Keynote Speech

Just-in-time Knowledge for Effective Hybrid Learning

Michel C. Desmarais

Computer and Software Engineering Department
Polytechnique Montréal
Canada

Email: [email protected]

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Abstract

The means for Hybrid learning take on many forms. In this paper, we look at learning facilitators that can be embedded within the user interface. We argue that these means of learning can be even more effective than formal training. We describe different features of the user interface that can provide just-in-time knowledge that fosters learning: immersing the student into a rich environment where he can readily have access to the information for the task at hand.

Biography

Michel Desmarais is associate professor in Computer and SoftwareEngineering at Polytechnique Montreal since 2002.  He is a researcher and practioner in Human-Computer Interactions, e-learning, and Artificial Intelligence.  He earned his Ph.D. in psychology in 1990 and later directed a 6 million dollars research program in Computerized Learning Environments at the Computer Research Institute of Montreal until 1998.  Then, from 1998 to 2002, he moved to the private sector where he managed the Web services department in a private company and was leader of a number of R&D Web-based software projects.  He is the author of over 60 scientific papers and actively involved in the research community on developing new means of learning.

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"You can't do that in a classroom!" How Distributed Learning can Assist in the Widespread Adoption of Hybrid Learning Strategies

Cath Ellis
School of Music, Humanities and Media
University of Huddersfield
Huddersfield, UK

Email: [email protected]

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Abstract

Achieving the widespread adoption of Hybrid Learning in Higher Education is desirable but difficult and to accomplish this requires significant institutional change. This paper suggests that this kind of change can be achieved by the strategic harnessing of Distributed Learning opportunities. It takes as its main point of focus the lecture which, despite significant advances in communication and information technology still prevails as a dominant teaching and learning strategy in Higher Education. It suggests that using screencasting to deliver lectures in a Distributed Learning context can trigger the kind of widespread change required.

Biography

Cath Ellis has been using distributed learning strategies in Higher Education for over ten years. She has taught English Literature in Universities in both Australia and the United Kingdom. She is currently Course Leader for the Humanities degree in the School of Music, Humanities and Media at the University of Huddersfield. She is also the project leader for a three year Distributed Learning Project at the University of Huddersfield. This project is involved with engaging and supporting academic staff in the adoption of distributed learning strategies in their teaching. This work is heavily involved with the establishment of two new University Campuses in Barnsley (in South Yorkshire) and Oldham (in Greater Manchester). One of the main priorities of this project is making sure the students on these campuses feel that they are part of the University, receive an equivalent learning experience and feel connected to academic staff and students based at the other campuses. Prior to this Cath worked in the School of English Literatures, Philosophy and Languages at the University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, where she was involved in the design, development and delivery of an interdisciplinary Arts degree offered via distributed learning across four remote campuses. She has extensive experience in the use of online learning environments, video-conferencing and face-to-face teaching. She has also recently been involved in the redesign of University classrooms to more easily accommodate innovative, student-centred teaching and learning strategies.

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A Proposal for a Lifecycle Process for Hybrid Learning Programs

Won Kim

School of Information and Communication Engineering

Sungkyunkwan University

Suwon, S. Korea

Email: [email protected]

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Abstract

A hybrid learning program is a mixture of traditional in-class learning components and e-learning components. A learning program may be a single course or an entire curriculum. A learning program and courseware must be designed to help learners learn. As such, a hybrid learning program is a rather complex artifact. Commercial software is in general a very complex artifact that has a clearly defined lifecycle for planning, development, deployment, maintenance & upgrade, and termination. Although learning programs and courseware are not nearly as complex as commercial software, adapting the lifecycle process for the creation and managing of commercial software to hybrid learning programs and courseware should make it possible for the learning program managers and courseware developers to take a holistic and disciplined approach to the creation and management of hybrid learning programs and courseware. This paper proposes a lifecycle process for hybrid learning programs and e-learning courseware.

Biography


Dr. Kim
 is a Professor Sung- Kyun-Kwan University in Korea. He is also a Senior Advisor at Xener Systems in Korea. He received a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He received both a BS and an MS degree from MIT. He has published books and research and technical papers in international journals and conferences on the area of database, data mining and Internet technologies.  Dr. Kim is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief for ACM Transactions on Internet Technology since 2000. He has been elected an ACM Fellow in 1995. He was the Founder and Chair of the ACM Special Interest Group on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining from 1998 to 2005. He was the Chair of the ACM Special Interest Group on Management of Data from 1989 to1997. He served as the Editor-in-Chief for ACM Transactions on Database Systems from 1992 to 2001.  Dr. Kim received the ACM 2001 Distinguished Services Award for his contributions in computing research. In 2002, he received the ACM SIGMOD "Test of Time" Award for the most influential research paper in 1992. In 1998, he received the ACM SIGMOD Contributions Award for his outstanding contributions to ACM SIGMOD and the database management research community. In 1995, he received the VLDB "10-Year Paper Award" in 1995 for the most influential research paper in 1985.

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Copyright (C) 2008 International Conference on Hybrid Learning Committee. All right reserved.

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