Research contents
Learning objects and learning design
Learning interaction and dialogue design
Designing for informal and lifelong learning
Funded projects

Background

Although there has been a great deal of research in the field of lifelong learning in recent decades, and quite a bit of research on learning technologies in a variety of fields, the cross-section between the two is unexplored territory (Koper, 2004). Furthermore, a large-scale Canadian study (Livingstone, 2000) found that people are now averaging about 15 hours a week on informal learning activities related to such things as employment, housework, community work and general interests – yet very little of this informal learning is supported by e-learning.

The goals of the DILL research theme

The main goal of DILL is to find ways to develop models that describe how people perform learning activities using resources, and how these three things can be coordinated into a learning flow using adaptive software agents. More specifically, the focus is on finding ways to orchestrate the available reusable learning resources so as to meet a particular learner’s context and learning needs. In exploring the ways to meet these goals we hope to shed light on an unexplored space between the higher-level learning designs and the lower level learning objects. The work conducted by this group ‘drills’ down into what Koper, Giesbers, et al. (in press) call an ‘activity node’ (an activity node can contain an ‘actor’, like a learner or tutor, and/or a unit of learning); we present proposals for what we believe needs to be provided to adaptively support an independent, self-motivated learner as they negotiate their way from one learning resource to another in a problem-based learning activity context.

Specific areas of concern

• Software agents for life
  - guiding tutoring and learning choices
• Personal empowerment and supporting new ways of learning
  - inside and outside the formal learning environment
• Knowledge building communities in social networks
  - talk to lifelong learners through mobile devices
  - in the future DILL is more to do with mobile and ubiquitous learning environments
• Focuses on links between
  - formal
  - non-formal
  - informal learning
  - software agents for adaptive learning support
  - mobile devices for personal learning projects.

It may be useful to think in these terms:

• Formal learning as something that is tutor led and accredited
• Non-formal learning is then something that the tutor knows about (e.g. working in groups) and
• Informal learning can be usefully viewed as either being carried out ‘under the radar’ of a tutor or as being something carried out individually by a self-motivated learner
• See Cook and Smith (2004) study for Becta - this identified the goals that motivate learners along a ‘Life Cycle’ of personal progression and self-directed development
• Cook and Light (accepted) - on the basis of empirical work discusses what is required to design digital media that plug into the motivations of ‘real people’ in a way that empowers them
• Lifelong learning refers to the activities people perform throughout their life to improve their knowledge, skills and competence in a particular field, given some personal, societal or employment related motives (Koper and Tattersall, 2004).

Methodological approach

The work in this research theme follows a Design Studies methodological approach, by which we mean an iterative, evolutionary refinement of some innovation involving technology in teaching and learning environments (e.g. see http://prospectassoc.com/NSF/design_std.htm). This evolutionary approach (Cook, 2001; Cook, 2002) contains the following three components: (i) theories/models of learning and teaching, (ii) empirical observations of learning and (iii) agent design and implementations.

Projects

MATURE - Continuous Social Learning in Knowledge Networks.
July 2007. European Framework 7 project funding for MATURE. John Cook leads for LTRI, we are part of a 13 partner consortium. It is part of the call ICT-2007.4.1 (Digital Libraries and Technology-Enhanced Learning). MATURE is a Framework 7 Larger-Scale Integrating Project. MATURE investigates continuous social learning in knowledge networks. Cook will contribute his experience, across the project, in designing and implementing systems that support learning and will work on the informal learning research. Furthermore, Cook and Claire Bradley will lead the evaluation work package. LTRI have been awarded circa £360,000 over 4 years, within a total project award of £4.4 million. The scientific co-ordinator of the project is Universität Karlsruhe in Germany, a former partner on the completed FP5 project Learning in Process (LIP). Total funding is subject to successful contract negotiations with the EC over the summer. Start date March/April 2008. More about this project.

Study of UK Online Centres
A joint project with the British Educational and Communications Technology Association (Becta), and part of the DfES-funded Metadata for Community Content project. The study looked at how networked community learning centres function and support informal learning within their community. LTRI received £30k for the study. More about this project.

Example systems

MetaMuse, a single agent to facilitate high level of dialogue, interaction and collaboration around creative musical ideas. (See Cook, 1998; Cook, 2000; Cook, 2001; Cook and Oliver, 2002; Cook et al., 2004).

Configuration Support Agent and Adaptive Learning Support System: the start of a multi-agent system. The two-agent approach consists of (i) the learning activity configuration support agent that supports tutors in their learning-support configuration activity, and (ii) the adaptive learning support agent that adaptively supports students during problem-based learning activity. This work has so far operated in the area of Java programming. (See Ljubojevic, D., in progress; Ljubojevic, Cook, et al., 2004.)

References

Cook, J. (2002). The Role of Dialogue in Computer-Based Learning and Observing Learning: An Evolutionary Approach to Theory. Journal of Interactive Media in Education (e-journal), 5. Available from http://www-jime.open.ac.uk/2002/5

Cook, J. (2001). Bridging the Gap Between Empirical Data on Open-Ended Tutorial Interactions and Computational Models. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 12(1), 85–99. Available from http://www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/ijaied/

Cook, J. (2000). Cooperative Problem-Seeking Dialogues in Learning. In G. Gauthier, C. Frasson and K. VanLehn (Eds.) Intelligent Tutoring Systems: 5th International Conference, ITS 2000 Montréal, Canada, June 2000 Proceedings, (pp. 615–624). Berlin Heidelberg New York: Springer–Verlag.

Cook, J. (1998). Mentoring, Metacognition and Music: Interaction Analyses and Implications for Intelligent Learning Environments. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 9, 45–87. Available from http://www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/ijaied/

Cook, J. and Light, A. (accepted). New Patterns of Power and Participation? Designing ICT for Informal and Community Learning. E-Learning. Special Issue of ICE2 Symposium. This journal article is due to be printed December 2005, contact John Cook for copy of final draft.

Cook, J., Huyck. C., and Whitney, G. (2004). Agent Design Method for Enhancing Accessibility. Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications (ED-MEDIA 2004), June 2004, Lugano, Switzerland.

Cook, J. and Smith, M. (2004). Beyond Formal Learning: Informal Community eLearning. Computers and Education, CAL03 Special Issue, 43(1-2), 35-47. Download draft paper [PDF]

Cook, J. and Oliver, M. (2002). Designing a Toolkit to Support Dialogue in Learning. Computers and Education, 38 (1-3), 151–164.

Koper, R. (2004). Technology and Lifelong Learning (editorial). British Journal of Educational Technology, 35 (6), 675-678. Preprint available from http://dspace.learningnetworks.org/handle/1820/266

Koper, R., Giesbers, B., Rosmalen, P., Sloep, P., Bruggen, J., Tattersall, C., Vogten, H. and Brouns, F. (in press). A Design Model for Lifelong Learning Networks. To appear in Interactive Learning Environments. Preprint available from http://dspace.learningnetworks.org/handle/1820/32

Koper, R. and Tattersall, C. (2004). New directions for lifelong learning using network Technologies. British Journal of Educational Technology, 35(6), 2004, 689-700

Livingstone, D. W. (2000). Exploring the Icebergs of Adult Learning: Findings of the First Canadian Survey of Informal Learning Practices (NALL Working Paper #10-2000): Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto.

Ljubojevic, D. (in progress). Designing Adaptive Learning Support Agents based on Learning Object Reuse and Interaction Data. PhD thesis in progress, LTRI , London Metropolitan University. Expected September 2005.

Ljubojevic, D., Cook, J., & Boyle, T. (2004). Towards contextual metadata to increase learning object technology effectiveness. In L. Cantoni & C. McLoughlin (Eds.), proceedings of ED-MEDIA 2004, World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications, June 21–26, Lugano, Switzerland, AACE.

Contact details

John Cook
Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Reusable Learning Objects,
Tower Building North Campus,
London Metropolitan University,
166-220 Holloway Road,
London, N7 8DB
Email: john.cook@londonmet.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)20 7133 4341
Fax: +44 (0)20 7133 4348
WWW: http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/ltri

Location: How to find us

Last updated 31 August, 2007