Linguagens de modelação para descrever processos e dinâmicas de ensino e de aprendizagem em e-learning no ensino superior
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2017-08-16
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O planeamento das práticas de ensino e de aprendizagem é um aspeto crítico na educação, em especial no e-learning. Atualmente existem linguagens de modelação formal que tentam sistematizar o processo de representação de objetos de aprendizagem. Para o efeito, a linguagem mais adotada, apontada como mais robusta até atualmente é a IMS-LD, que vê representadas algumas das suas instanciações em ferramentas de autoria, denominadas editores gráficos. Estes tentam ultrapassar as dificuldades derivadas da complexidade de uso da IMS-LD, tornando-a acessível a utilizadores sem conhecimentos técnicos específicos. Para tal, os editores gráficos transpõem a linguagem codificada da IMS-LD para ambientes em que se executa uma especificação através de notações gráficas e representações esquemáticas.
No presente estudo recorremos ao editor CADMOS para o trabalho empírico. A escolha recaiu sobre este editor por apresentar uma interface gráfica e visual e por ser o único, à data, que se encontra integrado com o Moodle, aquele que atualmente é o LMS usado na maioria das instituições de ensino superior em Portugal.
A investigação conduzida teve por base a necessidade identificada junto dos docentes de instituições de ensino superior de Portugal, de métodos e ferramentas que auxiliem no processo de planeamento de objetos de aprendizagem, nomeadamente em contexto de e-learning. Esta lacuna, associada à expressa falta de conhecimentos em didática e pedagogia necessários à execução de um planeamento, e a falta de tempo útil para a tarefa, levam a que o planeamento em e-learning seja um aspeto descurado pelos docentes, nomeadamente no ensino superior. E este é um aspeto que pode comprometer a qualidade e eficácia dos processos de ensino e de aprendizagem.
Para tentar dar resposta ao problema exposto, delineou-se como principal objetivo do trabalho, contribuir para a diversidade e inovação no planeamento didático em e-learning no ensino superior através do uso das linguagens de modelação com expressividade suficiente na representação dos objetos de aprendizagem, o qual se desdobra em três outros: 1) Conhecer as potencialidades da linguagem de especificação IMS-LD enquanto possível ferramenta de planeamento didático em e-learning; 2) Analisar o processo de conversão da especificação do planeamento, usando a linguagem IMS-LD, num objeto de aprendizagem na plataforma LMS; e 3) Identificar que mais-valias, se existirem, trazem as linguagens de modelação para o processo de planeamento didático em e-learning.
O plano de investigação delineado sustentou-se nos princípios do paradigma interpretativo. Recorreu-se aos princípios do método de investigação Design Science Research para o desenvolvimento do estudo, o qual foi complementado pelo método Investigação-Ação, enquanto abordagem para conceber meta-artefactos no primeiro método.
O estudo desenvolvido divide-se em três grandes períodos. Num primeiro período, o qual denominamos por Etapa 0, procuramos caracterizar o problema de investigação e sustentá-lo empiricamente. Realizaram-se entrevistas a docentes de diferentes instituições de ensino superior em Portugal, nomeadamente a Universidade de Coimbra, Universidade de Lisboa e Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro - e ainda uma quarta, cujos métodos de ensino se sustentam no ensino a distância e e-learning, a Universidade Aberta. Para as entrevistas nas três primeiras instituições mencionadas, foram selecionados docentes sem conhecimentos específicos na área das tecnologias aplicadas à educação, uma vez que representam a maior cota do público-alvo do estudo, em análise.
O segundo período do estudo, que denominamos por Etapa I, foi dedicado à exploração do CADMOS, com o objetivo de analisar aspetos de usabilidade da ferramenta e questões concetuais e de expressividade na representação do CADMOS, para a execução de planeamentos em e-learning. Foram executadas diversas tentativas de especificação de objetos de aprendizagem reais, recolhidos previamente.
No terceiro período da investigação, Etapa II do estudo, o CADMOS foi explorado pelos docentes participantes no estudo, enquanto ferramenta de (re)concetualização do planeamento. No final desta etapa foram realizadas entrevistas aos participantes, após a realização do trabalho empírico, para identificar e compreender melhor as perceções e satisfação resultantes da experiência de cada um, bem como as suas expectativas face à possibilidade de uso de uma ferramenta como o CADMOS para planear.
Como resultados do presente estudo temos três meta-artefactos novos e confirmámos um meta-artefacto prévio, que se constitui de informação presente na literatura. Este primeiro meta-artefacto prévio consiste na definição de critérios que sustentam a escolha do editor gráfico para planear. O segundo meta-artefacto compila as limitações do CADMOS identificadas. Ambos são produtos da Etapa I do estudo. O terceiro meta-artefacto, constituído por propostas de melhorias ao CADMOS, e o quarto meta-artefacto, formas de uso do CADMOS para (re)concetualizar o planeamento, são produtos da Etapa II, em que a ferramenta foi posta à prova pelos seus utilizadores finais, os docentes.
XIII Abstract The planning of teaching and learning practices is a critical aspect of education, especially in e-learning. Currently there are formal modeling languages that attempt to systematize the process of representing learning objects. To that end, the most adopted and most robust language until now is the IMS-LD, which has some of its instantiations represented in authoring tools, called graphic editors. They try to overcome the difficulties arising from the complexity of using IMS-LD, making it accessible to users without specific technical knowledge. To that end, graphic editors transpose the coded language of the IMS-LD into environments in which a modeling is executed through graphical notations and schematic representations. In the present study we turn to the CADMOS editor for the empirical work. The choice fell on this editor for presenting a graphical and visual interface and for being the unique, to date, that is integrated with Moodle, the one that currently is the most used LMS in institutions of higher education in Portugal. This research was based on the need identified by teachers of higher education institutions in Portugal, of methods and tools that assist in the process of planning learning objects, especially in the context of e-learning. This gap, coupled with the lack of knowledge in didactics and pedagogy needed to carry out planning, and lack of useful time for the task, make planning in e-learning an aspect neglected by teachers, namely in higher education. And this is one aspect that can compromise the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning processes. In order to answer the mentioned problem, the main objective of the study was to contribute to diversity and innovation in didactic planning in e-learning in higher education through the use of modeling languages with sufficient expressiveness in the representation of objects of Learning process. This unfolds in three others: 1) To know the potential of the IMS-LD specification language as a possible e-learning didactic planning tool; 2) Analyze the process of converting the planning specification using the IMS-LD language, into a learning object on the LMS platform; and 3) Identify what value-added, if any, bring the modeling languages to the didactic planning process in e-learning. The research plan outlined was based on the principles of the interpretive paradigma. We resorted to the principles of the research method Design Science Research for the development of the study, which was complemented by the Action-Research method, while approach to conceive meta-artefacts in the first method. The study is divided into three major periods. In the first period, which we call Stage 0, we try to characterize the research problem and to support it empirically. We interviewed teachers from different institutions of higher education in Portugal, namely Universidade de Coimbra, Universidade de Lisboa and Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro - and yet a fourth, whose teaching methods focus on distance learning and e-learning, the Universidade Aberta. For the interviews in the first three mentioned institutions, were selected teachers without specific knowledge in the area of technologies applied to education, since they represent the highest quota of the target audience of the study, under analysis. The second period of the study, which we named as Stage I, was dedicated to the exploration of CADMOS, with the objective of analyzing aspects of usability of the tool and conceptual and expressivity issues in CADMOS representation, for the execution of e-learning planning. Several attempts were made to specify real learning objects, previously collected. In the third period of the research, Stage II of the study, CADMOS was explored by the teachers participating in the study, as a tool for (re)conceptualizing planning. At the end of this stage, after the empirical work, the participants were interviewed, to identify and better understand the perceptions and satisfaction resulting from each one's experience, as well as their expectations regarding the possibility of using a tool such as CADMOS to plan. As results of the present study we have three new meta-artefacts and confirmed a previous meta-artifact, which is constituted by information present in the literature. This first previous meta-artefact consists of the definition of the criteria that support the choice of the graphic editor to plan. The second meta-artefact compiles the identified limitations of CADMOS. Both are products of Stage I of the study. The third meta-artefact, consisting of proposals for improvements to CADMOS, and the fourth meta-artefact, ways of using CADMOS to (re) conceptualize planning are products of Stage II, in which the tool was tested by its end users, teachers.
XIII Abstract The planning of teaching and learning practices is a critical aspect of education, especially in e-learning. Currently there are formal modeling languages that attempt to systematize the process of representing learning objects. To that end, the most adopted and most robust language until now is the IMS-LD, which has some of its instantiations represented in authoring tools, called graphic editors. They try to overcome the difficulties arising from the complexity of using IMS-LD, making it accessible to users without specific technical knowledge. To that end, graphic editors transpose the coded language of the IMS-LD into environments in which a modeling is executed through graphical notations and schematic representations. In the present study we turn to the CADMOS editor for the empirical work. The choice fell on this editor for presenting a graphical and visual interface and for being the unique, to date, that is integrated with Moodle, the one that currently is the most used LMS in institutions of higher education in Portugal. This research was based on the need identified by teachers of higher education institutions in Portugal, of methods and tools that assist in the process of planning learning objects, especially in the context of e-learning. This gap, coupled with the lack of knowledge in didactics and pedagogy needed to carry out planning, and lack of useful time for the task, make planning in e-learning an aspect neglected by teachers, namely in higher education. And this is one aspect that can compromise the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning processes. In order to answer the mentioned problem, the main objective of the study was to contribute to diversity and innovation in didactic planning in e-learning in higher education through the use of modeling languages with sufficient expressiveness in the representation of objects of Learning process. This unfolds in three others: 1) To know the potential of the IMS-LD specification language as a possible e-learning didactic planning tool; 2) Analyze the process of converting the planning specification using the IMS-LD language, into a learning object on the LMS platform; and 3) Identify what value-added, if any, bring the modeling languages to the didactic planning process in e-learning. The research plan outlined was based on the principles of the interpretive paradigma. We resorted to the principles of the research method Design Science Research for the development of the study, which was complemented by the Action-Research method, while approach to conceive meta-artefacts in the first method. The study is divided into three major periods. In the first period, which we call Stage 0, we try to characterize the research problem and to support it empirically. We interviewed teachers from different institutions of higher education in Portugal, namely Universidade de Coimbra, Universidade de Lisboa and Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro - and yet a fourth, whose teaching methods focus on distance learning and e-learning, the Universidade Aberta. For the interviews in the first three mentioned institutions, were selected teachers without specific knowledge in the area of technologies applied to education, since they represent the highest quota of the target audience of the study, under analysis. The second period of the study, which we named as Stage I, was dedicated to the exploration of CADMOS, with the objective of analyzing aspects of usability of the tool and conceptual and expressivity issues in CADMOS representation, for the execution of e-learning planning. Several attempts were made to specify real learning objects, previously collected. In the third period of the research, Stage II of the study, CADMOS was explored by the teachers participating in the study, as a tool for (re)conceptualizing planning. At the end of this stage, after the empirical work, the participants were interviewed, to identify and better understand the perceptions and satisfaction resulting from each one's experience, as well as their expectations regarding the possibility of using a tool such as CADMOS to plan. As results of the present study we have three new meta-artefacts and confirmed a previous meta-artifact, which is constituted by information present in the literature. This first previous meta-artefact consists of the definition of the criteria that support the choice of the graphic editor to plan. The second meta-artefact compiles the identified limitations of CADMOS. Both are products of Stage I of the study. The third meta-artefact, consisting of proposals for improvements to CADMOS, and the fourth meta-artefact, ways of using CADMOS to (re) conceptualize planning are products of Stage II, in which the tool was tested by its end users, teachers.
Descrição
Tese de Doutoramento em Didática de Ciências e Tecnologias, Especialização em Didática da Informática
Palavras-chave
Planeamento , Ensino superior , Editor gráfico , E-learning , CADMOS