An online authoring tool for creating activity-based

An online authoring tool for creating activity-based learning objects

Jeong Yong Ahn, Gil Seong Mun, Kyung Soo Han & Sook Hee Choi

Education and Information Technologies The Official Journal of the IFIP Technical Committee on Education ISSN 1360-2357 Educ Inf Technol DOI 10.1007/s10639-016-9567-9

1 23

Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer Science +Business Media New York. This e-offprint is for personal use only and shall not be selfarchived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your article, please use the accepted manuscript version for posting on your own website. You may further deposit the accepted manuscript version in any repository, provided it is only made publicly available 12 months after official publication or later and provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication and a link is inserted to the published article on Springer's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The final publication is available at link.springer.com”.

1 23

Author's personal copy Educ Inf Technol DOI 10.1007/s10639-016-9567-9

An online authoring tool for creating activity-based learning objects Jeong Yong Ahn 1 & Gil Seong Mun 1 & Kyung Soo Han 1 & Sook Hee Choi 2

Received: 29 June 2016 / Accepted: 7 December 2016 # Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016

Abstract As higher education increasingly relies on e-learning, the need for tools that will allow teachers themselves to develop effective e-learning objects as simply and quickly as possible has also been increasingly recognized. This article discusses the design and development of a novel tool, Enook (Evolutionary note book), for creating activity-based learning objects (LOs). This tool has three general foci: 1) creation of various activity-based objects for experimental learning or learning by doing while simultaneously offering as many learning resources as a real e-book that services as both a textbook and a notebook, dual functions that paperback books can never provide; 2) management of all aspects of live instructor-led classroom training in a network environment, such the Web and or a mobile network; 3) facilitated use of data on students’ progress to monitor their understanding of the material and to provide other meaningful information through learning analytics.

* Jeong Yong Ahn [email protected] Gil Seong Mun [email protected] Kyung Soo Han [email protected] Sook Hee Choi [email protected]

1

Department of Statistics (Institute of Applied Statistics), Chonbuk National University, Jeonbuk 54896, South Korea

2

Department of Psychology, Woosuk University, Jeonbuk 55338, South Korea

Author's personal copy Educ Inf Technol

Keywords E-learning . Learning objects . Development tools . E-book . Learning activities . Learning data

1 Introduction Traditional classroom environments usually include 20–30 students and one instructor, and learning involves an instructor’s explaining the content of a textbook according to guidelines specified by the curriculum. One of the disadvantages of this environment is that it is nearly impossible for one instructor to provide each student with individualized attention or instruction (Ehrenberg et al. 2001). Indeed, a classroom with many students inevitably includes several with different learning styles and academic strengths and weaknesses, and it is very difficult for a single instructor to meet the pedagogical needs of all students (Eguchi et al. 2008; Han et al. 2014). One approach to addressing these problems involves transforming classic educational media, such as textbooks and teacher-centered instruction, into e-learning components and online resources (Guenster et al. 2013). The online environment allows for the creation of learning activities that cannot occur in a traditional classroom, thus fostering experimental learning or learning by doing (Ellisona and Matthewsb 2010). To enhance these educational opportunities, it is important to develop effective course components, or learning objects (LOs). The production of effective materials relies on the availability of tools that support authors as they design and develop the content (Salomoni et al. 2012; Busch et al. 2015; Singh and Ranjan 2016). Moreover, the choice of a specific tool has a significant impact on the final quality of the learning products (Iorio et al. 2006). Numerous software tools/systems, known as authoring tools, are available to assist in the creation of dynamic and interactive LOs/environments (Koohang et al. 2011; Yi and Trevino 2015). Berking (2014) systematically arranged about 200 tools into major categories and subcategories, and Berking and Gallagher (2015) developed a learning content management system (LCMS) as well as systems designed to deliver and manage learning, such as the learning management system (LMS), course management system (CrMS), and virtual learning environment (VLE). LCMSs integrate authoring functions with content management, storage, and delivery. They also assemble and deliver dynamically presented e-learning material that originates from a central content repository (Berking 2014). This article compares three authoring tools, eXelearning, SmartBuilder, and Enook, in terms of the features identified by Berking (2014) as current trends in authoring tools. It also discusses the design and development of a novel tool, Enook (Evolutionary note book), for creating activity-based LOs. The primary focus of this tool is the creation of various activity-based objects for experimental learning or learning by doing while simultaneously offering as many learning resources as a real e-book that serves as both a textbook and a notebook, dual functions that paperback books can never provide. The secondary focus involves managing all aspects of live instructor-led classroom training on a network environment, such the Web and or a mobile network. The tool can also be used to receive feedback from students about the quality of courses offered by academic institutions, and instructors can use the tool to build LOs, manage their courses, and contact learners. The third focus involves enabling the use of data on students’ progress to monitor their understanding of the material and to provide other

Author's personal copy Educ Inf Technol

meaningful information through learning analytics; the tool includes modules that serve this function. Section 2 presents a comparison of the three authoring tools. Section 3 describes the structure and several of the core features of Enook, the tool examined in this study. Section 4, presents several some illustrative examples, including techniques for creating LOs, inserting object component modules, and using a viewer implemented for pre-existing LOs.

2 Comparison between Enook and other tools Authoring tools, which are software applications used to develop e-learning products, range from advanced software that can create a wide array of sophisticated applications to simple tools that convert instructional PowerPoint slides into web pages. Authoring tools are designed for particular styles of learning, delivery platforms, and e-learning standards, and each has its own unique features (Berking 2014). Therefore, users should choose the tools and/or systems that are optimized for their needs. This section presents a comparison of Enook with two other authoring tools, eXelearning and SmartBuilder. eXelearning is an open-source authoring application designed to assist teachers and academics in publishing Web content. This tool can generate interactive content in the XHTML or HTML5 format, and allows users to create easily navigable Web pages including text, images, interactive activities, image galleries, or multimedia clips. All educational materials generated with eXelearning can be exported in different digital formats to be used independently or to be integrated into a LMS-like Moodle. SmartBuilder is an e-learning authoring tool that enables users to create custom elearning without writing code. The platform combines the power of robust authoring tools, such as Flash, with a rapid development timeline and an easy-to-use interface. It also supports HTML5 conversion. The courses created on the tool can include gaming elements, rich media, powerful assessments, and branching scenarios. Table 1 presents a comparison of three authoring tools (eXelearning, SmartBuilder, and Enook). eXelearning and SmartBuilder are simple to start and easy to install, but their functionalities are limited. The main difference between Enook and the two other tools is in the functionality of the platform for publishing learning content and Table 1 Comparison of three authoring tools eXelearning

SmartBuilder

Combining LCMS and CrMS

X

X

Enook O

XML or JSON

O

X

O

Learning object-centric architecture

O

O

O

Importing content from other tools

O

O

O

Support for team-based learning

X

O

O

Support for high-level social media

X

X

X

Interactive video

X

O

X

Support for online assessment

O

O

O

HTML5 format

O

O

O

Learning data & learning analytics

X

X

O

Author's personal copy Educ Inf Technol

managing content and courses. As eXelearning and SmartBuilder do not offer these functions, they allow users to publish the content on other platforms (e.g., Moodle). This limitation renders communication between the instructor and students and between students and content more difficult. Enook uses Web browsers as the development and application interface and supports a combined environment for LOs and courses. Additionally, Enook creates LOs based on eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), an open, text-based data exchange format. Like XML, it is human-readable and platform-independent, and it has widely available implementations (Aziz and Mitchell 2007). Although many programming languages support JSON, JSON is especially useful for JavaScript-based applications, including websites and browser extensions. Enook also supports team-based learning and peer- and self-assessments. Teambased learning is an instructional strategy that engages students in active learning and critical thinking (Michaelsen et al. 1982). The main purpose of this approach is to change the classroom experience from one in which course content and concepts are acquired in a lecture-based format to one in which course content and concepts are applied in a team setting. In Enook, teams can be generated randomly or by the instructor, and the learning activities for each team are stored in the system. Additionally, Enook supports several methods for evaluating student performance, such as peerand self-assessment, question-and-answer (QnA) opportunities, and survey questionnaires. Another important difference between Enook and the other tools involves the use of learning-related data. Data on most learning behaviors (e.g., reading content, taking notes, and responding to questions) are automatically collected and stored in real time to be used to monitor students’ understanding of the material, discover their learning patterns, and establish new strategies to reconstruct learning environments through learning analytics. On the other hand, Enook does not support functionalities involving high-level social media and interactive video, which are meaningful for future online learning in that they can provide students and instructors with a forum for face-to-face interactions that does not require being in the same geographical location.

3 Design principles of Enook Enook is a new-concept software tool that can be used to create interactive and datarich educational environments. The primary goal of this tool is to expand communication between instructors and students. As most communication involves a questionand-answer (QnA) format, Enook supports many types of QnA opportunities, including multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, short/long answer, essay, and questionnaire formats. Additionally, students’ responses are automatically collected and stored in the database in real time so that they can be used to monitor their understanding and their learning status and serve as a basis for classroom activities. Students’ involvement in data collection increases their interest in education and makes it more real to them (Cummiskey et al. 2012). The secondary goal of this tool is to encourage students to engage in learning activities. Involving students in in-class activities is a pedagogical approach to promoting active learning (Brophy and Hahn 2014). One of the core ideas underlying this tool is learning analytics. To support the analytic process, Enook

Author's personal copy Educ Inf Technol

includes many modules that translate each student’s learning activities into data. These modules are useful for collecting, managing, and analyzing learning-related data. Enook is divided into client and server sides. Figure 1 presents an overview of the development environment and schematics of the system. The left-hand side of the figure shows the server-side environment of the integrated framework used to develop interactive LOs. The framework was constructed on Ubuntu and MongoDB, and was developed using Node.js and Mongoose. Node.js is a JavaScript-based software platform for scalable server-side and networking applications. It allows users to perform a multitude of tasks and build varied interactive applications. The right-hand side of the figure shows the client-side environment. LOs are created using dynamic HTML and JavaScript with a rich text editor, and the learning services can communicate over the Internet via a standardized protocol. The major unique contribution of Enook is its ability to create LOs that can assist in instructor-led courses in academic institutions rather than to produce learner-led LOs, such as audio/video-based objects. Enook, therefore, emphasizes instructor-to-students (students-to-students, LOs-to-users) communications/interactions and focuses on the practical use of learning-related data to monitor students’ learning status. The core features of the tool include the following: &

&

Use of a Web-based environment: Enook is Web based in terms of the authoring tool itself, not just the Bout^ files. In other words, Enook uses the Web browsers as the development interface and the application interface. This environment has the advantage of enabling collaborative authoring and role-based production workflows. Integration of LCMS and CrMS: Enook provides CrMS features as well as LCMS functionalities. Instructors can create, reuse, manage, and deliver LOs using this tool. Additionally, instructors can post information and material related to their classes on the Web and evaluate students’ work while online.

Fig. 1 The structure of Enook

Author's personal copy Educ Inf Technol

&

&

& &

Reusability of object components: Users can insert JavaScript modules into learning content to create interactive Los; indeed, the tool provides many component modules. Additionally, Enook can use existing JavaScript objects developed in other applications and educational systems. This function is helpful for rapidly generating learning materials, and it enables the reuse of LOs developed for other courses designed with Enook. Reliance on an activity-based e-book: E-books need not be restricted to duplication of a printed page on a digital device. They should incorporate a variety of learning activities and cloud-based resources, such as immersive simulation environments for practice, collaborative/individual homework, and adaptive testing and assessments. Enook can create various activity-based objects for experimental learning or learning by doing. Viewers for learning content: Enook provides several viewers to help instructors use pre-existing learning content with other file formats, such as PPT, PDF, and Video. Platform-independence: LOs created in Enook are platform independent. They operate on all devices (personal computer/smartphone) and operating systems (Windows/Linux).

4 Developing learning objects with Enook Enook, which is a tool for constructing an interactive educational environment, is currently under development by our research group (http://enook.jbnu.ac.kr/). This system is being designed to provide a tool for instructors to create activity-based LOs in instructor-led classroom environments. First, as shown Fig. 2, Enook provides various components related to the management of course content and organization,

Fig. 2 The components for learning content and course management

Author's personal copy Educ Inf Technol

Fig. 3 Enook authoring screenshot

including data analysis, QR (quick response) code, attendance, course settings, homework, and so on. Figure 3 shows a screenshot of the authoring section of Enook. The authoring tool consists of the following five parts: menu and authoring icons, subject generation, subjects generated by others, LO generation, and component modules. It is possible to

Fig. 4 Object component modules

Author's personal copy Educ Inf Technol

Fig. 5 Activity-based object for learning by doing

create various objects and insert pre-existing content into the generation part of the LO using the authoring icons and component modules. Figure 4 presents the object component modules supported by Enook, along with an example of their use. Working with the component modules, instructors can easily generate LOs with which to facilitate communication between users or between users and objects. Figure 5 presents an example of an activity-based

Fig. 6 An example of viewer

Author's personal copy Educ Inf Technol

Fig. 7 A screenshot in a mobile device

object for learning by doing based on the fact that many students learning statistics find it difficult to understand the concept of a sampling distribution. Under these circumstances, the best pedagogical approach involves asking them to extract random samples and use these to develop a sampling distribution, as shown in Fig. 5. Users can create various activity-based objects by adding JavaScript modules. The results of students’ experiments with the objects are collected in the database and provided to other students. If each of 30 students performs the experiment 10 times, all 30 will have the opportunity to learn from 300 experiments. On the other hand, there is considerable educational content, and most of is available in several file formats (e.g., PPT, PDF, and Video). Enook provides viewers to enable efficient use of various types of educational content. Figure 6 presents an example of the PDF viewer, which can also accommodate other types of content, such as multiple-choice questions. Additionally, the LOs can be used flexibly in any environment, as shown Fig. 7. To avoid the need to access the LOs via different app stores, the LOs are designed as a web app.

Author's personal copy Educ Inf Technol

5 Conclusion Pedagogical approaches that emphasize student involvement in in-class activities promote active learning and engagement in lectures and can also improve attendance. Engagement in learning activities elicits students’ intellectual curiosity, leading to their immersion in the topic under examination. This article presents a Web-based e-learning authoring tool whose main goal is to support the ability of instructors to create activity-based LOs that facilitate student engagement in class and thereby elicit their immersion in the learning content. Although many tools for creating LOs are available, only a few are able to create LOs that can support in-class experimental learning or learning by doing. Thus, it is important to develop digital LOs to support the activities of students and monitor their understanding based on learning analytics. The usefulness of Enook, which is currently under development, has been the focus of numerous experiments performed in a variety of classes. According to the observations of instructors and the results of surveys completed by students, Enook has proven to be an effective authoring and learning tool. Students benefited from the tool’s ability to enhance their understanding of learning activities, and instructors received immediate feedback about whether students understood a particular concept before deciding whether to move on to another. Moreover, students rated the feedback system as fresh and innovative. However, several issues require exploration in the future. First, although instructors need to develop computer programs that create activity-based LOs, most instructors do not have the requisite technical skills. To solve the problem, Enook provides numerous component modules, and further expansion of the object modules is in the planning stage. Additionally, given that feedback is one of the most important contributors to the quality of education, it is important to develop more efficient feedback strategies based on learning analytics. Acknowledgments This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (NRF-2016R1A2B1010253).

References Aziz, A., & Mitchell, S. (2007). An introduction to JavaScript object notation (JSON) in JavaScript and .Net. Retrieved from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb299886.aspx. Berking, P. (2014). Choosing Authoring Tools: Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Co-Laboratories. ADL. Retrieved from http://www.adlnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Choosing-Authoring-Tools.pdf. Berking, P., & Gallagher, S. (2015). Choosing a Learning Management System: Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Co-Laboratories. ADL. Retrieved from http://www.adlnet.gov/wpcontent/uploads/2014/12/Choosing-an-LMS-1.pdf. Brophy, C. & Hahn, L. (2014). Engaging Students in a Large Lecture: An Experiment using Sudoku Puzzles. Journal of Statistics Education, 22(1), http://www.amstat.org/publications/jse/v22n1/brophy.pdf Busch, C., Clabnitz, S., Selmanagic, A., & Steinicke, M. (2015). Developing and testing a mobile learning games framework. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 13(3), 151–166. Cummiskey, K., Kuiper, S., & Sturdivant, R. (2012). Using classroom data to teach students about data cleaning and testing assumptions. Frontiers in Psychology, 3, 1–8.

Author's personal copy Educ Inf Technol Ehrenberg, R. G., Brewer, D. J., Gamoran, A., & Willms, J. D. (2001). Class size and student achievement. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2(1), 1–30. Ellisona, K., & Matthewsb, C. (2010). Virtual history: a socially networked pedagogy of enlightenment. Educational Research, 52(3), 297–307. Eguchi, K., Kurebayashi, S., Zhu, H., Inoue, T., & Ueno, F. (2008). A self-learning support system for pupils based on a fuzzy scheme. International Journal of Innovative Computing, Information and Control, 4(10), 2441–2450. Guenster, M., Mittag, H. J., Wallenborn, B. (2013). Employment of new technical platforms for interactively visualizing statistical methods and statistical data. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Statistics Education for Progress. IASE. Retrieved from http://iaseweb.org/Conference_Proceedings.php. Han, K. S., Mun, G. S., & Ahn, J. Y. (2014). Understanding students’ learning status based on learning history data. ICIC Express Letters, Part B: Applications, 5(4), 1045–1050. Iorio, A. D., Feliziani, A. A., Mirri, S., Salomoni, P., & Vitali, F. (2006). Automatically producing accessible learning objects. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 9(4), 3–16. Koohang, A., Floyd, K., & Stewart, C. (2011). Design of an open source learning objects authoring tool – the LO creator. Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects, 7, 112–123. Michaelsen, L. K., Watson, W. E., Cragin, J. P., & Fink, L. D. (1982). Team-based learning: a potential solution to the problems of large classes. Exchange: The Organizational Behavior Teaching Journal, 7(4), 18–33. Salomoni, P., Guerra, L., Prandi, C., Ferrari, L., Mirri, S., Lovece, S. (2012). BEAT: An AContent extension to support authors in developing learning pathways. In Proceedings of the Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education (pp. 371–378). AACC. Retrieved from http://www.cs.unibo.it/~mirri/paper/ELEARN2012.pdf. Singh, A., & Ranjan, J. (2016). A framework for mobile apps in colleges and universities: data mining perspective. Education and Information Technologies, 21(3), 643–654. Yi, T., & Trevino, J. (2015). Tools for creating learning environments. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Computer Supported Education (pp. 31–37). Retrieved from http://www.wseas.us/elibrary/conferences/2015/Michigan/COEN/COEN-04.pdf.