Hi UnRev-ers,
Apologies to those of you for whom this is out of your area, but for
those of you who consider yourselves learning technologists, please
consider this invitation.
Regards,
Simon
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JOURNAL OF INTERACTIVE MEDIA IN EDUCATION
An Interactive Journal
For Interactive Media
mailto:jime@open.ac.uk
Receive JIME news:
http://www-jime.open.ac.uk/News/get/news.html
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SPECIAL ISSUE: "Theory for Learning Technologies"
INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN WEB PEER REVIEW DEBATES
Dear Colleague,
You are invited to contribute to the online peer review of a
submission to this major special issue (abstracts below). This is a
collection of papers selected and revised from presentations at the
ALT-C-2000 Workshop entitled, "Is There a Theoretical Basis for
Learning Technology?" [http://www.umist.ac.uk/alt-c2000/workshops].
These papers will be discussed via the Web over the summer months,
prior to publication of accepted papers at the end of the year.
A feature of JIME's review process is that your exchanges with the
author and other reviewers may be co-published with the final
article, if accepted. You are also acknowledged as a reviewer in
recognition of your contribution.
Please scan the abstracts below, and contact the Special Issue
editor, Dr Martin Oliver [mailto:martin.oliver@ucl.ac.uk], if you
would like to participate in a review discussion (initially private,
then made public if the submission is accepted).
BACKGROUND
JIME is a peer reviewed e-journal, published for free since 1996 by
the UK's Open University. JIME is pioneering a hybrid private/public,
conversational open peer review model, mediated via the web. Authors
and reviewers engage in
discussion about a submission. Authors have the right of reply, and
reviewers are accountable for their comments. At its best, the result
is a rich complement to the article, bringing together
interdisciplinary perspectives. Together with any interactive
demonstrations/websites associated with the article, reviewers' names
and extracts from the review discussion are co-published with the
final article, to recognise the intellectual investment and
contributions made by the reviewers, and to provide a seed for
subsequent contributions. For examples, see articles on the journal
website: http://www-jime.open.ac.uk/
We hope you will consider contributing to the creation of what should
be a very interesting forum over the next few months, resulting in a
substantive contribution to the literature.
Martin Oliver Simon Buckingham Shum
University College London The Open University
Special Issue Editor JIME Co-General Editor
martin.oliver@ucl.ac.uk sbs@acm.org
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ABSTRACTS FOR JIME SPECIAL ISSUE: "Theory for Learning Technologies"
JIME/01-Theory1
The uses of theory’ in educational technology research and development
Helen Beetham
In the literatures of educational technology research and
development, new learning systems or interventions are regularly
introduced in terms of some educational theory that has informed
their development. As educational technologists have become
enthusiastic in applying educational theory to their practice, they
have increasingly sought to contribute to developing the theoretical
discourse itself. One recent commentator has gone so far as to argue
that '[educational technology] research is now at the center of some
of the most creative, original and powerful work in education today'
(Kozma 2000). But is the relationship between educational technology
research and development and educational theory really in such rude
health? This paper sets out from a notion of theory as a particular
kind of situated activity, and as mediated by particular kinds of
intellectual artefact. It asks who is carrying out the theory which
informs educational technology R&D, and who is using the theoretical
artefacts which result. Through close analysis of some key texts, and
in particular the uses of 'constructivism' as a touchstone, the paper
goes on to argue:
* that much educational technology R&D falls within a paradigm of
model building and testing derived from systems engineering;
* that R&D which claims to be informed by very different theoretical
paradigms often follows the same cybernetic methodological procedures;
* that this in turn limits the possibilities for critical theorising,
and for the development of a critical theoretical practice, in ways
which have profound implications for the future of education.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JIME/01-Theory2
Towards a theoretical base for educational multimedia design
Tom Boyle
The aim of this paper is to contribute to the construction of a
systematic theoretical base for educational multimedia design. The
paper delineates different layers of explanation. It then argues for
the interactional layer as the most appropriate for multimedia
learning environment design. It proposes 'context' as the central
construct at this layer. The relationships between multimedia
contexts are explored, especially the concept of different levels of
contexts corresponding to different educational demands. Further
meta-theoretical clarification on the difference between procedural
and declarative modes of explanation precedes the final section of
the paper. This section explores how the internal structure, the
morphology, of contexts might best be delineated for capture in a
systematic knowledge base. The paper argues strongly that this type
of theoretical clarification is required if we are to move towards a
more systematic, 'scientific' base for the construction of
educational multimedia systems.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JIME/01-Theory3
Systematising learning and research information
Grainne Conole
This paper considers the ways in which information of relevance to
the learning and research communities is organised and used. It
contends that there is considerable overlap between the different
types of online resources and information currently available within
education. It describes some of the structured environments and data
stores that have emerged in recent years, along with standards which
are attempting to define the properties of discrete learning objects,
through the specification of Learning Object Metadata (LOM). The
paper contends that current developments of structured learning
environments such as Managed and Virtual Learning Environments (MLEs
and VLEs) are occurring on the whole in parallel to resource data
stores, such as information gateways and portals. This discrepancy
has arisen in part because these developments have occurred
independently of one another and in part because there has to date
been no rigorous definition of the underlying theoretical models.
Furthermore, it argues that these predefined structured environments
are unlikely to be sufficient to meet the information needs of users
in different contexts. The paper goes on to describe an information
toolkit, which provides a way of systematising information handling
in learning and research, which helps users articulate information
plans within specific contexts. The paper concludes with a
description of two case studies which illustrate how this toolkit can
be used.
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JIME/01-Theory4
Embedding theory into learning technology practice with toolkits
Grainne Conole and Martin Oliver
Expert and theoretical knowledge about the use of learning technology
is not always available to practitioners. This paper illustrates one
way in which practitioners can be supported in the process of
engaging with theory in order to underpin practical applications in
the use of learning technologies. This approach involves the design
of decision-making resources, defined here as ‘toolkits’. This
concept is then illustrated with three practical examples. The ways
in which this approach embeds specific theoretical assumptions is
discussed, and a model for toolkit specification, design and
evaluation is described.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JIME/01-Theory5
The role of dialogue in computer-based learning and observing
learning: an evolutionary approach to theory
John Cook
This paper examines two sides of a coin that relate to learning from
dialogue. The first side of our coin relates to the role of dialogue
in learning; the second side is related to the part that observations
of learning can play in the design of computer-based learning
environments. In order to define the scope of the paper two
complementary research question are examined. The first question is
how and why does one learn from dialogue? The second question is how,
or to what extent, can theories and studies of dialogue and
interaction be exploited in a concrete way by designers of
interactive media for education? Following a review of related
literature, we investigate the above questions by drawing on a
useful, if somewhat simplified, conception of the role of theory and
models in learning technology development. There are three aspects to
what we are terming an evolutionary approach to learning technology
theory: (i) theories/models of learning, (ii) empirical observations
of learning, and (iii) interactive learning environment design and
implementation. The purpose of this evolutionary approach is the
mapping out of not a specific theory, but how people are working
towards the creation of theories. The evolutionary approach involves
a constant process which slowly takes the educational technology
field forward in iterative steps. In order to concretize our
evolutionary approach we examine the work of selected researchers, in
the field of dialogue in learning, in the context of the identified
three points of evolution. We conclude by suggesting that our
evolutionary model can help designers of, and researchers into,
learning technology in various important ways.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JIME/01-Theory6
Designing for pedagogical flexibility: experiences from the CANDLE project
Aileen Earle
This paper examines the experience of a group of designers attempting
to implement pedagogical flexibility in the design of the CANDLE
system. It sketches out how flexibility is emerging as a new design
criterion, but warns that the implementation of such flexibility is
fraught with conflicts. After foregrounding the myth of pedagogical
neutrality in system design, it examines CANDLE's decision to build a
system around a pan-pedagogical framework and the problems inherent
in such an undertaking. In particular it reviews issues such as the
operationalisation of pedagogical theory, epistemological conflicts
in the use of static ontologies for domain representation, metadata,
meaning and communities of practice, access rights and granularity.
It concludes by calling for educational systems designers to consider
pedagogy in all its complexity in the process of design and
development.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JIME/01-Theory7
(Title to follow)
Kim Issroff & Eileen Scanlon
What use are theories to educational technologists? Some commentators
argue that educational technology has developed independently from
theories of learning and instruction. However, the range of theories
and models which have been applied in accounts of studies in
educational technology is long (for example, see Kearsley's review of
50 theories). This paper will discuss the purpose and utility of
theories in educational technology. We will review the range of
purposes which can be served by a theory by looking at examples of
work in the related fields of Human Computer Interaction and
Artificial Intelligence in Education. The purpose of this review is
to encourage educational technologists to examine their own use of
theories in relation to the purpose of their research endeavours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JIME/01-Theory8
Theoretical models of the role of visualisation in learning formal reasoning
Martin Oliver & James Aczel
Although there is empirical evidence that visualisation tools can
help students to learn formal subjects such as logic, and although
particular strategies and conceptual difficulties have been
identified, it has so far proved difficult to provide a general model
of learning that accounts for these in a systematic way. In this
paper, models are described that attempt to explain the relative
difficulty of formal concepts and the role of visualisation in this
learning process. These explanations draw on several existing
theories, including Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development, Green's
Cognitive Dimensions, the Popper-Campbell model of conjectural
learning, and accounts of cognitive complexity.
The paper concludes with a comparison of the utility and
applicability of the different models, and is accompanied by a
reflexive commentary on the ways in which theory has been used within
the paper.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JIME/01-Theory9
Engineering Learning Experiences
John Traxler
Theory can serve several different roles in learning technology. This
discussion looks at a prescriptive role where theory sets out best
practice and sketches one theory developed to support the development
of learning experiences based on the model of engineering adopted by
software developers.
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