Instructional design or school politics? A discussion of ‘orchestration' in TEL research

This paper argues that the emphasis on orchestration as a metaphor for teaching in technology‐enhanced learning (TEL) environments, featured in recent academic discussions, is an opportunity to broaden the scope of the inquiry into educational technology. Drawing on sociological literature and research that investigated the systemic factors that influence the uptake of information and communication technologies in formal and informal learning contexts, the paper contends that a focus on instructional design does insufficient justice to the complexities of actual technology use in classrooms and after‐school programs. It is suggested, instead, that orchestration might better be used as a heuristic device to deepen our understandings of the relationships between power, bestowed on teachers or claimed by them through a number of strategies, educational technology, and teaching practices. The paper concludes that to fully understand this relationship and to support teachers, concern should be given equally to the existing political and cultural dynamics of TEL environments. Examples of orchestration as a political, cultural process are provided, illustrating how teachers appropriate technology and ‘innovative’ pedagogies to negotiate power.     

Supporting interactive argumentation: Influence of representational tools on discussing a wicked problem

This study describes difficulties students can encounter when discussing a wicked problem and in what way two different representational tools can support interactive argumentation between students. About 55 pairs discussed in chat and wrote about genetically modified organisms in a groupware environment, supported by a text-outline or an argumentative diagram. The expectation was that students who were constructing a diagram would argue in a more thorough way, which is called the broadening and deepening in the space of debate. The expectations were partially confirmed. Diagrams help students to argue in a more thorough way, but only in the diagrams itself and not, as expected, in the discussion. This article shows the difficulties of supporting interactive argumentation with representational tools, because of the great amount of other variables in task and learning environment that effect the way students broaden and deepen an argument.     

Wiki as a corporate learning tool: case study for software development company

In our study, we attempted to further investigate how Web 2.0 technologies influence workplace learning. Our particular interest was on using Wiki as a tool for corporate exchange of knowledge with the focus on informal learning. In this study, we collaborated with a multinational software development company that uses Wiki as a corporate tool since 2001. For our research, we used three different sources for acquisition of data. Primarily, we did an interview with top management. Next we acquired the data on usage statistics from the company Wiki. And finally we distributed a questionnaire in order to acquire users' feedback. Analysis provided many interesting results. One of the main conclusions is that Wiki is successfully used in this company, and large majority of employees finds it useful. Additionally, Wiki did aid informal learning, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.     

The computational complexity of ideal semantics

We analyse the computational complexity of the recently proposed ideal semantics within both abstract argumentation frameworks (afs) and assumption-based argumentation frameworks (abfs). It is shown that while typically less tractable than credulous admissibi-lity semantics, the natural decision problems arising with this extension-based model can, perhaps surprisingly, be decided more efficiently than sceptical preferred semantics. In particular the task of finding the unique ideal extension is easier than that of deciding if a given argument is accepted under the sceptical semantics. We provide efficient algorithmic approaches for the class of bipartite argumentation frameworks and, finally, present a number of technical results which offer strong indications that typical problems in ideal argumentation are complete for the class of languages decidable by polynomial time algorithms allowed to make non-adaptive queries to a C oracle, where C is an upper bound on the computational complexity of deciding credulous acceptance: C=np for afs and logic programming (lp) instantiations of abfs; for abfs modelling default theories.     

Over the Shoulder Learning: Supporting Brief Informal Learning

The paper reviews work on informal technical help giving between colleagues. It concentrates on the process of how colleagues help each other to use a computer application to achieve a specific work task, contrasting this with the focus of much prior work on surrounding issues like the choice of whom to ask, information re-use and the larger work context of encouragement or otherwise of such learning. By an analysis of the literature and a study of office activity, some strengths and weaknesses of the method are identified. The difficulties of talking about the process of performing graphical user interface actions are explored. Various design implications for functionalities to improve the efficiency of informal help giving are explored. A consideration of informal learning can help in designing more effective, learnable, robust and acceptable CSCW systems. It also provides a different perspective on interface design as an exploration of features to support human–human interaction, using the computer screen as a shared resource to support this. In this way CSCW research may contribute to HCI research, since during such help giving, all computer systems are at least temporarily collaborative applications.     

Dynamics of argumentation systems: A division-based method

The changing of arguments and their attack relation is an intrinsic property of a variety of argumentation systems. So, it is very important to efficiently figure out how the status of arguments in a system evolves when the system is updated. However, unlike other areas of argumentation that have been deeply explored, such as argumentation semantics, proof theories, and algorithms, etc., dynamics of argumentation systems has been comparatively neglected. In this paper, we formulate a general theory (called a division-based method) to cope with this problem based on a new concept: the division of an argumentation framework. When an argumentation framework is updated, it is divided into three parts: an unaffected, an affected, and a conditioning part. The status of arguments in the unaffected sub-framework remains unchanged, while the status of the affected arguments is computed in a special argumentation framework (called a conditioned argumentation framework, or briefly CAF) that is composed of an affected part and a conditioning part. We have proved that under a certain semantics that satisfies the directionality criterion (complete, preferred, ideal, or grounded semantics), the extensions of the updated framework are equal to the result of a combination of the extensions of an unaffected sub-framework and sets of the extensions of a set of assigned CAFs. Due to the efficiency of the division-based method, it is expected to be very useful in various kinds of argumentation systems where arguments and attacks are dynamics.     

战争设计工程专家群体研讨模型*

针对战争设计工程中专家群体研讨问题,根据研讨的主题以及目标,将专家群体研讨划分为三类:寻求信息研讨、质询研讨和商议研讨。在研讨类型划分的基础上,建立了战争设计工程群体专家研讨模型。该模型主要用于对战争设计工程中专家群体研讨过程建模,有利于专家对研讨进程的了解。最后阐述了该模型在战争设计工程中的应用。     

一种研讨模型

提出了一种研讨模型.该模型用简化的Toulmin模型表示争议内部结构,用Dung的抽象辩论框架的方法定义争议之间的关系,给出了争议可防卫性和陈述可接受性算法.用该模型对已有文献中的实例重新建模,结果表明,该模型能够准确计算陈述可接受性并得出研讨结果.该模型研究出发点是对实际群体研讨建模,但也可以用于非经典逻辑形式系统建模.     

Has Web 2.0 revitalized informal learning? The relationship between Web 2.0 and informal learning

Learning is becoming increasingly self‐directed and often occurs away from schools and other formal educational settings. The development of a myriad of new technologies for learning has enabled people to learn anywhere and anytime. Web 2.0 technology allows researchers to shed a new light on the importance and prevalence of informal learning. However, there are few empirical studies that support the claim that this technology facilitates informal learning. The present study investigates the relationship between Web 2.0 levels and the evaluation of informal learning websites. For this purpose, 287 informal learning websites were selected and their Web 2.0 levels were rated based upon eight criteria proposed in the Web 2.0 exploratory literature. In addition, previously examined informal learning evaluation results were employed. The results showed that current informal learning websites have moderately adopted the most heavily promoted features of Web 2.0. Correlation analyses showed a positive relationship between Web 2.0 features and informal learning website ratings. The implications for the relationship and internal correlations of variables were summarized and discussed.     

一种渐进式论辩语义的论证博弈模型

在可计算论辩模型中,论辩语义的证明理论解决如何判定给定论辩语义中某个论证的证成状态的问题,这通常需要建构与之对应的论证博弈模型。论证博弈发生在正方和反方的论证交互过程中,正反双方都是通过给出攻击论证来质疑对方的论证和辩护己方的论证,正方只有在论证博弈中获胜才能使其初始论证获得确定的证成状态。文中定义了一种被称为BRD-论辩语义的渐进式论辩语义,不同于Dung的抽象论辩语义,它是在结构化论辩框架ASPIC+中嵌入了一种用于计算论证的强度和证成度的循环语义。为了给出该语义的证明理论,建构了与之对应的论证博弈模型。     

Designing ubiquitous computing to enhance children's learning in museums

Abstract In recent years, novel paradigms of computing have emerged, which enable computational power to be embedded in artefacts and in environments in novel ways. These developments may create new possibilities for using computing to enhance learning. This paper presents the results of a design process that set out to explore interactive techniques, which utilized ubiquitous computer technology, to stimulate active participation, involvement and learning by children visiting a museum. Key stakeholders, such as museum curators and docents, were involved throughout the process of creating the exhibition, Re-Tracing the Past , in the Hunt Museum, Limerick, Ireland. The paper describes aspects of the evaluation of the exhibition, which involved 326 schoolchildren (ages 9–12-year-old), and which exemplifies important features of the design and use of the novel technology in the museum. The paper concludes by articulating a series of design guidelines for developing ubiquitous computing to enhance children's learning in museums. These guidelines relate 12 experiential criteria to five supporting design informants and resources. The guidelines encompass important dimensions of children's educational experience in museums, including collaboration, engagement, active interpretation, and materiality. While developed in a museum context, these guidelines could be applied to the development of novel computing to enhance children's learning in other educational environments, both formal and informal.     

关键语义信息补足的深度文本聚类算法

针对大多数现有的深度文本聚类方法在特征映射过程中过于依赖原始数据质量以及关键语义信息丢失的问题,提出了一种基于关键语义信息补足的深度文本聚类算法(DCKSC)。该算法首先通过提取关键词数据对原始文本数据进行数据增强;其次,设计了一个关键语义信息补足模块对传统的自动编码器进行改进,补足映射过程中丢失的关键语义信息;最后,通过综合聚类损失与关键词语义自动编码器的重构损失学习适合于聚类的表示特征。实验证明,提出算法在五个现实数据集上的聚类效果均优于当前先进的聚类方法。聚类结果证明了关键语义信息补足方法和文本数据增强方法对深度文本聚类的重要性。     

A dialogical theory of legal discussions:Pragma-dialectical analysis and evaluation of legalargumentation

In this paper, the author describes a dialogical approach tolegal argumentation from the perspective of argumentationtheory. In a pragma-dialectical approach of legalargumentation, the argumentation is considered to be part of acritical discussion aimed at the rational resolution of thedispute. The author describes how a pragma-dialecticalanalysis and evaluation of legal argumentation can be carriedout.     

Supporting community-based learning: case study of a geographical community organization designing its website

Community computing supports human - computer interaction among neighbours in geographical or place-based community organizations. Using a case study of such an organization, we investigate the process of designing their website. Our long-term participatory design approach, integrating developmental informal learning, allowed us to understand how this community organization adopts, evaluates, and sustains website technology. Based on our case study analysis, we present three design heuristics for developing community-based technology: align and afford new possibilities for participation, dynamically manage organizational knowledge and learning, and enhance social capital within community organizations and with the broader community.