Research cluster Technology Enhanced Learning and E-Education

• Prof. Dr. Firoz Kaderali, Fakultät für Mathematik und Informatik, Lehrgebiet Kommunikationssysteme
• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd J. Krämer, Fakultät für Mathematik und Informatik, Lehrgebiet Datenverarbeitungstechnik
• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Haake, Fakultät für Mathematik und Informatik, Lehrgebiet Kooperative Systeme
• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Hemmje, Fakultät für Mathematik und Informatik, Lehrgebiet Multimedia und Internetanwendungen
• Prof. Dr. Gunter Schlageter, Fakultät für Mathematik und Informatik; Lehrgebiet Informationssysteme und Datenbanken
• Prof. Dr. Claudia de Witt, Institut für Bildungswissenschaft & Medienforschung, Lehrgebiet Bildungstheorie & Medienpädagogig
• Prof. Dr. Theo Bastiaens, Institut für Bildungswissenschaft & Medienforschung, Lehrgebiet Mediendidaktik

Brief summary of the research area:

The central research topic of the e-Education research area is the investigation and development of an integrated conception of e-education in open and distance education, which includes aspects of electronic learning (e-learning) as well as electronic teaching. M-learning (mobile e-learning, originating from the mobility of our modern society) is seen as a special branch of e-learning in this context. The research area requires an integrative approach, which covers the whole spectrum of individual and cooperative learning in such a way that different learning types, styles, and situations are supported. The respective learning scenarios will be supported by existing and newly designed electronic learning environments, where they will be practically tested and evaluated by students and faculty members of the University in Hagen. Here, we will benefit from the many existing components produced in Hagen, which provide the building blocks for testing the integrative approach.

The learning scenarios to be investigated by the RA are used in open and distance education and include phases of distributed (individual or cooperative) learning and short periods of presence at the university. This kind of learning situation satisfies the demands of the learners for flexibility and offers possibilities of high-quality education accompanied by an increasingly better access to the Internet. E-education is also very important to facilitate life long learning in our modern society, since it provides on-demand studies and continuing education. Furthermore, e-education supports to a high degree the needs of special groups of students (e.g. single parents, employed persons, disabled people). The RA follows two goals: On the one hand, existing successful approaches of e-education shall be scientifically deepened and, on the other hand, new innovative approaches (e.g. intelligent tutoring, natural language communication, mobile applications, collaborative peer learning) as well as new forms of didactics for e-education shall be investigated, developed, technologically supported, tested, and integrated.

To cope with all aspects of these research topics, the RA is supported and carried by scientists of 7 chairs of the University of Hagen. Thus, the interdisciplinary field of e-education can be investigated from different perspectives, be it communication, content, media, information and knowledge representation, as well as remote collaboration and distribution of materials within shared environments and finally all relevant aspects of educational science and theory as well as media pedagogy.

Contributions of this group:

Research of our group in this research cluster focuses on the support of collaborative learning in distant education settings. Collaborative learning in such settings demand a high degree of self-organization in terms of group formation, setting up and following a joint learning plan. In addition, the distributed setting requires support for effective coordination within the team. Our approach combines user-centered design approaches with tailorable shared workspace technology resulting in an effective means for learning groups to compose and adapt their collaborative learning environments. Coordination is supported through integrated awareness mechanisms and computer-supported collaboration scripts implemented in our web-based learning environment. In field studies we analyse the usability and impact of these mechanisms on learner behavior and learning outcome.

We apply our technology in our own teaching on a regular basis. Our distance learning courses include collaborative exercises and peer-communication based on CURE (the CSCL platform of the FernUniversität, which was developed by this group). Likewise, our seminars and lab courses require distant students to form groups and work collaboratively in CURE and other collaboration platforms. This provides an excellent basis for iterative improvement and continuous validation through case studies, field studies, and controlled experiments.

The results of our research include methods for designing flexible collaborative learning environments, frameworks for implementing these, and tool design/user interface design of its components. Our research combines theory-based design (based on cognitive psychology and pedagogy) with empirical studies. Related research projects of our group include:

• DFG project Collaboration Scripts: here we develop a flexible scripting environment embedded in a web-based learning platform and analyse the impact of CSCL scripts on distant learning
• GridLab (Grid-based Remote Laboratories): together with the computer architecture group of Prof. Schiffmann we develop a web-based infrastructure for making remote labs accessible to distributed groups of students. Through a collaboration portal, remote labs can be configured, booked, and collaboratively used by a distributed group.
• CURE (Collaborative Learning Platform of the FUH): here we continue to develop a generic web-based collaborative learning platform supporting self-organising working and learning groups. CURE provides teachers and learners with means for setting up and adapting shared learning environments.
• REVE (Real Erasmus Virtual Erasmus): here we analyse settings and interactions in Virtual Erasmus courses. The resulting schemata provide guidelines for institutions and teachers when selecting and deploying Virtual Erasmus courses.

Finished Ph.D. theses of the group associated to this cluster:

• Martin Wessner (2004): Context-based Cooperation in virtual learning environments (in German), Ph.D. thesis accepted at department of CS, Darmstadt University of Technology, 25/10/2004