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Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2009

... community to exist, iii) there are policies for interactions, and iv) there are mediating com... more ... community to exist, iii) there are policies for interactions, and iv) there are mediating computer systems. ... to learn the topics of their interest, as well as to acquire better skills for ... learners&#x27; digital and self-regulated lifelong learning skills throughout all levels of their educational path. ...

The field of information technology extends continuously. This implies an increased number of IT ... more The field of information technology extends continuously. This implies an increased number of IT professionals as well as rapidly evolving technologies. In universities, the challenge is to manage increasingly large student groups, while at the same time the teachers need to use a lot of time in developing new IT courses and updating the old courses. Unfortunately, many universities face the lack of teaching resources to deal with the situation. To address these problems we have started an Open Source Courseware (OSCu) project. The fundamental goal of the project is to increase cooperation between universities in course development. In this project we produce open source course materials, and use these materials for distributing courses to several universities. The distributed course model offers universities an easy and inexpensive way to broaden their course selection and to distribute knowledge between teaching personnel from different universities. This paper introduces the prin...

The art of programming includes knowledge of programming tools and languages, problem-solving ski... more The art of programming includes knowledge of programming tools and languages, problem-solving skills, and effective strategies for program design and implementation. A common approach in programming education is to first teach the basics of a programming language and then guide students towards effective strategies for the whole programming process. Therefore, the learning of the basic concepts is often emphasized; these

Con el incremento de la proporción de gente mayor, existe la necesidad de mejorar su bienestar y ... more Con el incremento de la proporción de gente mayor, existe la necesidad de mejorar su bienestar y de facilitarles la integración en la sociedad del conocimiento. En las sociedades envejecidas, el aprendizaje desempeña un papel primordial a la hora de afrontar retos como el aumento del gasto social y sanitario, el reciclaje para el empleo y la participación, así como el intercambio intergeneracional de experiencias y conocimiento. Es importante identificar a la gente mayor como un grupo heterogéneo, en términos de autoconfianza hacia el aprendizaje, adquisición de habilidades e intereses, y relaciones sociales y de salud, entre otros. En general, la motivación de la gente mayor por aprender tiene que ver con mejorar su vida diaria, mantenerse activos, compartir sus conocimientos con los demás y contactar con otros alumnos. Las TIC pueden contribuir a proporcionar oportunidades nuevas y flexibles para poner en contacto a las personas mayores entre sí y con generaciones de gente más jov...

The rapid emergence of social computing applications is changing the ways people connect with eac... more The rapid emergence of social computing applications is changing the ways people connect with each other, exchange and create knowledge in different spheres. In particular, young people entering higher education are integrating ICT seamlessly in their everyday life and call for educational institutions to support their digital learning styles. But also older people are increasingly taking up social computing applications in their work and leisure life. Social computing tools thus have a potential to support both, students in higher education institutions and workers updating their skills in new ways. However, research on the enabling and disabling factors for a successful deployment of social computing is scarce. IPTS is aiming to close this gap with this ongoing study on Learning 2.0 practices. Evidence indicates that social computing applications can support higher education institutions in their efforts to facilitate communication with and among students and staff and to improve ...

E-Training Practices for Professional Organizations, 2005

The Open Source Courseware project (OSCu) is aimed at cooperative course development and implemen... more The Open Source Courseware project (OSCu) is aimed at cooperative course development and implementation in university software-engineering education. Open materials and a distributed course implementation model offer effective means for knowledge sharing between universities. However, in practice there are many difficulties in managing distributed courses and the actual cooperation scheme. This article presents the major problems faced in the first four distributed courses, and the approaches that were developed and which are now used to deal with them.

European Journal of Education, 2010

This article summarises research carried out between 2006 and 2008 by IPTS (Institution for Prosp... more This article summarises research carried out between 2006 and 2008 by IPTS (Institution for Prospective Technological Studies) in collaboration with a consortium of experts from 10 member states, led by ICEGEC. The project gathered information on eLearning developments to assess drivers and barriers and to suggest implications for policy and research in the 10 member states that joined the European Union in 2004. Three examples of countries (Estonia, Hungary and Slovenia) demonstrate that, while the group is not homogeneous, commonalities can be detected. Reports show that all the EU10 countries have been catching up with the older member states in ICT penetration and skills, but large digital divides remain due to regional, social and economic divides. Educational institutions are equipped with ICT, but not always at the same level in classrooms as in EU15. Universities are using ICT in education, but mostly for material provision purposes. Enterprises seem to have higher usage of eLearning solutions than in EU15, but these are not equally available for all employees. Lack of focus and coordination in policies to support eLearning developments has been assessed to be a major barrier. In general, EU10 seems to be facing similar challenges to other European countries, although specific efforts are needed to help close the divides and engage people in lifelong learning with the new opportunities ICT could provide.

Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 2007

... As learning spaces are not only defined as online spaces, it is important to note that connec... more ... As learning spaces are not only defined as online spaces, it is important to note that connecting learners and experts also takes place in the physical spaces. Hence connecting space provides entry points for those with less experience of computers to enter ICT-ena-bled ...

Computer Science Education, 2005

... In this way, both groups learn issues relating to specifying, implementing and testing softwa... more ... In this way, both groups learn issues relating to specifying, implementing and testing software with the help of an automatic assessment system. 4.1. ... Teachers often agree that it is not possible to assess automatically all the issues relating to good programming. ...

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2003

Increased class sizes are forcing academics to reconsider approaches to setting and marking asses... more Increased class sizes are forcing academics to reconsider approaches to setting and marking assessments for their students. Distributed and distance learning are creating some of the biggest changes. Some educators are embracing new technologies but others are more wary of what they do not know. In order to address this issue it is first necessary to investigate the types of assessment currently in use and the perceptions that are held by academics with and without experience of the new technologies that are becoming available.

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2005

... This work stud-ies the difficulties in learning programming in order to support de-veloping l... more ... This work stud-ies the difficulties in learning programming in order to support de-veloping learning materials for basic programming courses. ... The survey studied the students' and teachers' perceptions of the difficulties in learning programming. ...

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2009

Summary As the share of older people increases, there is a need to improve their well-being and p... more Summary As the share of older people increases, there is a need to improve their well-being and possibilities for integration in the knowledge society. In ageing societies, learning plays a key role in addressing challenges such as increasing social and health costs, re-skilling for employment and participation, and intergenerational sharing of experience and knowledge. It is important to recognize older people as a heterogeneous group, in terms of self-confidence for learning, learning skills and interests, health and social connections, among others. In general, older people's learning motivation is related to improving their everyday lives, to keeping themselves active, to sharing their knowledge with others and to connecting with other learners. ICT can help in providing new and flexible learning opportunities, which connect older people with each other and with younger generations. For older people, learning usually takes place in informal settings rather than in formal edu...

Journal of Information …, 2004

To deal with the problem, a set of coding rules was collected and justified to be used in C++ pro... more To deal with the problem, a set of coding rules was collected and justified to be used in C++ pro-gramming courses of the university. An automatic C++ programming style analyzer tool was im-plemented to ensure that students were following the rules. Students can freely use ...

IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, 2004. Proceedings., 2004

Assessment provides means for influencing students' learning results and strategies on un... more Assessment provides means for influencing students' learning results and strategies on university courses. However, supporting students to learn practical programming skills requires carefully designed assignments and their assessment. This paper studies challenges and approaches for assessing homework programming assignments. We present and discuss a semi-automatic assessment system for supporting programming assignments on large courses.

Informatica (slovenia) - INFORMATICASI, 2003

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2009

E-Training Practices for Professional Organizations, 2005

European Journal of Education, 2010

Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 2007

Computer Science Education, 2005

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2003

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 2005

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2009

Journal of Information …, 2004

IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, 2004. Proceedings., 2004

Informatica (slovenia) - INFORMATICASI, 2003

Institute for Prospective Technological …, 2008

... Advanced digital competence does not automatically follow from the ability to use ICT tools. ... more ... Advanced digital competence does not automatically follow from the ability to use ICT tools. Skills and knowledge challenges for both young and old internet users relate to: Privacy and security: A high proportion (79%) of young internet users are not careful in sharing private ...

The mission of the IPTS is to provide customer-driven support to the EU policy-making process by ... more The mission of the IPTS is to provide customer-driven support to the EU policy-making process by researching science-based responses to policy challenges that have both a socio-economic and a scientific or technological dimension.

Lifelong learning strategies need to answer to the growing need for advanced digital competence f... more Lifelong learning strategies need to answer to the growing need for advanced digital competence for all jobs and for all learners. Learning digital skills not only needs to be addressed as a separate subject but also embedded within teaching in all subjects. Building digital competence by embedding and learning ICT should start as early as possible, i.e. in primary education, by learning to use digital tools critically, confidently and creatively, with attention paid to security, safety, and privacy. Teachers need to be equipped with the digital competence themselves, in order to support this process.

… brief prepared by the Institute for …, 2008

New technologies, and especially social computing, provide new opportunities for education and tr... more New technologies, and especially social computing, provide new opportunities for education and training, as they enhance learning and teaching, and facilitate collaboration, innovation and creativity for individuals and organizations. The benefits of deploying social computing and ICT for learning depend on the learning approach used, emphasizing the role and the skills of the teacher and the need for supportive settings for both learners and teachers. How to obtain EU publications Our priced publications are available from EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu), where you can place an order with the sales agent of your choice.

This report is part of the research project on "Pedagogical Innovations in New ICT-facilitated Le... more This report is part of the research project on "Pedagogical Innovations in New ICT-facilitated Learning Communities" (LearnCom), 1 under an Administrative Arrangement between IPTS (IS Unit) 2 and DG Education and Culture. The aim of this study is to review and assess the new social and pedagogical approaches to learning that are emerging in new ICT-facilitated collaborative learning settings. In addition to formal education, such communities are increasingly emerging in informal and non-formal lifelong learning environments where learning is happening in a freely organised manner, bringing together learners, experts, and other parties. This study aims to examine these new learning communities in order to find innovative pedagogical and organisational practices that support lifelong learning in different settings and foster innovations in the interaction of teachers, learners and organisations. The methodological framework for the LearnCom project includes desk research on the existing literature about learning communities; 3 the present in-depth case study of 12 different types of learning communities; a validation workshop 4 in which 20 external experts discussed and provided further input to the research; and a final report. 5 This report presents the results of the in-depth study of 12 online learning communities. The case analysis examines features, impacts and outcomes of learning in ICT-facilitated learning communities, as well as factors for failure and success, highlighting what lessons can be learnt from online learning communities that could benefit education and training systems.

Collaborative content, created with web2.0 technologies, is part of the social computing phenomen... more Collaborative content, created with web2.0 technologies, is part of the social computing phenomenon. The key feature of collaborative content is that it is created, reviewed, refined, enhanced and shared by interactions and contributions of a number of people. The report provides an assessment of the use, adoption and impact of collaborative content applications, giving an in-depth description of YouTube, Wikipedia and blogging, and discussing the socio-economic impacts and challenges of collaborative content. The great variety of collaborative content applications is providing people with access to a diversity of content and information, new relations to other people based on common interests, and a new tool for collaboration. Organizations can not avoid responding to the challenges that arise, but there are various ways in which they can also benefit from the opportunities available. A major challenge is how to nurture a responsible digital culture, where users adopt a critical at...

Over the last few years, the Internet has had a profound effect on the private and professional l... more Over the last few years, the Internet has had a profound effect on the private and professional lives of European citizens, offering them an increasing number and range of opportunities for accessing information, gaining and exchanging knowledge and realising personal learning goals. The core indicators for Internet take up show that most Europeans are using the Internet. According to Eurostat 2009 data, 65% of EU27 households have Internet access at home, ranging from 30% in Bulgaria to 90% in the Netherlands. 60% of the EU27 population (aged 16 to 74) uses the Internet at least once a week; 48% uses it every day. This increase in Internet usage goes with a significant increase in computer skills: in 2009, 64% of Europeans possess some computer skills, shown by the fact that they carried out at least one of a list of six most common computer tasks; 50% carried out at least three of these tasks. The usefulness of the Internet for learning purposes is also reflected in Eurostat data....

JRC Scientific and …, 2008

This document provides an overview of the discussion that took place 31 March 1 April at IPTS, Se... more This document provides an overview of the discussion that took place 31 March 1 April at IPTS, Seville, Spain, in the validation workshop of the interim results of the project on Innovations in new ICT-facilitated learning communities. This report presents the main messages from the workshop discussions in a structured fashion. The discussions highlighted both the difference and hybridity of informal and formal learning, and a need to find ways to benefit from both without losing the features that give them their strength. Online networked settings are playing an important role in people's lives and can provide new skills. However, participation in them does not necessarily lead to learning, neither is it available for all people. Educational systems need to recognise the existence of this online collaborative world where people are living and working, ensure that all people have skills and confidence to participate in it, and learn and benefit from it in developing new and effi...

This report provides a systematic empirical assessment of the creation, use and adoption of speci... more This report provides a systematic empirical assessment of the creation, use and adoption of specific social computing applications and its impact on ICT/media industries, personal identity, social inclusion, education and training, healthcare and public health, and government services and public governance.

Technologies are increasingly being used in society and the economy, and this is transforming way... more Technologies are increasingly being used in society and the economy, and this is transforming ways of working, studying, communicating, accessing information and spending leisure time, among others. Attention must be paid to ensuring that everyone has digital competence as it provides important benefits while its lack can lead to various risks to children, young people, workers, elderly, groups at risk of exclusion and all citizens in general. It is not always clear however what is meant with digital competence. Therefore, the IS Unit at JRC-IPTS has launched a project to develop guidelines for supporting digital competence development in Europe on the request of DG Education and Culture.
This report reviews needs for digital competence, different concepts used to describe and understand it, and related policy approaches and measurements. Based on these, it suggests a conceptual model with the following main areas: 1) Instrumental knowledge and skills for tool and media usage; 2) Advanced skills and knowledge for communication and collaboration, information management, learning and problem-solving, and meaningful participation; 3) Attitudes to strategic skills usage in intercultural, critical, creative, responsible and autonomous ways. Instrumental knowledge and skills are a precondition for developing or using more advanced skills. The objective of the conceptual model is to highlight the various knowledge, skill and attitude areas that should be considered when developing digital competence. The proposed structure allows flexibility and the concept to be tailored to different target groups of digital competence learners and users.
The work developed in this report will contribute to the IPTS DIGCOMP project, where it will also be developed further. The reader is encouraged to follow the project’s progress and results at the project website: http://is.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pages/EAP/DIGCOMP.html

In 2008, as part of its policy support for DG Education and Culture, IPTS launched a study to exp... more In 2008, as part of its policy support for DG Education and Culture, IPTS launched a study to explore the innovative social and pedagogical approaches to learning that are emerging in new ICT-enabled collaborative settings. This is the final report on the project.
Lifelong learning plays a crucial role in society today as jobs, and the skills they require, are changing. Recent technological and social developments in online settings have the potential to support lifelong learning in new ways. Online collaborative spaces can support both intentional and non-intentional learning in new ways through various forms of participation. These online platforms, networks and communities support learning all the key competences for lifelong learning, including new transversal skills and personal growth in a social context. However, ensuring digital fluency and self-regulated learning skills for all becomes a crucial challenge and enabler for lifelong learning. Furthermore, individuals need to be prepared for and interested in learning. Communities can encourage their members to participate and learn with a sociable, openly-managed and developing culture.
The report argues that online networks and communities can contribute to all the major European Education and Training policy objectives, i.e. modernising educational institutions to support the lifelong learning continuum with new opportunities for equity, quality and efficiency, and learning key competences and transversal skills. However, a new learner-centred approach for lifelong learning by learners, education providers and employers is needed. All education stakeholders should engage in developing lifelong learning opportunities through collaboration and new partnerships.

This report is part of a project launched by IPTS with DG Education and Culture to study the inno... more This report is part of a project launched by IPTS with DG Education and Culture to study the innovations for learning, which are emerging in the new collaborative and informal settings enabled by ICT. The report gathers and analyses evidence from learning opportunities that are emerging in ICT-enabled networks and communities. In these new virtual spaces, participation is motivated by an interest to a topic, by creative production and by search for social connection. Online networks and communities emerge both within and across organisations as well as in a completely open and bottom-up manner. Accessing, following, and contributing to the communities can lead to a range of learning outcomes. New technologies afford tools and means for people to participate in communities in a personally meaningful way. However, not all individuals are necessarily equipped with skills or knowledge to benefit from these opportunities for their lifelong learning. Major challenges relate both to the initial barriers for accessing online communities with confident and critical digital competence and skills for self-regulated learning. Finding ways to identify, assess and certify relevant learning and new skills that can be obtained and practised in these environments is a major task. The report argues that educational institutions should find ways to connect with and learn from these new learning approaches and settings in order to bring about their own transformation for the 21st century, and to support competence building for new jobs and personal development with a learner-centred and lifelong perspective.

In 2005, IPTS launched a project which aimed to assess the developments in eGoverment, eHealth an... more In 2005, IPTS launched a project which aimed to assess the developments in eGoverment, eHealth and eLearning in the 10 New Member States at national, and at cross-country level. At that time, the 10 New Member States were Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia. A report for each country was produced, describing its educational system and the role played by eLearning within both the formal education system and other aspects of lifelong learning. Each report then analyzed, on the basis of desk research and expert interviews, the major achievements, shortcomings, drivers and barriers in the development of eLearning in one of the countries in question.
This synthesis report developed in the final phases of the project offers an integrated view of the developments of eLearning in the New Member States. Furthermore, the project has prepared a prospective report looking across and beyond the development of the eGoverment, eHealth and eLearning areas to summarize policy challenges and options for the development of eServices and the Information Society towards the goals of Lisbon and i2010.

Institute for Prospective …, 2009

This report provides a systematic empirical assessment of the creation, use and adoption of speci... more This report provides a systematic empirical assessment of the creation, use and adoption of specific social computing applications and its impact on industry, personal identity, learning, social inclusion, healthcare and public health, and government services and public governance.

… -Joint Research Centre- …, 2009

... The report features a comprehensive empirical analysis of Social Computing that is intended t... more ... The report features a comprehensive empirical analysis of Social Computing that is intended to ... has increased the demand for ICT connectivity (broadband up-link, mobile networks), software ... Europe is stronger in Social Networking Sites and online multi-player gaming (with 25 ...

Reviews and studies on the contribution of dance for health and well-being often highlight the us... more Reviews and studies on the contribution of dance for health and well-being often highlight the use of dance in clinical interventions, either as a motivating form of physical exercise, or as a therapeutic tool for the elderly and for persons with health problems. The presence of dance in people's lives as a personal, social and cultural practice is rarely addressed, although these are the forms through which dance reaches large groups of diverse people every day. This paper summarises knowledge on leisure dancing and its effects on health and well-being, in order to make suggestions for research and policy. The objective is to propose measures that can support several key groups of social and health policies: children and adolescents, elderly, adults, people with health problems and groups at risk of exclusion to have dancing as an accessible and enjoyable selfcare measure for their well-being throughout their lives. It is proposed that both research and policy approaches should more systematically consider personal motivations, facilitators and barriers for dancing is aiming to support well-being of all groups of people across economic, social and cultural divides.

Tesis de Maestría, 2020

El movimiento rítmico compartido ha reflejado y fortalecido conexiones entre personas en el desar... more El movimiento rítmico compartido ha reflejado y fortalecido conexiones entre personas en el desarrollo humano, y sigue teniendo esa capacidad en la práctica social de los bailes tradicionales. Los bailes populares tradicionales cubanos reflejan la memoria cultural e inteligencia social con potencial para aportar el bienestar en Cuba y todo el mundo como práctica social creativa e inclusiva. Esta investigación aspira a visibilizar la importancia de las prácticas sociales de los bailes tradicionales como una actividad creativa, personal, social y cultural para todos los seres humanos.

Esta tesis considera que los cuerpos están formados por interacciones con otros cuerpos, encarnando memorias de las propias experiencias tanto como de las experiencias de los otros cuerpos. Los bailes tradicionales son expresiones y mediadores activos de la memoria cultural de cuerpos, reflejando los valores, propósitos y formas de interacción de algún grupo social. La corporeidad que se desarrolla en la práctica de los bailes populares tradicionales refleja las memorias y apoya las expresiones que han sostenido los individuos y las comunidades desde una generación a otra. Como dimensiones principales de esa corporeidad, esta tesis propone:
• Proposito consciente (corporeidad mental)
• Movimiento (corporeidad kinésica)
• Convenciones sociales (corporeidad socio-cultural)
• Experiencia encarnada (corporeidad cenestésica)
• Ritmo como la estructucación del movimiento (corporeidad rítmica)
• Estética como sistema de valores en la comunidad de práctica (corporeidad estética)

This presentation summarises in English key issues of the MSc in Arts thesis written in Spanish (... more This presentation summarises in English key issues of the MSc in Arts thesis written in Spanish (Conceptualización de la corporeidad en los bailes populares tradicionales cubanos) available at: https://independent.academia.edu/KirstiAlamutka/Thesis-Chapters

It is based on the M.Sc defense presentation given on 16th December in Havana, Cuba, but includes also some additional points, which did not fit into the presentation limited to 20 minutes in length.