EVA: an interactive Web-based collaborative learning environment

In this paper, a Web-based learning environment developed within the project called Virtual Learning Spaces (EVA, in Spanish) is described. The environment is composed of knowledge, collaboration, consulting and experimentation spaces as a collection of agents and conventional software components working over the knowledge domains. All user interfaces are Web pages, generated dynamically by servlets, applets and agents. The article describes theoretical underpinnings, EVA's architecture, implementation of particular software modules and agents, and the application results.     

Lumisight Table: an interactive view-dependent tabletop display

A novel tabletop display provides different images to different users surrounding the system. It can also capture users' gestures and physical objects on the tabletop. The Lumisight Table approach is based on the optical design of a special screen system composed of a building material called Lumisty and a Fresnel lens. The system combines these films and a lens with four projectors to display four different images, one for each user's view. In addition, we need appropriate input methods for this display media. In the current state of the project, we can control computers by placing physical objects on the display or placing our hands over the display. This screen system also makes it possible to use a camera to capture the appearance of the tabletop from inside of the system. Our other main idea is to develop attractive and specialized applications on the Lumisight Table, including games and applications for computer-supported cooperative-work (CSCW) environments. The projected images can be completely different from each other, or partially identical and partially different. Users can share the identical parts as public information, because all users can see it. This article is available with a short video documentary on CD-ROM.     

HoloTabletop: an anamorphic illusion interactive holographic-like tabletop system

HoloTabletop is a low-cost holographic-like tabletop interactive system. This system analyzes user’s head position and gaze location in a real time setting and computes the corresponding anamorphic illusion image. The anamorphic illusion image is displayed on a 2D horizontally-located monitor, yet offers stereo vision to the user. The user is able to view and interact with the 3D virtual objects without wearing any special glasses or devices. The experimental results and user studies verify that the proposed HoloTabletop system offers excellent stereo vision while no visual fatigue will be caused to human eyes. This system is a great solution for many interactive applications such as 3D board games and stereo map browsing.     

Affording embodied cognition through touchscreen and above-the-surface gestures during collaborative tabletop science learning

International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning - This paper draws upon the theory of embodied cognition to provide a robust account of how gestural interactions with and around...     

Capturing regulatory patterns in online collaborative learning: A network analytic approach

International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning - Interest in understanding regulation in the context of collaborative learning has increased in the past decade. Existing studies...     

The effects of animations on verbal interaction in computer supported collaborative learning

Abstract This paper focuses on the interaction patterns of learners studying in pairs who were provided with multimedia learning material. In a previous article, we reported that learning scores were higher for dyads of an ‘animations’ condition than for dyads of a ‘static pictures’ condition. Results also showed that offering a persistent display of one snapshot of each animated sequence hindered collaborative learning. In the present paper, further analyses of verbal interactions within learning dyads were performed in order to have a better understanding of both the beneficial effect of animations and the detrimental effect of the presence of persistent snapshots of critical steps on collaborative learning. Results did not show any differences in terms of verbal categories between the two versions of the instructional material, that is, static versus animated pictures. Pairs who were provided with persistent snapshots of the multimedia sequences produced fewer utterances compared to participants without the snapshots. In addition, the persistent snapshots were detrimental both in terms of providing information about the learning content and in terms of producing utterances solely for the purpose of managing the interaction. In this study, evidence also showed that these two verbal categories were positively related to learning performances. Finally, mediation analyses revealed that the negative effect of persistent snapshots was mediated by the fact that peers of the snapshots condition produced less information providing and interaction management utterances. Results are interpreted using a psycholinguistic framework applied to computer‐supported collaborative learning (CSCL) literature and general guidelines are derived for the use of dynamic material and persistency tools in the design of CSCL environments.     

Gremlin: an interactive visualization model for analyzing genomic rearrangements

In this work we present, apply, and evaluate a novel, interactive visualization model for comparative analysis of structural variants and rearrangements in human and cancer genomes, with emphasis on data integration and uncertainty visualization. To support both global trend analysis and local feature detection, this model enables explorations continuously scaled from the high-level, complete genome perspective, down to the low-level, structural rearrangement view, while preserving global context at all times. We have implemented these techniques in Gremlin, a genomic rearrangement explorer with multi-scale, linked interactions, which we apply to four human cancer genome data sets for evaluation. Using an insight-based evaluation methodology, we compare Gremlin to Circos, the state-of-the-art in genomic rearrangement visualization, through a small user study with computational biologists working in rearrangement analysis. Results from user study evaluations demonstrate that this visualization model enables more total insights, more insights per minute, and more complex insights than the current state-of-the-art for visual analysis and exploration of genome rearrangements.     

Guidance in computer-supported collaborative inquiry learning: Capturing aspects of affect and teacher support in science classrooms

International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning - Technology-enhanced collaborative inquiry learning has gained a firm position in curricula across disciplines and educational...     

微观区域网络搜索热词的捕获与分析

为解决微观区域网络舆情动态数据的收集问题,提出了一种微观区域网络搜索热词的捕获方法,通过在该区域的网关上部署分光器,将分流出来的网络数据包按照相关协议重组,还原出会话内容,从而提取出搜索词.数据分析结果表明,与宏观区域的网络搜索热词和网络媒体热词相比,微观区域的网络搜索热词在内容上具有地域特色,在时间上具有“热快冷慢”的变化特点.     

VR interactive dialog system with verbal and nonverbal communication

We have constructed a dialog environment between a human and a virtual agent. With commercial off-the-shelf VR technologies, special devices such as a data glove have to be used for the interaction, but it is difficult for anyone to manipulate objects on their own. If there is a helper who has direct access to objects in virtual space, we may ask them. The question, however, is how to communicate with the helper. The basic idea is to utilize speech and gesture recognition systems. We have already reported the above-mentioned result, although only the avatar can move a virtual object in the current system. The user cannot freely manipulate virtual objects. Therefore, in a new attempt, we constructed a communication channel between virtual space and the real world so that the virtual object could be manipulated. In order to develop the new system, we extended the existing system to an internet meeting system allowing users in different places to interact with each other by voice and by a pointing action with a finger. This work was presented in part and awarded as Young Author Award at the 13th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 31–February 2, 2008     

Computer supported collaborative writing in an early learning classroom

Abstract This paper describes a collaborative experiment in an early learners' classroom, equipped with special software and hardware to support the acquisition of initial reading and writing skills. This 'Computer-integrated Classroom' originated from the EU project NIMIS. Here, a new method to teach 'reading through writing' is supported by a specific software tool (T³) in the general framework of the classroom environment. Particularly, a collaborative writing task facilitated by a shared workspace system has been evaluated with a group of first graders using the T³ application. The speciality of this experiment lies in the study of domain-specific collaboration in a rich real world learning setting.     

Personalization in an interactive learning environment through a virtual character

Traditional hypermedia applications present the same content and provide identical navigational support to all users. Adaptive Hypermedia Systems (AHS) make it possible to construct personalized presentations to each user, according to preferences and needs identified. We present in this paper an alternative approach to educational AHS where a virtual character personalizes the interaction with the user through the use of a particular recommender system. The character has natural language communication abilities; it can learn students’ profiles and use this knowledge to recommend appropriate contents and activities. Through its interaction with the user, the character is able to collect and organize information about students in order to identify appropriate suggestions of contents. The recommender system employs a knowledge representation scheme that is easy to understand and to modify, enabling teachers/tutors to explore the types of recommendations being made and to appreciate why they are made. An experiment with computer science students was carried out in order to validate the approach proposed. The results of the experiment showed that the presentation of personalized links through a virtual character had a positive impact in the users’ perception of the system as a learning tool. The combination of the virtual character with a recommender system proved to be a good alternative for the delivery of personalized contents without making constant changes in the main user interface. This approach provides mechanisms to guide users through paths of study followed by students with similar profiles, without violating the human–computer interaction principle of perceived stability.     

Recommender system in collaborative learning environment using an influence diagram

Giving useful recommendations to students to improve collaboration in a learning experience requires tracking and analyzing student team interactions, identifying the problems and the target student. Previously, we proposed an approach to track students and assess their collaboration, but it did not perform any decision analysis to choose a recommendation for the student. In this paper, we propose an influence diagram, which includes the observable variables relevant for assessing collaboration, and the variable representing whether the student collaborates or not. We have analyzed the influence diagram with two machine learning techniques: an attribute selector, indicating the most important attributes that the model uses to recommend, and a decision tree algorithm revealing four different scenarios of recommendation. These analyses provide two useful outputs: (a) an automatic recommender, which can warn of problematic circumstances, and (b) a pedagogical support system (decision tree) that provides a visual explanation of the recommendation suggested.     

Supporting casual interactions between board games on public tabletop displays and mobile devices

As more interactive surfaces enter public life, casual interactions from passersby are bound to increase. Most of these users can be expected to carry a mobile phone or PDA, which nowadays offers significant computing capabilities of its own. This offers new possibilities for interaction between these users’ private displays and large public ones. In this paper, we present a system that supports such casual interactions. We first explore a method to track mobile phones that are placed on a horizontal interactive surface by examining the shadows which are cast on the surface. This approach detects the presence of a mobile device, as opposed to any other opaque object, through the signal strength emitted by the built-in Bluetooth transceiver without requiring any modifications to the devices’ software or hardware. We then go on to investigate interaction between a Sudoku game running in parallel on the public display and on mobile devices carried by passing users. Mobile users can join a running game by placing their devices on a designated area. The only requirement is that the device is in discoverable Bluetooth mode. After a specific device has been recognized, a client software is sent to the device which then enables the user to interact with the running game. Finally, we explore the results of a study which we conducted to determine the effectiveness and intrusiveness of interactions between users on the tabletop and users with mobile devices.     

Authority and convergence in collaborative learning

Teachers and students have established social roles, norms and conventions when they encounter Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) systems in the classroom. Authority, a major force in the classroom, gives certain people, objects, representations or ideas the power to affect thought and behavior and influences communication and interaction. Effective computer-supported collaborative learning requires students and teachers to change how they understand and assign authority. This paper describes two studies in which students' ideas about authority led them to converge on what they viewed as authoritative representations and styles of representation too early, and the early convergence then hindered their learning. It also describes a third study that illustrates how changes to the CSCL system CAROUSEL (Collaborative Algorithm Representations Of Undergraduates for Self-Enhanced Learning) improved this situation, encouraging students to create representations that were unique, had different styles and emphasized different aspects of algorithms. Based on this research, methods to help students avoid premature convergence during collaborative learning are suggested.     

Using text mining for personalization and recommendation for an enriched hybrid learning experience

Students are nowadays given many options to consume educational content in digital formats as alternatives to printed material. Previous research suggests that while digital content has advantages, printed media still provides other benefits that cannot be matched by digital. Therefore, technology should leverage the benefits of both. In this paper, we present the Meaningful Education and Training Information System, a multifaceted hybrid textbook learning platform. The goal of the system is to provide an easy digital‐to‐print‐to‐digital content creation and reading service. The Meaningful Education and Training Information System incorporates technologies for layout, personalization, cocreation, and assessments. These facilitate common teacher/student tasks and help provide a richer, more effective learning experience. Our system has been demonstrated in multiple international education events, partner engagements, and pilots with local universities and high schools.     

Get up and move: an interactive cuddly toy that stimulates physical activity

Health experts are worried about the increase in the number of overweight children and the decrease in activity levels among this age group. This project explores the possibilities of using interactive toys and social interaction in encouraging children to become more physically active. To arrive at the final concept, research was conducted into the factors that encourage and discourage physically active play in children. Based on that knowledge, four key elements were used to develop the product: fantasy, social interaction, surmounting physical and cultural barriers and inspirational factors. The project resulted in a cuddly toy that stimulates young children aged 4–8 to care for it through their own physical actions. First limited tests indicated that children appreciated and understood the toys’ key elements, and suggest that it could be possible to use interactive toys and social interaction to change behaviour with regard to physical activity.