy of the learning content remains unchanged. The student receives entire information, independently if he know it.

Personal Experience - Hierarchy of content changes and adapts to the user’s behaviour and selections. The content in the system does not change but the sequence of learning activities does. The SCORM standard supports mechanisms for realization of this interactive level.

Interactivity

Open Experience - Refers to the interaction between learner and system. For realization of this interaction level we intent to use intelligent agents that according to stored personal information from past learning sessions, preferences and behaviors of the student to deduce dynamically suitable rules. LMS can change and manage individual learning process in accordance with these rules in the changed learning environment.

Interactive categories

Feedback and Control – These two interactive components are associated with the main user control over the system and the freedom of his choice. The student can choose and start determined instructional resource and receives information according to his aims. For example: in the SE learning package the student can see many definitions, statements and algorithms by animated schemas and diagrams. They can start, stop and manage step by step these animations. We realize these two categories as create domain-independent reference books and glossaries for immediate access to background knowledge and additional information

Creativity and Productivity – These categories are associated with guaranteing opportunities for making, building and structuring of the instructional concepts and content objects.

Constructing models and simulation of software systems is important ability for the students in the Software technologies master program in our university. We created a special environment at which the students to have tracked the different possibilities and scenarios of realization of the software process and systems – eLSEBuilder.

Interactive categories

Adaptation - We accept the adaptation, as separate interactive category and define it as a property of the leaning system to be self-tuned and to determine its behaviors according to the user’s aims and personal characteristics.

There are different aspects of adaptation according to level of user’s cognitions, skills, goals and plans; his preferences and habits; the specifics of subject domains etc.

Interactive categories

SCORM –adaptation & interaction

We will focus our care to the SE domain adaptation and the different possibilities for it realization. We will view the SCORM LMS potentialities at the implementation of this interactive category.

The main aim of SCORM is creation of flexible adaptive interactive e-Learning system, which assures defined characteristics. For realization of adaptation as interactive category, we use all SCORM models. The algorithm includes the next steps:

Step 1: Structuring of the content structure diagram of the lecture, according to main didactic aims and specifying of main learning rules-CAM

Step 2: In SELBO editor author creates or chooses appropriate learning resources (SCOs) and make the structure of the lecture.

Step 3: Determine sequencing and navigation rules for realization of individual learning process for each student, according to his background knowledge, aims, preferences, etc. (SCORM SN). SCORM allows nonlinear passage between e-learning resources, based on a set of rules, connected with didactic aims, the context, the knowledge and behaviors of the students. The LMS controls the training process, according to this sequencing of rules. The LMS, collaborating with the user model, describes the specific values of the variables in the individual profile information.

SCORM adaptively and interactivity

Step 4: Package of e-lecture, create an imsmanifest.xml file with content structure, metadata and navigation definitions

Step 5: Upload of the e-learning package to DeLC portal. When the student starts the e-lecture, LMS interacts with the learner and manages the navigation of the learning process.

SCORM adaptively and interactivity

Interactivity in Refactoring Learning Environment

Refactoring Learning Environment is intended to analyze and assess the code, written by students in real time, as well as to recommend to them changes in its structure, if needed, in order to improve its quality.

The analysis and assessment are made by an intelligent assistant – Refactoring Agent in compliance with the rules for refactoring, that is present of Asya.

Conclusions

The separate interactivity categories are passed through the three levels: The free choice of the learning materials and navigation in

the additional reference books and subsidiary materials are part of the first interactivity level.

Potentialities of SCORM to identify sequences of the activity between SCOs gives us opportunity for behaviors and results observation of student by the LMS, we connect whit the second interactivity level.

And the dynamic adaptation by the permanent communication with a student and with changes in a learning content by using of agent technologies is part from the third interactivity level.