Scaffolding for Inquiry Learning in Computer-Based Learning Environments

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.

Complex problem solving and learning in a complex technology environment are closely connected with non-transparent situations. They contain several goals and variables and are, therefore, difficult to perceive and solve. Complex problems and complex learning situations are typically semantically rich in character and an understanding of their structure will require complex conceptual and relational domain knowledge. Expert’s performance in demanding design tasks and in complex problem solving situations begins with a deep structuring process because little knowledge is available of the goal and of the starting point. All this has some serious implications for the organization of learning situations and environments. In this chapter I will discuss some consequences which the above research results and ideas can have for the development and automating instructional design of computer-based learning situations and environments.

This contribution considers computer-based learning environments from a socio-cultural perspective. It relates the design of learning environments with the concept of internalization, i.e the genetic link between social speech, private speech and inner speech. We translate these levels in terms of user-system interactions and analyze the transition between levels.

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.

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...

Benefits of inserting support devices in electronic learning environments

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.

The process of conceptual change in learning, wherein a student's existing knowledge might be changed or fundamentally replaced, is influenced by the affective states of the student's emotion during the learning process. Similarly, in a computer based learning environment, monitoring student's affect is crucial in fostering fruitful conceptual change learning. As such, these studies aimed to propose and compare two conceptual change Bayesian network models; with the first model constructed based on the classical conceptual change theory, while another with the addition of affective factors in the model. Both models were evaluated and the findings suggested that the conceptual change model performed better when affect traits are incorporated into the student model.

Additive manufacturing has been attracting increasing interest from academic research communities, apart from the manufacturing industry, because it simplifies prototyping and opens a conducive space for directly transforming design ideas into workable physical products. In this dissertation research, the researcher intends to explore the significant differences in practices between four-year and two-year engineering degree programs from universities and community colleges that offer additive manufacturing majors. This work seeks to investigate the major challenges in the design of learning environments and the alignment of pedagogical strategies used in existing additive manufacturing programs offered in community colleges and meeting the needed technical knowledge and skills in the manufacturing industry workplace.

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.

This research is a theory building study regarding the design of distance learning environments from a socio-technical perspective. Within this study, a synthesis of current theories and approaches in addition to established theories in the field of distance education will be conducted, with focus placed on the notion that a flexible learning environment may be designed based on social and technical elements. In this regard, the process of designing the aforementioned learning environment is expressed in a theoretical manner, with the following two theories comprising the basis of the study: (1) the Flexible Learning Approach and (2) the Socio-Technical Theory. A theoretical matrix is established within the study utilizing these theories, while each cell in the theoretical matrix provides a statement that determines a flow chart regarding the design of Flexible Distance Learning Environments.

In this chapter a descriptive framework for designing interactive digital learning environments for young people is proposed. The proposed framework aims to analyse and compare interactive digital learning environments. This framework may be useful to guide the design of digital learning environments for young people and also to provide a structure for understanding the interface characteristics of such environments and how users interact with them. Young people's characteristics are briefly discussed in relation to the learning process. The approach to creating the framework is presented with the related literature. The framework is described and consists of three main components: learning, user interaction, and visual. Finally, conclusions on the design of interactive digital learning environments are drawn.

This study examined the design and implementation of outdoor music learning environments for preschool children aged 3 to 4 years, focusing on the relationship between environmental adaptability, pedagogical innovation, and children’s developmental outcomes. Conducted over 8 months period at a preschool in northern Taiwan, the case study involved two teachers and 30 children, highlighting how outdoor settings can enhance early childhood music education. The teaching practice was divided into three phases – exploration, development, and maturation – with each phase featuring music learning environments aligned with specific instructional goals. Environmental setups were adjusted to reflect children’s evolving interests and developmental needs. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, documents, and detailed assessments of children’s learning outcomes. Findings revealed that a strategic approach in constructing outdoor music environments, starting with integrating familiar themes and simple setups, effectively supported children’s progression from basic to advanced musical concepts. This phased development, which included the gradual introduction of complex activities and interdisciplinary connections, significantly enhanced children’s musical understanding and engagement. Teachers’ ability to adapt and problem-solve in the face of various challenges was crucial to the success of the outdoor music learning environments, highlighting the importance of flexible and adaptive teaching practices in fostering young children’s musical development.

Blended forms of learning have become increasingly popular. Learning activities within these environments are supported by a large variety of online and face-to-face interventions. However, it remains unclear whether these blended environments are successful, and if they are, what makes them successful. Studies suggest that blended learning challenges the self-regulatory abilities of learners, though the literature does little to explain these findings; nor does it provide solutions. In particular, little is known about the attributes that are essential to support learners and how they should guide course design. To identify such attributes and enable a more thoughtful redesign of blended learning environments, this systematic literature review (n = 95) examines evidence published between 1985 and 2015 on attributes of blended learning environments that support self-regulation. The purpose of this review is therefore to identify and define the attributes of blended learning environments that support learners’ self-regulatory abilities. Seven key attributes were found (authenticity, personalization, learner-control, scaffolding, interaction, cues for reflection and cues for calibration). This review is the first to identify and define the attributes that support self-regulation in blended learning environments and thus to support the design of blended learning environments. This study may serve to facilitate the design of blended learning environments that meet learners’ self-regulatory needs. It also raises crucial questions about how blended learning relates to well-established learning theories and provides a basis for future research on self-regulation in blended learning environments.

Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) from United Nations refers to the inclusion and quality of education. This implies providing equal access to all levels of education. While a lot of focus has been on inclusion and accessibility through universal design with a focus on disabilities, the aim of this workshop was to explore the role of inclusion for learners of all ages, shifting from a strong disability-oriented focus. We targeted in this workshop discussions around the design and use of Digital Learning Environments (DLE) with equal access and rights to participate. DLE are tools employed in educational institutions (from schools to higher education) for teaching and learning purposes, but also in workplaces, edutainment, and e-commerce. The participants had the chance to present different viewpoints on inclusion in education through issues, methods and stories obtained from design experiences and/or from empirical studies on use of DLE.