This paper presents the initial outcomes of a key scoping study undertaken to explore the role of augmented reality and motion detecting technologies in the context of Intangible Cultural Heritage... Show More

This paper presents the initial outcomes of a key scoping study undertaken to explore the role of augmented reality and motion detecting technologies in the context of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) for museums related environments. Initial prototypes are in the form of an interactive infrared camera based application for children to engage with an Aboriginal puppet. This scoping study is unique, as it tries to combine two extremes: the curation of historical intangible artifacts and their preservation through digital intervention. Heritage related intangible content is always restricted because of its non-physical nature and can never be fully embed in an environment like museums and related exhibitions. This paper explores alternative opportunities for knowledge transfer of ICH content that manifest with playfulness in order to elicit a deeper understanding of such intangible cultural artifacts. This study is complementary to multiple disciplines including heritage preservation, museum technologies and emerging interaction design.

The advancement of information technology has changed the education landscape. The process of teaching is no longer the same. Information technology has made e-learning possible and available on a... Show More

The advancement of information technology has changed the education landscape. The process of teaching is no longer the same. Information technology has made e-learning possible and available on a large scale. The main component of an e-learning is a learning management system (LMS). LMS has been widely used and are accessible through the Internet. By connected and accessed to the Internet, LMS are exposed to various threats. Proper understanding of these threats combined with strategy and best practices countermeasures will ensure a safe learning environment. Therefore this study will look into the information security aspect of LMS. There are two main purpose of this study. First, this study provides a review of information security in e-learning environments and explains the important of information security. Confidentiality, integrity and availability are considered to be the primary pillars of information security. In addition to these pillars, the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium introduced a common body of knowledge (CBK) comprised of ten domains relating to specific information security topics. These domains are the foundation of security practices for those involved in information security. In this article, each of these is explained within an e-learning context. It is recommended that institutions employing e-learning adhere to these domains. By applying the principles and practices associated with each domain, e-learning institutions should be able to provide an e-learning system with high confidentiality, integrity and availability. The second purpose of this study is to understand student perception of an information security perspective of an e-learning management system. To achieve this purpose, a survey was conducted targeted at undergraduate students in a distance learning program. 497 students responded to a survey questionnaires. Apart from demographics information, the survey asked the respondent to rate six statements related to how they perceived security of the learning management system which they are currently using. All six statements are rated using a five point Likert scale anchored at 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Very much). Frequencies analysis was conducted to show the profile of the respondent. Overall, respondent has strong positive perceptions towards security of their LMS. This study provides an overall picture of information security elements of a learning management system. It can serve as an introduction which help LMS administrator to understand the issues and possibilities related to the safety of LMS.

Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) help the learners to take control of their learning. PLEs enable the learners to set their own leaning targets and manage their learning by communicating with... Show More

Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) help the learners to take control of their learning. PLEs enable the learners to set their own leaning targets and manage their learning by communicating with others in the process of learning. As latest technological advancements have brought revolution in every field of life, so as in the PLEs. Modern PLEs are the integration of a number of latest technologies i.e. blogs, Wikis, RSS feeds, where content is shaped as per the individual needs and interests of the students. Focusing on these latest aspects of the PLEs, University of South Australia initiated a three year new learning platform project in 2010, called LearnOnline, which will replace the University's current online teaching environment UniSAnet. LearnOnline was launched with a vision to foster richer learning through promoting students' active involvement in their courses and involving the students in a deeper learning experience. LearnOnline is built on modular approach and consists of different components i.e. ePortfolio, Course Outline, Lecture Recording, Copyright Monitoring, Student Email, Assessment and Feedback, Virtual Classroom, Course and Teacher Evaluation. Each component is developed separately and is fully independent. This methodology is helping the incremental implementation of the LearnOnline. As soon as a component is completed, after testing, it becomes the part of LearnOnline. In this paper, the author explains the features and workings of LearnOnline in detail and also evaluates its design methodologies.

The OER is a comparatively innovative phenomenon which perhaps seen as a part of a bigger movement towards openness in advanced education including more familiar and recognized trends, for example... Show More

The OER is a comparatively innovative phenomenon which perhaps seen as a part of a bigger movement towards openness in advanced education including more familiar and recognized trends, for example Open Access (OA) and Open Source Software (OSS). This study introduces a web based service for collaborative authoring learning to create, share and explore dynamic contents since many problems occurred while using the current e-learning software such as Moodle and LAMS. This paper proposed the alternative e-learning software technology based on grid portal, grid computing platform and it was implemented in two courses. The conventional web based education may not suitable for collaborative tools and online collaborative authoring environment because of slow operation in searching, uploading, visualizing output, and file sharing. The new web based service offers an efficient authoring infrastructure dealing with online collaborative tools and collaborative authoring environment based on grid portal technology to solve the unequal distribution of task and compensation problem as well as investigates how to improve access and usefulness for the users of such OER. UCLA Grid Portal open source software with parallel computing system has been implemented in order to design the efficient authoring infrastructure and to implement an online graphics, animation, audio and video technology courses. The idea is to show how the environment can offer web assisted education that goes beyond providing digital learning materials. The OER, especially in the collaborative authoring activity environment in parallel computing are designed to provide students with new environment where they can share skills, knowledge, and understanding within the group members as well as to enhance students’ teamwork skills in parallel and distributed processing for high performance computing. Based on the strong foundations, hopefully the users are ready to apply their knowledge, creativity and leadership to fulfill the need of their future career development. As a conclusion, the collaborative authoring learning becomes more effective in terms of performance evaluations analysis.

Portable MP3/MP4 players, e.g. iPod, are mostly used for entertainment purposes and very popular among the youth. The authors explore the possibility of using such devices as an aiding tool in the... Show More

Portable MP3/MP4 players, e.g. iPod, are mostly used for entertainment purposes and very popular among the youth. The authors explore the possibility of using such devices as an aiding tool in the educational environment, and hypothesis that these devices would help improve learning, e.g. fluency in English. The authors report on a number of preliminary studies which suggest that the use of such devices helped students in English learning.

The purpose of this paper is to (1) briefly discuss the definitions of face-to-face learning, hybrid learning, and related terms concerning the continuum of technology-based learning methods as... Show More

The purpose of this paper is to (1) briefly discuss the definitions of face-to-face learning, hybrid learning, and related terms concerning the continuum of technology-based learning methods as proposed by Bates (2001) and Bates and Poole (2003); (2) introduce effective uses of technology in face-to-face and hybrid university level courses; and (3) discuss justifications based in research literature for the use of technology to enhance student learning. Technological recommendations include use of multimedia technologies; interactive white boards; and course management systems. This review of literature discusses both theoretical and research based articles and includes empirical studies showing the relationship between effective use of technology and student. The main focus of this paper is to introduce strategies for effective use of technology in both face-to-face and hybrid-style university level courses. This paper is intended for higher-education instructors in both face-to-face and hybrid-style instructional contexts.

The research aimed to study the effectiveness of using an E-training package to develop Webquest designing skills for teachers of gifted students. The main research question was how well gifted... Show More

The research aimed to study the effectiveness of using an E-training package to develop Webquest designing skills for teachers of gifted students. The main research question was how well gifted students' teachers acquire the Webquest’s designing skills after studying the proposed E-training package? The research follows a quasi- experimental design for one group. The sample consists of 23 teachers of gifted students. The research only focuses on the designing skills for long term webquests. It is administered in a private school located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia during the second semester of academic year 2008-2009. The researcher used a pre-post test and a webquest rubric to evaluate the teachers' knowledge and skills. The researcher found that gifted students' teachers acquired very well the knowledge and skills related to the design of webquests after studying the E-training package. However, the skills of describing the process clearly and selecting resources were poorly acquired. This finding indicates that e-training packages can be used to train teachers on developing new instructional methods and tools. The researcher has put several recommendations. E-training packages should be used as complementary method and not as a replacement for face-to-face training. In addition, E-training packages should be supervised when implemented in an organization. In addition, the Arabic Web resources should be enriched with high quality websites.

Argumentation has been pointed out as an important means to foster learning. However, contemporary argumentation tools only poorly support the learning dimension. This is mainly due to their... Show More

Argumentation has been pointed out as an important means to foster learning. However, contemporary argumentation tools only poorly support the learning dimension. This is mainly due to their emphasis on formal models, which does not align well with the learning process. This article presents CoPe_it!, an innovative web-based tool that supports collaboration and augments learning through argumentative discourses. The tool provides the means to manage individual and collective knowledge by adopting an incremental formalization approach. The authors demonstrate the tool’s applicability to Communities of Practice and the authors discuss the potential of their approach in the context of e-Learning.

This study defines mobile technology (specifically in this study, smart phone technology) as a contemporary learning tool and environment that can make a difference in users’ informal learning... Show More

This study defines mobile technology (specifically in this study, smart phone technology) as a contemporary learning tool and environment that can make a difference in users’ informal learning practice. Currently, in Korea, there are thirteen millions smart phone users and the number of smart phone users worldwide is expected to exceed one billion by 2013. Mobile technology is, therefore, becoming a device that many people carry every day and its possibility to facilitate learning seems to be highly promising. With such societal and cultural movement in mind, to understand the nature of mobile users’ experiences and their meanings in terms of learning, the study investigates (a) users’ actual experiences in using mobile, (b) users’ perceptions toward the effectiveness and meaning of mobile for learning, and (c) the characteristics of informal learning appeared through mobile learning. In other words, the study aims to suggest practical guidelines by answering to the following inquires; 1) which experiences do the mobile users perceive conducive to learning? 2) depending on how users understand and define learning in general, does it influence on their use and perception of mobile as a learning tool?, and 3) what can be the most effective way of using mobile for learning in relation to the perspectives of informal learning? Here, the theory of informal learning is applied as a framework. Informal learning, in a broader sense, defines everyday experiences from which we learn something (Merriam & Cafarrella, 1999). According to Schugurensky (2000), informal learning can take different forms due to the presence or absence of intentionality and awareness of learning. He defines informal learning in three forms - self-directed learning, incidental learning, and socialization. While mobile learning has been researched a lot recently, its potential for informal learning, especially for adults has hardly been studied. The research study was conducted in Korea in summer, 2011 and plans to conduct the sequel in USA in fall, 2011. The online survey questionnaire consisted of 20 questions was developed and implemented and the mixed research methodology was applied in that it included both quantitative multiple-choice items and qualitative open-ended questions. The initial findings show that the majority of participants became aware of positive changes in everyday life, including learning. Also, three forms of informal learning: directed learning, incidental learning, and socialization were respectively identified in this environment. More specifically, mobile is perceived to be meaningful especially for directed (or self-regulated) learning while it is seen to be least beneficial for incidental learning. For socialization, interestingly, only certain participants agree that it has occurred through mobile learning or may occur. Finally, the participants find mobile the most useful for information search and knowledge acquisition. In conclusion, the mobile platform can facilitate different types of informal learning and work not merely as a learning tool but a learning environment ultimately. It particularly seems to enhance adults’ learning more enriched and prospered.