Semantic Technologies in Learning and Teaching
A JISC funded report on the use of Semantic Technologies in HE Learning and Teaching has recently been published, along with a range of materials presented at various conferences. The project, led by Thanassis Tiropanis at the University of Southampton Electronics and Computer Sciences Department examined the current use of Semantic Technologies to support all aspects of the learning process in UK Higher Education.
The semtech project drew a distinction between “hard” and “soft” semantic technologies.
- [The report defines] soft semantic technologies as those that let people document certain concepts in formats that are easy to communicate to other people. These concepts can be communicated as part of learning and teaching processes. Examples of soft semantic annotation are folksonomies and topic maps.
- [The report defines] hard semantic technologies as those that support efficient exchange and processing of semantic data between programs and machines. An example would be linked data constructed from RDF statements.
- [The report distinguishes] between linked data that express the existence of relationships between resources and “traditional” metadata that express such relationships using ontologies.
It was found that “there is extensive use of soft semantic technologies in HE at the moment. Hard semantic technologies like RDF are initially used in some HE/FE repositories for interoperability.”.
Drawing on a wide ranging survey (with data available), the report identifies and critiques several potentially relevant semantic technologies that could be used to support and streamline learning related systems in HE around ideas of collaboration content authoring/annotation, searching and matching, repositories/VLEs/authoring tools, and infrastructure.
Detailed recommendations are made concerning a “roadmap” for Semantic Technology adoption, which spells out a route to the realisation of the benefits that such technology could offer the sector.
Evaluating Learning Spaces Study - Final Report Available
This JISC funded study aimed to identify and review the tools, methods and frameworks used to evaluate technology supported or enhanced physical learning spaces. A key objective was to develop the sector knowledgebase on emerging practice in the evaluation of learning spaces, identifying innovative methods and approaches beyond traditional post-occupancy evaluations and surveys that have dominated this area to date.
The study found that less than a third of evaluations studied made use of any sort of baseline data, therefore limiting the extent to which impact could be fully assessed. It also found that a tension existed between evaluation studies and research into student learning. However it did find pockets of good practice, and these are detailed in the report.
The study also proposes a conceptual Framework for Evaluating Learning Spaces (FELS), which builds upon the input gathered through study interviews and project workshops.
The report can be downloaded at www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/projects/learningspaces08.aspx
Effective Practice in a Digital Age now available
Effective Practice in a Digital Age is designed for those in further and higher education whose focus is on designing and supporting learning: academic staff, lecturers, tutors and learning support staff, facilitators, learning technologists and staff developers. What unites this diverse group is their interest in enhancing the quality of learning and teaching, and a curiosity about how technology can assist them.
Much has changed since the publication of Effective Practice with e-Learning (JISC, 2004) – the first edition of this guide. National strategies for e-learning have now formally recognised the importance of technology in learning, teaching and assessment in all sectors of education in the UK, and in response many institutions have embedded the enhancement of learning and teaching through technology into their strategic missions.
As revealed by JISC research, the social context in which learning takes place has also changed, and in ways that were not foreseen in the early part of the 21st century. Learners are increasingly dependent on technology to help them fit learning into their complex, demanding lives. Ownership of personal technologies – from computers to mobile devices – is now pervasive, and use of the internet, including Web 2.0 technologies, is commonplace.
Effective Practice in a Digital Age combines the outcomes of research with examples of current practice. To reflect the different starting points of readers, the case studies are divided into colour-coded sections to indicate the different degrees of access to technology and institutional support that practitioners may experience. Definitions of acronyms and technical terms are provided in the glossary. The publication can be ordered in hard copy or downloaded in PDF and accessible text-only formats. In addition, a number of supplementary resources are available online in the Effective Practice Resource Exchange, including video clips, podcasts and extended versions of the case studies. All resources associated with this publication can be downloaded for use in educational contexts.