Home // UBICOMM 2011, The Fifth International Conference on Mobile Ubiquitous Computing, Systems, Services and Technologies // View article
Authors:
Timothy Arndt
Angela Guercio
Keywords: adaptive e-learning; personalized e-learning; social networks; ubiquitous e-learning
Abstract:
Abstract—This paper describes our preliminary work in progress on using social networks to form learning communities for e-learning. Today’s learners are increasingly likely to engage in learning activities via some form of e-learning. In order to meet the needs of these learners, a personalized approach to web-based e-learning is very helpful. An adaptive approach is required to deliver courseware in such a situation. The e-learning system must adapt to the learner’s particular likes/dislikes, study session length, and learning style as well as to the characteristics of the learning device – screen size, bandwidth, networked or not, etc. We have previously described an XML-based approach in which metadata describing the learner’s situation are continuously collected and refined and may be transformed via XSLT to meet the learner’s needs at any particular moment. One problem with such an approach is that the personalization may be carried to such extremes that the e-learner may lack a supporting community of colleagues who share a common learning experience. In this paper, we propose the use of social networks to form subgroups of e-learners in a class. The preferences of this group of learners will be harmonized in order to provide a common learning experience which can be exploited by the members of the group in order to meet their learning goals. Towards this end, an algorithm for determining the optimal group of friends (based on desired group size and social network connectivity) is given. This algorithm and the approach proposed will be further developed in our ongoing research by incorporating it with our previously developed customization system.
Pages: 218 to 222
Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2011
Publication date: November 20, 2011
Published in: conference
ISSN: 2308-4278
ISBN: 978-1-61208-171-7
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Dates: from November 20, 2011 to November 25, 2011