Patterns as an analysis framework to document and foster excellent e-learning designs

Christian KohlsKnowledge Media Research Center

E-Learning Patterns Workshop

Fitness between context and form

„It is based on the idea that every design problem begins with an effort to achieve fitness between two entities: the form in question and its context. The form is the solution to the problem; the context defines the problem.“ (Alexander, 1964)

E-Learning Patterns Workshop

My key issues

•Fitness: Does a solution fit to the context and its problem?

•Analysis: Describing good (fitting) practices as patterns

•Reliability: Can we trust the patterns?

•Mining: How do patterns emerge?

•Wholeness: What makes a good pattern?

E-Learning Patterns Workshop

Context for educational settings

• Organizational form (school, university, professional training)• Domain (Science, Art, Economics,…)• Political issues (budgets, fundings, evaluation)• Skills of teachers and students• Pre-existing knowledge• Complexity of the content• Teaching goals, student‘s goals• Number of participants• Schedules, amount of time• Aattitudes• Available equipment and resources• History and traditions

Describes a situation, environment or setting

E-Learning Patterns Workshop

Problems and forces

• Cognitive limits• Concentration• Handling many students• Doing research and teaching• Personal conflicts• Struggling with many lessons• Freedom and guidance• Skills need to checked• Pressure before exams• Fair ratings• Cheating• Plagiarism saves time• …

A conflict of forces that raise in the context.

E-Learning Patterns Workshop

Solution

The essential form that fits and resolves the forces.

• Solution Details• Benefits• Liabilities• Drawbacks• Consequences• Obstacles• Variations• Preparation• Implementation• Wrap-up• Tools• …

E-Learning Patterns Workshop

But how do we find the solution?

• Context and forces are not fully known• Not any form is a solution – most forms are not.• There is causality for fitting forms• Evidence: The Rule of Three• Is it the best solution?• Is it the only solution?• Will it last?

• Patterns emerge…

E-Learning Patterns Workshop

The pattern definiton.

„Each pattern describes a problem which occurs over and over again in our environment, and then describes the core of the solution to that problem, in such a way that you can use this solution a million times over, without ever doing it the same way twice.“ (Alexander, 1977)

E-Learning Patterns Workshop

Decomposition of structure

The sum is more than its parts.

Alexander, 1964

E-Learning Patterns Workshop

Decomposition of structure

E-Learning Patterns Workshop

Wholeness

• Every variables has to fit• Sub patterns have to fit to each other• Fuzzy bounds with different ranges of tolerance• Closure: Maximal closure of invariance

E-Learning Patterns Workshop

Summary & Discussion

• Fitness: Does a solution fit to the context and its problem?• Analysis: Describing good practices as patterns• Reliability: Can we trust the patterns?• Mining: How do patterns emerge?• Wholeness: What makes a good pattern?