1、英文原文 Extending the Limits of CVE s to Support Collaborativee-Learning Scenarios Abstract This paper proposes the use of collaborative virtualenvironments in order toprov ide collaborative e-learningservices in an efficient and cost effective way. On the onehand, we present the transformation of well
2、 knowncollaborative learning techniques t o collaborative elearningscenarios. The collaborative learningtechniques, which arediscussed in this paper, arebrainstorming/roundtable, think pair share, jigsaw,quick writes/microthemes, and structured academiccontroversies. On the other hand, we des cribe
3、thenecessary modifications of the collaborative virtualenvironments in order to support collaborative e-learningservices and scenarios. Main proposals are theintegra tion of more media to offer more awareness, thesupport of more people with different roles, and thedefinition of an integrated system
4、architecture. 1、 Introduction It is well known that collaborative e-learning is adefinite need nowadays. Much research and technologicalwork has been done in order to support and/or to offer elea rningservices. In the technological field there aretechnologies, commercial tools, and /or researchproto
5、types to support e-learning 1, 3. Theoreticalframeworks and lear ning techniques have been presentedfor collaborative learning. Furthermore it is more difficultfor both learners to learn and teachers to teach fromdistance. Thus, in order to provide collaborative elearningservices to the users in an
6、effective way, it isneede d to incorporate available or new technologies withlearning theories and the user nee ds. Starting from theuser requirements, we have realised that the main usersneed is to be more aware about the actions of the rest ofusers in the collaborative e-learning groups. Systems,w
7、hich satisfy this need and integrate the necessary toolsfor realising the collaborative e-learning techniques, havemany possibilities to succeed. Furtherm ore, an effective elearningsystem, which provides valuable learningexperience, shoul d combine pedagogy, learning contentand community features,
8、in an effective way 5. If thefocus is no longer content but rather the management ofthe learning experi ence, then the pedagogical processbecomes the most important factor in the design an dsupport of that experience. For this reason, this paperproposes to transfer well-kno wn collaborative learning
9、techniques into collaborative e-learning scenarios. Inadditi on the emphasis of most e-learning platforms todayhas been on the accumulation, or ganization, and deliveryof content. Thus, new solutions should be investigated for the contribution on the context of e-learning. Theadvantages of collabora
10、tive virtual e nvironments, againstthe other technologies such as videoconferencing,regarding both the awareness and the collaborativefeatures, motivate us to concentrate our research o nproviding collaborative e-learning services to the usersusing CVEs. However, CVE s cannot be used as they arein o
11、rder to provide collaborative e-learning services. Ne wnetwork architectures should be investigated； newmodules should be integrated in the CVEs in order toprovide specific functionality and to exploit the maincharacteris tics of CVEs as much as possible. In this case,the design of the 3D worlds is
12、affected from thecollaborative e-learning scenarios. For these reasons, thispaper proposes so me extensions in the CVEs in order toupgrade them into Educational Virtual Environ ments(EVEs) 2. We initially describe the processes in order torealise these techni ques using CVEs and more media.Afterward
13、s, we present our proposed extensions of theCVEs, and a system architecture. 2、 Realizing collaborative learningtechniques into a collaborative e-learningenvironment The first step before the design of a system is toinvestigate well-known collabo rative learning scenarios inorder to transform them i
14、nto e-learning techniques. Them ain collaborative learning techniques are:brainstorming/roundtable, think pair share, j igsaw,quickwrites/microthemes, and structured academiccontroversies. These techni ques are not presented in thispaper due to space limitations. More information isavai lable at 7.
15、Here we present the processes in order torealise these techniques using C VEs. Before describingthese processes we are describing specificfunctionality,whic h is derived from the collaborative learningtechniques. First of all, we propose the tutors and learners to use a3D virtual classroom and suppo
16、rtive break-out sessionrooms for dividing the users in sub-groups (if the scena riorequires that). The learners and tutors who participate in avirtual classroom are re presented by avatars. The usersavatars should be able to make various types of gestu res:expressing opinions (e.g. agree, disagree),
17、 expressingfeelings, mimics (e.g. happy, sad), as well as showingactions (e.g. move learning content, pick learningcontent). T he virtual classroom and the break-out sessionrooms should be supported by audio co llaboration,application sharing and text chat functionality. Also theyshould have a sp ec
18、ific place where the users can uploadtheir content and show it to the other participa nts. Thisspace can be a 3D presentation table. It should alsoprovide (according to eac h scenario) more functionalitysuch as shared whiteboard, or simulation of abrainstor ming board. Both, the above functionality
19、and theaccess rights on it, depend on the e- learning scenario. Thetransformation and the basic processes are described inthe foll owing paragraphs. Brainstorming/Roundtable: The tutor asks a questionusing audio collaboration functionality (or alternativelytext chat). Furthermore the tutor can write
20、 the question and upload it to the presentation table as a document. Thelearners can answer to the q uestions using the audiocollaboration functionality (or alternatively text chat).Further more the learners can use the brainstorming tool inorder to write and attach on it their ideas. Think pair sha
21、re: The tutor poses a question (or aproblem) as a file on the pres entation table or usingaudio/text chat and introduces the collaboration technique.Aft er a short pause for reflecting, the learners turn into thewhisper-mode with their neigh bour and discuss in privatethe problem. Preferable way for
22、 whispering would be apr ivate audio-channel within the classroom (audiowhisperfunction). Alternatively a pri vate text chat can beused. After the assigned discussion time, the tutor gathersthe att ention of the learners by ringing the bell (sendinga text message to all of the participants). At that
23、 time, thelearners exit from the whispering mode, and then return toa group for discussion. Jigsaw: The whole Jigsaw procedure can be handledwithin the virtual classroom, which has also 4 breakoutsession rooms. The tutor first introduces in short theproced ure and then asks for the number of learner
24、s (goodnumbers are any multiple of four). For 16 learners thetutor suggests study groups of 4 and 4 sections. Then thetutor nee ds to formulate the sections: s/he divides theusers in the sections and attaches the nec essary learningcontent to each section. The tutor then assigns to thelearners their
25、 role (group number and section number).Spontaneously, the learners will receive an auto matedmessage, which room they need to go to: there they findthe section description on the presentation table and anystudy material the tutor might have assigned to the f ocusgroup. After that, the learners of e
26、ach section participateall together in a section- shared place. The places can bevirtual small classes (breakout session rooms) with au diocollaboration, application, sharing, and text-chatfunctionality. The tutor can also assign documents to thissection. These documents will be available to the lea
27、rnersin the breakout room. The learners can take material fromthe presentation table to their other session, by saving thematerial into his/her local PC and upload it again. Quickwrites/Microthemes: The whole procedure forthis technique can be hand led within a 3D classroom,which also has 4 breakout
28、 session rooms. In the virtualcla ssroom and the breakout out session rooms the userscan use audio collaboration, app lication sharing and textchat functionality. The tutor presents to the learners themicr othemes in the presentation table space. In additions/he uploads and presents suppor ting docu
29、ments on theshared space. The learners can open a notepad or othertext ed itor for personal use； focus on the proposeddocuments and after completion of the as signment, caneasily save their result on their local PC and upload it intothe shared s pace. The tutor assigns to each group whichthemes should be discussed (2-4 persons). The learnersmove to the breakout-rooms pull their documents onto thepresentation area, in those rooms, and discuss theoutcomes. One person writes a protocol of the g roupdiscussion and saves the result back to his/her local PCand then upload it intot
