Erik Duval | KU Leuven (original) (raw)

Papers by Erik Duval

Educational Technology & Society, 2006

The Web puts a huge number of learning resources within reach of anyone with Internet access. How... more The Web puts a huge number of learning resources within reach of anyone with Internet access. However, many valuable resources are difficult to find due to the lack of interoperability among learning repositories. In order to achieve interoperability, implementers require a common query framework. This paper discusses a set of methods referred to as Simple Query Interface (SQI) as a universal interoperability layer for educational networks. The methods proposed can be used by a source for configuring and submitting queries to a target system and retrieving results from it. The SQI interface can be implemented in a synchronous or an asynchronous manner and is independent of query languages and metadata schemas. In this paper SQI's universal applicability has been evaluated by more than a dozen implementations demonstrated in three different case studies. SQI has been finalized as a standard in the CEN/ISSS Learning Technologies Workshop. Latest developments of SQI can be followed at http://www.prolearnproject.org/lori/.

This paper describes a research effort to use information visualisation and augmented reality for... more This paper describes a research effort to use information visualisation and augmented reality for data exploration in conferences and scientific meetings. We summarise the iterative design and evaluation process of an interactive display that allows users to discover scientific publications and connect with peers. We present preliminary evaluation results, and point out future developments and research directions.

In this paper, we will propose a framework for finding, recommending and inserting learning objec... more In this paper, we will propose a framework for finding, recommending and inserting learning objects in a digital repository, exploiting the user context that is captured from the Learning Management System (LMS). The framework we propose builds on top of the ARIADNE service oriented architecture for learning object repositories, abstracting from the technicalities of low level metadata and resource management. As a case study, the framework has been applied in a university learning management system (SIDWeb).

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a pedagogic verification experiment we carried out i... more Abstract: This paper presents the results of a pedagogic verification experiment we carried out in the ARIADNE project (Forte et al. 1997a; Forte et al. 1997b; Duval 1998; Ariadne 1998). The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the use of the ARIADNE core tools in a course on algorithms and data structures, as it was delivered in 1997-1998 at the KU Leuven-Campus Kortrijk.

Abstract. The last few years, Information and communication technology (ICT) has been introduced ... more Abstract. The last few years, Information and communication technology (ICT) has been introduced in education at a very rapid pace. Large amounts of resources (time and money) are invested in the development of educational resources, to be used in the new learning environments.

Abstract Increasing motivation of students and helping them to reflect on their learning processe... more Abstract Increasing motivation of students and helping them to reflect on their learning processes is an important driver for learning analytics research. This paper presents our research on the development of a dashboard that enables self-reflection on activities and comparison with peers. We describe evaluation results of four iterations of a design based research methodology that assess the usability, use and usefulness of different visualizations.

This paper presents a federated search and social recommen-dation widget. It describes the widget... more This paper presents a federated search and social recommen-dation widget. It describes the widget's interface and the un-derlying social recommendation engine. A preliminary eval-uation of the widget's usability and usefulness involving 15 subjects is also discussed. The evaluation helped identify us-ability problems that will be addressed prior to the widget's usage in a real learning context.

Social information retrieval systems, such as recommender systems, can benefit greatly from shara... more Social information retrieval systems, such as recommender systems, can benefit greatly from sharable and reusable evaluations of online resources. For example, in distributed repositories with rich collections of learning resources, users can benefit from evaluations, ratings, reviews, annotations, etc. that previous users have provided. Furthermore, sharing these evaluations and annotations can help attain the critical mass of data required for social information retrieval systems to be effective and efficient.

In previous work, we presented a tiered architecture that includes a middle layer for communicati... more In previous work, we presented a tiered architecture that includes a middle layer for communication and exchange of learning objects between Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Learning Object Repositories (LOR). In order to take into account more dynamic characteristics, we present here a model driven approach for managing the learning object usage, based on the Common Information Model. This approach enables us to capture and exploit information related to the usage of the systems and other entities involved. We experimented with this approach with two different LMS and three various LOR.

ABSTRACT In recent years, several researchers have been developing methodologies, technologies an... more ABSTRACT In recent years, several researchers have been developing methodologies, technologies and systems to support the assembly of learning services, tools and resources in personal learning environments (PLEs). The overall goal is to enrich or even replace traditional learning management systems like Moodle and Blackboard with mash-ups of widgets and services that can be combined and configured in a flexible way, according to the specific needs of the user.

Resumen: The Simple Publishing Interface (SPI) is a new publishing protocol, developed under the ... more Resumen: The Simple Publishing Interface (SPI) is a new publishing protocol, developed under the auspices of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) workshop on learning technologies. This protocol aims to facilitate the communication between content producing tools and repositories that persistently manage learning resources and metadata.

Social bookmarking tools are very popular nowadays. In most tools, users tag the bookmarks to des... more Social bookmarking tools are very popular nowadays. In most tools, users tag the bookmarks to describe them. Therefore, it is of-ten hard for users to discover implicit structures between tags, users and bookmarks. We think that this is essential for both end users to discover new bookmarks that could be of interest to them, and for researchers who want to study how people use social information re-trieval tools.

Abstract This paper describes research on rich opportunities for novel interaction on large multi... more Abstract This paper describes research on rich opportunities for novel interaction on large multitouch tables to assist researchers. We have designed, developed and evaluated ResearchTable which provides an interactive visualization of (co-) authorship networks. Our evaluation shows that users discovered relevant researchers and papers that they were unaware of.

Since IEEE LTSC LOM was published in 2002, it is one of the widest adopted standard for the descr... more Since IEEE LTSC LOM was published in 2002, it is one of the widest adopted standard for the description of educational resources. The GLOBE (Global Learning Objects Brokered Exchange) alliance enables share and reuse between several Learning Object Repositories worldwide. Being the largest and more diverse collection of Learning Object Metadata, it is an ideal place to perform an analysis of the actual use of the LOM standard in the real world.

We refer to this trend of mass hyper-personalization, which can also be observed in non-web based... more We refer to this trend of mass hyper-personalization, which can also be observed in non-web based systems like clothing, food or travel, as ”The Snowflake Effect” [3]. The name derives from the notion that, just like every snowflake in a snowstorm is unique, we are all unique individuals, with our specific characteristics and interests. The better a web application adapts to these characteristics and interests, the more relevant and useful it is.

Retrieving and reusing Learning Objects (LOs) can lighten the workload of constructing new on-lin... more Retrieving and reusing Learning Objects (LOs) can lighten the workload of constructing new on-line courses or Technology Supported Learning Systems (TSLSs). This paper presents ErauzOnt, a framework for the automatic generation of new LOs from electronic documents using domain ontologies and NLP techniques.

The Society for Learning Analytics Research (SoLAR–www. solaresearch. org) is an inter-disciplina... more The Society for Learning Analytics Research (SoLAR–www. solaresearch. org) is an inter-disciplinary network of leading international researchers who are exploring the role and impact of analytics on teaching, learning, training and development. Our mission as an organization is to: a) pursue the development of research opportunities in learning analytics and educational data mining, b) increase the profile of learning analytics in educational contexts, and c) serve as an advocate for learning analytics to policy makers

In de digitale wereld is er op veel vlakken een evolutie gaande van schaarste naar overvloed. dez... more In de digitale wereld is er op veel vlakken een evolutie gaande van schaarste naar overvloed. deze evolutie creëert belangrijke nieuwe mogelijkheden en uitdagingen voor het (hoger) onderwijs en beïnvloedt sterk de verwachtingen van studenten en, in toenemende mate, van docenten. in zijn bijdrage bespreekt duval hoe buiten het onderwijs met die overvloed wordt omgegaan en hoe het onderwijs kan profiteren van een gelijkaardige aanpak.

Abstract A major drawback in today's information landscape is the distribution of resources acros... more Abstract A major drawback in today's information landscape is the distribution of resources across numerous repositories. Consequently, users interested in working with these resources need to either jump from repository to repository to find and possibly access them or rely on web search engines. In this paper, we discuss the problems arising from these ways and introduce the metadata based MACE approach.

Providing flexible access to relevant information in an effective and efficient way remains a cha... more Providing flexible access to relevant information in an effective and efficient way remains a challenge. Approaches based on attention metadata present novel opportunities to deal with this challenge. Attention metadata indicate what end users do with information objects. Applications such as authoring tools, search tools, repositories, email applications, blogs and wikis can generate attention metadata.

Educational Technology & Society, 2006

The Web puts a huge number of learning resources within reach of anyone with Internet access. How... more The Web puts a huge number of learning resources within reach of anyone with Internet access. However, many valuable resources are difficult to find due to the lack of interoperability among learning repositories. In order to achieve interoperability, implementers require a common query framework. This paper discusses a set of methods referred to as Simple Query Interface (SQI) as a universal interoperability layer for educational networks. The methods proposed can be used by a source for configuring and submitting queries to a target system and retrieving results from it. The SQI interface can be implemented in a synchronous or an asynchronous manner and is independent of query languages and metadata schemas. In this paper SQI's universal applicability has been evaluated by more than a dozen implementations demonstrated in three different case studies. SQI has been finalized as a standard in the CEN/ISSS Learning Technologies Workshop. Latest developments of SQI can be followed at http://www.prolearnproject.org/lori/.

This paper describes a research effort to use information visualisation and augmented reality for... more This paper describes a research effort to use information visualisation and augmented reality for data exploration in conferences and scientific meetings. We summarise the iterative design and evaluation process of an interactive display that allows users to discover scientific publications and connect with peers. We present preliminary evaluation results, and point out future developments and research directions.

In this paper, we will propose a framework for finding, recommending and inserting learning objec... more In this paper, we will propose a framework for finding, recommending and inserting learning objects in a digital repository, exploiting the user context that is captured from the Learning Management System (LMS). The framework we propose builds on top of the ARIADNE service oriented architecture for learning object repositories, abstracting from the technicalities of low level metadata and resource management. As a case study, the framework has been applied in a university learning management system (SIDWeb).

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a pedagogic verification experiment we carried out i... more Abstract: This paper presents the results of a pedagogic verification experiment we carried out in the ARIADNE project (Forte et al. 1997a; Forte et al. 1997b; Duval 1998; Ariadne 1998). The aim of the experiment was to evaluate the use of the ARIADNE core tools in a course on algorithms and data structures, as it was delivered in 1997-1998 at the KU Leuven-Campus Kortrijk.

Abstract. The last few years, Information and communication technology (ICT) has been introduced ... more Abstract. The last few years, Information and communication technology (ICT) has been introduced in education at a very rapid pace. Large amounts of resources (time and money) are invested in the development of educational resources, to be used in the new learning environments.

Abstract Increasing motivation of students and helping them to reflect on their learning processe... more Abstract Increasing motivation of students and helping them to reflect on their learning processes is an important driver for learning analytics research. This paper presents our research on the development of a dashboard that enables self-reflection on activities and comparison with peers. We describe evaluation results of four iterations of a design based research methodology that assess the usability, use and usefulness of different visualizations.

This paper presents a federated search and social recommen-dation widget. It describes the widget... more This paper presents a federated search and social recommen-dation widget. It describes the widget's interface and the un-derlying social recommendation engine. A preliminary eval-uation of the widget's usability and usefulness involving 15 subjects is also discussed. The evaluation helped identify us-ability problems that will be addressed prior to the widget's usage in a real learning context.

Social information retrieval systems, such as recommender systems, can benefit greatly from shara... more Social information retrieval systems, such as recommender systems, can benefit greatly from sharable and reusable evaluations of online resources. For example, in distributed repositories with rich collections of learning resources, users can benefit from evaluations, ratings, reviews, annotations, etc. that previous users have provided. Furthermore, sharing these evaluations and annotations can help attain the critical mass of data required for social information retrieval systems to be effective and efficient.

In previous work, we presented a tiered architecture that includes a middle layer for communicati... more In previous work, we presented a tiered architecture that includes a middle layer for communication and exchange of learning objects between Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Learning Object Repositories (LOR). In order to take into account more dynamic characteristics, we present here a model driven approach for managing the learning object usage, based on the Common Information Model. This approach enables us to capture and exploit information related to the usage of the systems and other entities involved. We experimented with this approach with two different LMS and three various LOR.

ABSTRACT In recent years, several researchers have been developing methodologies, technologies an... more ABSTRACT In recent years, several researchers have been developing methodologies, technologies and systems to support the assembly of learning services, tools and resources in personal learning environments (PLEs). The overall goal is to enrich or even replace traditional learning management systems like Moodle and Blackboard with mash-ups of widgets and services that can be combined and configured in a flexible way, according to the specific needs of the user.

Resumen: The Simple Publishing Interface (SPI) is a new publishing protocol, developed under the ... more Resumen: The Simple Publishing Interface (SPI) is a new publishing protocol, developed under the auspices of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) workshop on learning technologies. This protocol aims to facilitate the communication between content producing tools and repositories that persistently manage learning resources and metadata.

Social bookmarking tools are very popular nowadays. In most tools, users tag the bookmarks to des... more Social bookmarking tools are very popular nowadays. In most tools, users tag the bookmarks to describe them. Therefore, it is of-ten hard for users to discover implicit structures between tags, users and bookmarks. We think that this is essential for both end users to discover new bookmarks that could be of interest to them, and for researchers who want to study how people use social information re-trieval tools.

Abstract This paper describes research on rich opportunities for novel interaction on large multi... more Abstract This paper describes research on rich opportunities for novel interaction on large multitouch tables to assist researchers. We have designed, developed and evaluated ResearchTable which provides an interactive visualization of (co-) authorship networks. Our evaluation shows that users discovered relevant researchers and papers that they were unaware of.

Since IEEE LTSC LOM was published in 2002, it is one of the widest adopted standard for the descr... more Since IEEE LTSC LOM was published in 2002, it is one of the widest adopted standard for the description of educational resources. The GLOBE (Global Learning Objects Brokered Exchange) alliance enables share and reuse between several Learning Object Repositories worldwide. Being the largest and more diverse collection of Learning Object Metadata, it is an ideal place to perform an analysis of the actual use of the LOM standard in the real world.

We refer to this trend of mass hyper-personalization, which can also be observed in non-web based... more We refer to this trend of mass hyper-personalization, which can also be observed in non-web based systems like clothing, food or travel, as ”The Snowflake Effect” [3]. The name derives from the notion that, just like every snowflake in a snowstorm is unique, we are all unique individuals, with our specific characteristics and interests. The better a web application adapts to these characteristics and interests, the more relevant and useful it is.

Retrieving and reusing Learning Objects (LOs) can lighten the workload of constructing new on-lin... more Retrieving and reusing Learning Objects (LOs) can lighten the workload of constructing new on-line courses or Technology Supported Learning Systems (TSLSs). This paper presents ErauzOnt, a framework for the automatic generation of new LOs from electronic documents using domain ontologies and NLP techniques.

The Society for Learning Analytics Research (SoLAR–www. solaresearch. org) is an inter-disciplina... more The Society for Learning Analytics Research (SoLAR–www. solaresearch. org) is an inter-disciplinary network of leading international researchers who are exploring the role and impact of analytics on teaching, learning, training and development. Our mission as an organization is to: a) pursue the development of research opportunities in learning analytics and educational data mining, b) increase the profile of learning analytics in educational contexts, and c) serve as an advocate for learning analytics to policy makers

In de digitale wereld is er op veel vlakken een evolutie gaande van schaarste naar overvloed. dez... more In de digitale wereld is er op veel vlakken een evolutie gaande van schaarste naar overvloed. deze evolutie creëert belangrijke nieuwe mogelijkheden en uitdagingen voor het (hoger) onderwijs en beïnvloedt sterk de verwachtingen van studenten en, in toenemende mate, van docenten. in zijn bijdrage bespreekt duval hoe buiten het onderwijs met die overvloed wordt omgegaan en hoe het onderwijs kan profiteren van een gelijkaardige aanpak.

Abstract A major drawback in today's information landscape is the distribution of resources acros... more Abstract A major drawback in today's information landscape is the distribution of resources across numerous repositories. Consequently, users interested in working with these resources need to either jump from repository to repository to find and possibly access them or rely on web search engines. In this paper, we discuss the problems arising from these ways and introduce the metadata based MACE approach.

Providing flexible access to relevant information in an effective and efficient way remains a cha... more Providing flexible access to relevant information in an effective and efficient way remains a challenge. Approaches based on attention metadata present novel opportunities to deal with this challenge. Attention metadata indicate what end users do with information objects. Applications such as authoring tools, search tools, repositories, email applications, blogs and wikis can generate attention metadata.