Complex Technology-Based Learning Environment

The Activity-Centred Analysis and Design (ACAD) has been developed as a meta-theoretical framework for understanding and improving complex networked learning situations (Goodyear et al., 2021; Goodyear & Carvalho, 2014). ACAD helps to foreground two distinct moments related to the design of complex learning situations. The first entails advanced planning – and it involves design time – when an educator may consider the selection of specific tasks, tools, and complementary social arrangements of a learning situation. The second involves learning time – or what happens as a learning activity unfolds. When designing for networked learning educators need to anticipate a certain form of human activity and consider how designable elements may influence what students do (first view). But educators also need to channel what actually happens on the day, as activity unfolds, noticing how designable elements influence (or not) the intended learning activity (second view). One difficulty for teachers or educational designers relates to being able to draw connections between what has been designed (planned) and what learners actually do (learn).

Instructional designers use learning analytics information to evaluate designs of learning environments, learning materials, and tasks, and adjust difficulty levels, as well as measure the impact of interventions and feedback. Integrating real-time educational data and analysis into the design of learning environments, referred to as learning analytics design (LAD), seems to be a promising approach. Valid pedagogical recommendations may be suggested on the fly as learning analytics methodologies and visualizations evolve and as reliable tools become available and ready for classroom practice. This chapter aims to offer an overview on design and analytics of learning environments before reviewing opportunities of learning analytics design for optimizing learning environments in near real time. Learning analytics (LA) use static and dynamic information about learners and learning environments—assessing, eliciting, and analyzing them—for real-time modeling, prediction, and optimization of learning processes, learning environments, and educational decision-making.

Complex problem analysis and solving are an important evolutionary direction of TRIZ. Identifying core root cause and confirming contradictions are important for the management of complex problem solving. Both Theory of Constraints (TOC) and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) include tools which can help get root cause from complex problem situation. FTA provides qualitative and quantitative analysis methods to evaluate the weights of root causes. A complex problem solving model integrating tools of TOC and FTA in TRIZ frame is put forward, a case shows the application of this model.

This thesis analyzes the influence of structural knowledge on the individual level and the influence of knowledge heterogeneity on the group level on complex problem solving (CPS) performance. For the elicitation of structural knowledge, a computer based method, the association structure test (AST), is developed. Through term associations, measurement of thinking times, and through pairwise concept comparisons, the AST elicits a graph for each participant. The AST is tested in the domain of CPS. As complex problems are usually addressed by groups, a group setting is chosen. A curvilinear n-shaped connection between the group''s knowledge heterogeneity and its CPS performance is assumed. In an experiment, 150 participants were divided into dyads. Each participant received a text with seven knowledge elements on the control of a complex scenario. The heterogeneity of knowledge in a dyad was varied (small, medium, and large). After learning, dyad members self-assessed their knowledge. Knowledge similarity was calculated with knowledge management system (the skillMap). The knowledge similarity was also used for performance prediction. A discussion followed, during which dyad members taught each other what they had learned. Their structural knowledge was then assessed with the AST. In the following CPS task, dyads with medium heterogeneity exhibited a significant superior performance in comparison with the other two conditions. Knowledge heterogeneity exhibited a curvilinear relationship with the dyad''s CPS performance. The weighted density of AST-elicited knowledge graphs weakly correlated with CPS performance and explained a small but unique fraction of its variance. The skillMap similarity measure correlated significantly with CPS performance. Computer-based knowledge elicitation tools are thus potentially suited for performance prediction. CPS performance of groups is partially determined by the way in which knowledge is distributed inside the group.

Facilitating human learning is one of the uses of virtual reality (VR). Users interact within original and dynamic situations of learning in an integrated learning environment called Virtual Reality Learning Environment (VRLE). Nevertheless, the design of these environments is still considered as a complex task. We intend to study and propose technical and methodological solutions to help teachers to design (adapt or reuse) their pedagogical situation with a scenario-based approach and to operationalize it in a VR learning environment. In this work, we defined a design process allowing teachers to generate their VRLE. Then, we instantiated the proposed design process with a pedagogical situation as an illustrated example.

Exploring the Relation between Time on Task and Ability in Complex Problem Solving

240 Children, Youth and Environments Vol. 20 No. 2 (Fall 2010) ISSN: 1546-2250 Linking Architecture and Education: Sustainable Design for Learning Environments Taylor, Anne (2009). Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press; 451 pages. $100. ISBN 9780826334077. In Linking Architecture and Education, Anne Taylor has compiled a career of research into an extensive resource for architects, administrators, educators, and anyone else involved in the design of learning environments. Dr. Taylor founded and served as director of the Institute for Environmental Education in the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of New Mexico, where she directed research that examined the effects of the built environment on children. In this book she advocates for a series of design principles developed through years of teaching, research, and professional consultancy on the design of learning environments. The book places primary emphasis on the design of schools and schoolyards, with consideration also given to informal learning spaces such as museums and playgrounds. Aimed at providing a common language for design professionals and educators, Taylorattempts to link educational goals and learning theories to design principles through the use of numerous charts and graphics woven throughout the volume. The book is loosely organized around five key themes: philosophical foundations, organizational strategies, the building as a teaching tool or “threedimensional textbook,” future trends, and fostering ecological stewardship. The first four themes serve as the topics for the book sections, providing a sequential organization and unifying structure to the extensive literature. Stewardship is addressed in four separate chapters—one for each section of the book. The organization of the book is driven by Taylor’s aspirations to transform the educational built environment through a series of holistic-design guidelines including: design criteria that is informed by the users’ developmental needs; architectural form that evolves from curriculum and learning theory; educational spaces that are 241 flexible and modeled after the design studio; learning landscapes; community engagement through co-location, multi-use design, and the community as living laboratory; and post-occupancy user guides and evaluation. Along the way she incorporates supplemental information in the form of case studies, photographs, charts, and visual and verbal commentary from colleagues. These are organized in a brilliantly colored and graphically coded format of sidebar information, design tools, designer perspectives, and stewardship forums. At times this rich array of resources and varied perspectives disrupts the flow of the book—obscuring the points presented instead of punctuating them. But, perhaps more significantly, they also create the possibility for an alternative, nonlinear, reading of the book. Students, design and education professionals, parents, and community members may find this secondary organization helpful in using the text as a sourcebook of examples and best practices both to inform the design of new learning spaces as well as to identify opportunities to make more effective use of existing spaces. The link between pedagogy and architectural design is made clear throughout the book, with related concepts often introduced through charts and diagrams and further reinforced by case examples. In section one, for example,Taylor links philosophical theories to the roles of the learner and teacher, the curriculum, and instructional strategies. She also links these theories to the role of the architect, the design process, and the form of the physical environment. A case study of Reggio Emilia preschools inItaly then demonstrates how aspects of the building design can support the educational philosophy of the school. Stakeholders in design processes may benefit from understanding how philosophy informs practice, and Taylorjustifies combining this information into a single chart as a starting point for design discussion between disciplines. Often such diagrams in the book successfully illustrate key relationships between architecture and education, but at times the format is problematic. For example, the chart could easily be misinterpreted by the reader as a prescription for a particular design process or architectural style based on the educational philosophy of the client. In general, however, Taylor successfully relates educational and architectural concepts in clear and meaningful 242 ways. Design students and practitioners may appreciate the succinct overview of major educational theories in section two, whereas educators may find section three particularly useful for the long list of suggestions about how to use the educational facility...

In recent decades, the types of problems encountered in daily life have changed considerably. In particular, the technology-based society of today increasingly requires people to deal with dynamically changing, intransparent, and complex problems that cannot be solved only by applying factual knowledge. Moreover, in education and at work, such complex problems often need to be addressed collaboratively. Problem solving skills belong to the skills needed to successfully master such problems and are therefore considered to be crucial in the twenty-first century, but we can differentiate between problem solving on an individual level and collaborative problem solving. In the first part of this chapter, we provide insight into individual complex problem solving (CPS) research, with a special focus on its assessment. Specifically, we elaborate on different computer-based approaches to the measurement of CPS and their benefits and limitations. On the basis of the results of various empirical studies, we describe to which extent the CPS assessment has an added value in explaining the scholastic achievement and offer insights into a particular development of the assessment of this skill in large-scale educational contexts. Specifically, we elaborate on the assessment of CPS in the most influential large-scale project worldwide – the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) – and illustrate the process by describing example tasks. Further, we elaborate on how research on CPS has expanded towards the conceptually related skill of collaborative problem solving (ColPS) and discuss specific challenges in its assessment. With respect to the recent inclusion of ColPS in large-scale assessments, we present the assessment approach of another large-scale worldwide project – The Assessment and Teaching of Twenty-first Century Skills (ATC21S) – and describe how ColPS was assessed in the PISA 2015 cycle. Finally, we outline the importance of problem solving concepts in general and CPS specifically for future research, and discuss open research questions in this field.

Metacognitive confidence judgments and their link to complex problem solving

Designing an educational online learning environment requires proper planning as it will influence students' learning experiences. For the purpose of developing a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment, the development process should be properly designed to meet the objectives of learning. In this research, the design of a CSCL environment is explained using the Three-phase Development Model (3PD) which serves as a guideline for developing a functional learning environment. This study attempts at promoting interaction in CSCL by designing interaction during the development process of the CSCL environment rather than scaffolding interaction during the online learning process.

This paper presents a methodology for characterizing computer-based learning environments, focusing on the cognitive, pedagogical, and interactive features. The framework for this characterization is explained in relation to the relevant theories and findings in cognitive and instructional research. The methodology is illustrated by a characterization of computer-based learning environments developed by student teachers and professionals. The usability of these environments is analyzed along the dimensions of the framework presented. The results showed that this methodology can systematically and precisely characterize the cognitive, pedagogical, and interactive features of computer-based learning environments. It can be used to predict and explain the success or failure that a given software program promotes for learning particular types of knowledge. The applications of this methodology for the evaluation and design of computer-based learning environments, for instructional research in various instructional contexts, as well as for the study of expertise in the development of computer-based learning environments, are discussed.

Currently, there exists a lack of consensus regarding the types and purposes of scaffolding features within the educational design community. In this work, we seek to establish a common framework of scaffolding types as a grounded reference for researchers and designers of computer-based learning environments. We looked to three successful computer-based learning environments, PhET Interactive Simulations, ETL E-slate Microworlds, and Young Researcher for examples of designed-in features that serve as scaffolds – finding five general scaffolding types. We present descriptions and examples of each scaffolding type, which includes scaffolds for scope of domain knowledge, inquiry pathway, sequencing, feedback, and cueing.

This chapter outlines key findings of cognitive and developmental psychology which could be used as a theoretical framework to guide the design and research of e-learning applications. The chapter consists of two main sections. The first section presents the basic cognitive mechanisms and their development, while the second part discusses how our knowledge of the cognitive system can guide the design of computer-based learning environments. It is proposed that the human mind is organized in three levels: two of them are general-purpose mechanisms and processes and one consists of domainspecific structures of knowledge representation and problem solving processes. These three levels are associated with an effective learning framework. The suggested framework describes the basic points that any designer of e-learning environments must consider. The second section of the chapter discusses e-learning, connecting it to knowledge about the human cognitive system. In this section, we first present the conceptual bounds of the e-learning construct and discuss how cognitive theories of learning should guide the design of technologically-enhanced learning environments. It is proposed that a synergy between the study of human cognition and the design of e-learning applications is required for effectively understanding both fields.

This study examined whether experience with different computer-based complex problem situations would improve complex problem solving (CPS) competence in an unknown problem situation. Therefore, university students (N = 110) took part in a control group study. They were trained in five different complex problem situations for up to 7 hr, and their performance was tested in a sixth complex problem situation. The data analyses revealed that the training influenced the CPS process of knowledge acquisition. However, the CPS process of knowledge application was not impacted by experience with other problem situations. Implications for the concept of CPS as a trainable competence as well as the training of CPS in general are discussed.

Research on complex problem solving (CPS) has reached a stage where certain standards have been achieved, whereas the future development is quite ambiguous. In this situation, the editors of the Journal of Dynamic Decision Making asked a number of representative authors to share their point of view with respect to seven questions about the relevance of (complex) problem solving as a research area, about the contribution of laboratory-based CPS research to solving real life problems, about the roles of knowledge, strategies, and intuition in CPS, and about the existence of expertise in CPS.