Model-driven development of learning objectsFrontiers in Education 2011

Marco Aurélio Graciotto Silva1, Ellen Francine Barbosa1,José Carlos Maldonado1

1Institute of Mathematical Sciences and ComputingUniversity of São Paulo (USP)

São Carlos, SP, Brazil

October 2011

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjects

Concludingremarks

Introduction

MotivationDevelopment of learning objects is a laborious process:

define learning goals,design learning objects,develop content,deploy in a learning management system.

How to keep the pace of stringent requirements for thedevelopment of (high) quality learning objects:

fulfill learning goals, as usual;foster self-paced education, using rich media, connectedand interactive devices;feasibility (time and cost) under real scenarios.

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjects

Concludingremarks

Introduction

Method: software engineering techniquesSince 2002, we research the systematic development oflearning objects using software engineering techniques.The first major solution was IMA-CID:

Considers different perspectives (conceptual, instructional,and didactic).Employs a formal description technique (HMBS).

Model-driven development as a solutionLODM builds upon IMA-CID:

Provides better representations for conceptual,instructional and didactic models.

From a computational point of view.Aims to be scalable.

Learning objects must be reliably developed.

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjects

Concludingremarks

Introduction

Method: software engineering techniquesSince 2002, we research the systematic development oflearning objects using software engineering techniques.The first major solution was IMA-CID:

Considers different perspectives (conceptual, instructional,and didactic).Employs a formal description technique (HMBS).

Model-driven development as a solutionLODM builds upon IMA-CID:

Provides better representations for conceptual,instructional and didactic models.

From a computational point of view.Aims to be scalable.

Learning objects must be reliably developed.

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjects

Concludingremarks

Learning object development

Learning objectA learning object is a reusable digital entity, composed of (se-quenced) educational content and learning activities descrip-tions.

Learning object developmentLearning objects development consists of the progressivedevelopment of artifacts.

Tacit or explicit knowledge models.Although models are strong related, most often we do notmake good use of these relations:

Or at least we do not make it as frequently as we wouldlike to.

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjects

Concludingremarks

Model-driven development

Model-driven developmentModel-driven development adopts models augmentation, weav-ing and transformation for the entire software/learning objectlife cicle.

Modifications are done in the model that captures therelevant knowledge regarding the change/requirement.Models are represented by domain-specific languages.

Language which is understood by the domain expert (andnot just the computing expert).

Models are woven and transformed by mapping functionsthat represents knowledge once retained just by theexpert.

Transformation are (semi-)automatically executed.

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjects

Concludingremarks

Model-driven development

Model-driven developmentModel-driven development adopts models augmentation, weav-ing and transformation for the entire software/learning objectlife cicle.

Modifications are done in the model that captures therelevant knowledge regarding the change/requirement.Models are represented by domain-specific languages.

Language which is understood by the domain expert (andnot just the computing expert).

Models are woven and transformed by mapping functionsthat represents knowledge once retained just by theexpert.

Transformation are (semi-)automatically executed.

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjectsConceptual model

Instructional model

Didactic model

Transformations

Concludingremarks

Model-driven development of learning objects

Learning Object Development MethodLODM (Learning Object Development Method) is a model-driven development approach for learning objects.

Main featuresBuild upon IMA-CID models: conceptual, instructional,didactic.

And our experience developing learning objects using it.Adopt commercially (and open source) supported tools todesign each model.

UML + profiles

Transformations are (partially) implemented by a tool(LODE).

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjectsConceptual model

Instructional model

Didactic model

Transformations

Concludingremarks

Learning Object Development MethodConceptual model

Conceptual modelConceptual models defines learning objectives by means of aconcept map. It realizes the knowledge regarding a given topicarea.

Concept model creationIt can be created from scratch or from existing educationalmaterial.

Usage of existing material is strongly encouraged, as itsdata can be reused in later models.

Most often used technique: annotation.Identification of important topics (nouns) and sentences.However, it is error-prone and demands too much effort.

Automatic extraction of relevant data seems proming.Captures main terms/concepts quickly.

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjectsConceptual model

Instructional model

Didactic model

Transformations

Concludingremarks

Learning Object Development MethodConceptual model

Concept model creationFor now, just one document and plain term frequency.

Each term is (probably) a concept.Relations are extracted from text too:

Sentences which contains terms defined in the conceptmap.

RelationshipsRelations can be related tostructure/hierarchy (is a),composition (has a), or to anspecific domain.Such information can be usedlater (instructional model).

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjectsConceptual model

Instructional model

Didactic model

Transformations

Concludingremarks

Learning Object Development MethodInstructional model

Instructional modelInstructional model defines information items and instructionalelements regarding concepts identified in the conceptual model.

Information itemAn information item describes the concept identified in theconceptual model.

Currently we represent it as a concept, fact, procedure orprinciple.

Instructional elementAnything that is instructionally important but cannot bedefined as an information item.

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjectsConceptual model

Instructional model

Didactic model

Transformations

Concludingremarks

Learning Object Development MethodInstructional model

OrganizationInformation items and instructional elements are organizedin a Statechart model.

Instructional model creationStructural and composition relationships (from conceptualmodel) are realized using nested-states.Information items and instructional elements arerepresented by (orthogonal) regions within each state.

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjectsConceptual model

Instructional model

Didactic model

Transformations

Concludingremarks

Learning Object Development MethodInstructional model

IMA-CID Profile: Information item and instructional elementAny model element with a instructional role should beassigned with, at least, one stereotype:

Mandatory: stereotype that is a concrete type of IMA-CIDelement.Optional for information item, required for instructionalelement: Educational goal stereotype.

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjectsConceptual model

Instructional model

Didactic model

Transformations

Concludingremarks

Learning Object Development MethodInstructional model

Didactic modelDidactic model establishes the prereq-uisistes and sequences of presentationamong instructional model elements.

Transitions and DD stateConsidering a state, the reachable states are siblings,parent and child (nested) ones.Transitions define which reachable sibling-state and nestedstate can be accessed.When all reachable states can be accessed, you can set thestate as a DD state

It defines an implicit transition between every sibling-state.Stereotype DD state.

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjectsConceptual model

Instructional model

Didactic model

Transformations

Concludingremarks

Learning Object Development MethodTransformations

TransformationsFor each model, we define a setof transformations.From nothing to the conceptualmodel, we extracted a (rough)model that defines concepts andrelations.

CXL document.From conceptual model, wecreate the instructional model.

CXL to XMI document.Extracted data can be used asinformation items andinstructional elements.

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjectsConceptual model

Instructional model

Didactic model

Transformations

Concludingremarks

Learning Object Development MethodTransformations

TransformationsFrom the instructional model, wecreate the didactic one.

XMI to XMI.Define transitions andDD-states.

From the didactic model, wegenerate the learning object.

Each state is a sequence ofslides (LaTeX and PDF).Navigation between slidesreflects the sequencing of thedidactic model.

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Introduction

Learningobjectdevelopment

Model-drivendevelopment

Model-drivendevelopmentof learningobjects

Concludingremarks

Concluding remarks

Concluding remarksLODM has been used to develop several software testingcourses.

http://143.107.183.152/Apps/Moodle/

Systematic development of learning objects is feasible.LODE (tool supports LODM) is under development.

Better learning objects and productivityBenefits for learners and instructors.

Further workImprove data extraction (concept map)Abstract away the adopted pedagogical approach (used tocreate instructional and didactic models).Generate outputs other than PDF, assembling a productfamily.

Model-drivendevelopmentof learning

objects

Contact info

Credits

Contact informationMarco Aurélio Graciotto Silva

magsilva@icmc.usp.br

Research groupLaboratory of Software Engineering

http://www.labes.icmc.usp.br

Educational modules/learning objects developmenthttp://www.labes.icmc.usp.br/moduloeducacional

Funding supportCNPq (Grant 142381/2009-8)University of São Paulo (PrPG)CAPESFAPESP