Lecture Notes in Computer Science- P88 pdf

F. Li et al. (Eds.): ICWL 2008, LNCS 5145, pp. 424

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433, 2008.
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2008
Design on Collaborative Virtual Learning Community
and Learning Process Visualization
WenAn Tan, Suxian Lin, Yun Yang, and Xianhua Zhao
Software Engineering Institute, Zhejiang Normal University,
Jinhua, Zhejiang, 321004, P.R. China
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Abstract. Along with the rapid development of network education, virtual
learning community emerges its apparent advantages continuously. Collabora-
tive learning has played an important role in educational patterns. Based on the
constructivism learning theory, this paper designs a collaborative virtual learn-
ing community on the subject of Software Engineering. Moreover, the learner’s
online action is a force to be reckoned with. In view of collaborative learning
processes are very important, the group member’s learning characters such as
sending or watching the amount of message are extracted to evaluate their usual
performances. Then they can be visualized in forms of chart or data report for
learners, to the effect that urge learners into adjusting themselves duly.
Keywords: Constructivism, Collaborative, Learning process, Visualization,
Performance, Algorithm.
1 Introduction
Learning is perhaps the most indispensable activity in the current society. Owing to the
fleetly development of information and communication, E-learning has gradually be-
come one of the main learning styles. And the virtual learning community emerges as the
times require. Firstly, virtual learning community originated from BBS, newsgroup and
chatting room. Now the virtual learning community suits learners better due to the im-

provement of technology as well as the full-fledged learning theory like constructivism
and collaborative learning. Bill gates said virtual communities’ building will be one of
the fastest growing areas of network applications in the next few years [1].
Based on the subject of Software Engineering, the paper designs collaborative
virtual learning community which includes the theory of constructivism and collabo-
rative learning. Meanwhile, usual performance should be sampled in the learning
process. Not only the summative evaluation but also the formative evaluation is an
important fact of measuring learning. So the visualization of learning process is in-
troduced to present the collaborative learning.
2 Background
China has already done much works in the field of virtual learning community. An ex-
ample is the learning community of Capital Normal University
eylab.
Design on Collaborative Virtual Learning Community 425
com:8081/ . The function of this community is composed of three parts: course devel-
opment, course support and teaching management, respectively. This platform also in-
volves the intellectualized decision-making support tool, reconsideration tool and many
kinds of teaching evaluation tools, and so on. Other platform like VClass teaching plat-
form contains homework gathering module, test information gathering module and
answering module. But both these platforms have similar limitation, for example, the
behavior in the learner’s learning process is still studied superficially. Nowadays, virtual
learning community is no longer a static support program. People focus on what kind of
intelligence and how does it come true [2], as well as on evaluating and adjusting each
behavior through the learning behavioral analysis. Shengquan Yu [3] proposed that the
way of evaluating network learning includes formative evaluation and summative evalua-
tion. And formative evaluation should be paid more attention than before.
There are also a lot of virtual learning communities around the world, example as
the “Creation Of Study Environment” in Staffordshire university in British, which
provides a great deal of resource. Meanwhile, some researchers interest in teaching
effect evaluation. Virtual-U teaching platform presents comprehensiveness in this

aspect. But in the learner’s online behavior analysis, it is also lacked or insufficient.
Stufflebeam, an educational evaluation authority, said the intention of evaluation is
improving rather than proving.
In conclusion, now the construction of virtual learning community leans to learn-
ers’ summative evaluation. In this case, the paper combines formative evaluation
when describing the construction of virtual learning community. In other word, Using
student’s participation degree, online learning situation and progress test as the meas-
ure basis, the paper analyzes the collaborative performance and designs the visualiza-
tion algorithm.
3 Rationale
3.1 The Learning Theory of Constructivism
As is known, integrating computer technology with advanced learning theory is the
key of designing E-learning [4]. Blindly producing the non-field related network tool
will not exist for long. Constructivism considered: as the understanding of the imper-
sonal world is decided by human himself, learning is the process of learner’s actively
constructing his inner psychological attribute. Constructivism emphasizes learner’s
learning. At the same time, it doesn’t neglect the instruction of teacher. Situation, Co-
operation, conversation and meaning construction make up of the four essential fac-
tors of learning [5]. Among those, collaborative learning is an important component
of constructivism. In order to reach the common learning goal, learners cooperate
with each other in groups, which could maximize individual and other’s learning
harvest in certain mechanism of inspiration. This is so-called collaborative learning.
Collaborative learning will bring about better relationship, learning performance and
quality. Furthermore, collaborative learning takes into effort in the aspect of psycho-
logical healthy, social accountability and the establishment of self-respect [6]. There-
fore, collaborative learning is preferable theory in constructing the virtual learning
community.
426 W. Tan et al.
3.2 Theory of Learning Process
As a result of widespread in behaviorism theory, learner’s learning style is typically a

passive form in China. Teachers impart the same knowledge and content to individu-
ality, which leads that students are weak in innovation consciousness and autonomous
learning ability. Facing the knowledge’s quickly change, lifelong learning is a ten-
dency sooner or later. Nevertheless, students lack in autonomy, independence and
self-control ability. Under this transition stage, the supervision of learning process
appears more significance. Owing that people may understand graph or chart more
directly and vividly, the paper considers visualizing the learning process through
filtering data in the log and progress test, in order to make learners and teachers ob-
serve them learning situation better. It uses the concept of psychology such as motiva-
tion and feedback to make the learner learning better.
3.3 Subject Characteristic
Software Engineering is a subject of computer science. Its research area is wide-
spread, which mainly contains theory, technology, method, tool, standard, and devel-
opment environment. Software Engineering is a comprehensive subject, who consists
of Computer Engineering, Management Engineering ,and System Engineering. In
other words, it requires richness and various resources, which proves the reason for
E-learning. The subject shows high practicality. Students majoring in Computer En-
gineering must acquire the ability to solve the same kind of problems that they will
encounter once they graduate [7]. Thus, simulating real world to grasp the problem
solving or project developing gets important.
4 The Architecture of Collaborative Learning Community
4.1 Community Architecture
As is known, designing a project should follow certain standard. At the beginning of
the 21st century, Chinese E-learning Technology Standardization Committee
(CELTS) proposed a full-pledge standard architecture of China network education
technology [8], which suits for a great deal of fields such as education, learning and
training. We design the virtual collaborative learning community of Software Engi-
neering according to the standard structure diagram as figure 1 shows.
Through the structure diagram, combining the rationale of constructivism, learning
process and subject characteristics, collaborative virtual learning community is com-

posed of learning resource system, learning process system, management system and
research system. Figure 2 gives the thumbnail of its architecture.
Learning resource system is simply introduced in this part. It contains course
reader, online course, dictionary, and resource link. Course reader displays the sub-
ject’s content, which includes brief introduction of the course, teaching syllabus, test
syllabus and learning guidance. Online course provides network courseware
which
has been developed by the author before. Some content can also be uploaded in online

Design on Collaborative Virtual Learning Community 427



Learner
Guider
Learner log DB
Level 3 CETS-1 System component
Mediate
Interaction
Behavior
Preference
Location
Evaluation
History log
Performance
Learner-
information
Content index
Inquiry
Knowledge DB

Evaluation
Delivery
Learning
content

Fig. 1. CELTS System Component

Explorer
Tutor
Learning resource system:

Course reader
Online course
Dictionary
Resource link
Management system:

Register management
Rights management
Performance management
Data management
Research system:

Analysis on-
Learner character
Participation tool

DBMS
Database
Learning

resource
center
Explorer
Learner
down up
Learning process system:
Electronic bulletin board
Search
Collaborative learning room
Assignment submission
e-profolio
Status bar

Fig. 2. The Architecture of Virtual Learning Community
428 W. Tan et al.
course in forms of word and PPT. Meta-knowledge is explained in the dictionary,
example as the concept of software Engineering. Resource linkage links a lot of other
addresses to develop learner’s thought. Then, the paper mainly discusses collaborative
learning in the learning process system.
4.2 Collaborative Learning Room
Collaborative or group learning evolved from the work of psychologists such as John-
son and Johnson (1975) and Slavin (1987) [9]. It involves interpersonal processes by
which a small group of students work together cooperatively as a team to complete a
problem-solving task designed to promote learning (Alavi, et al., 1995) [9]. Thus, the
collaborative learning community is composed of chatting tool, source, co-editor,
BBS. Figure 3 shows a screenshot of group members discussing. Chatting tool is used
for synchronous communication between group members. Chatting history is stored
automatically and can be re-read at any time. Students can read the description of the
group task and search for relevant historical information using the Sources tool. The
Co-Editor is a shared word-processor, which can be used to write a group text. Using

the Co-Editor, students can work simultaneously on different parts of their texts. If
students catch on some knowledge in difficulty, BBS provides the platform with


Fig. 3. Screenshot of discussing