Learning Management Systems (LMSs) are widely used in higher education to improve the learning, teaching, and administrative tasks for both students and instructors. Such systems enrich the educational experience by integrating a wide range of services, such as on-demand course material and training, thus empowering students to achieve their learning outcomes at their own pace. Courses in various sub-fields of Computer Science that seek to provide rich electronic learning (e-learning) experience depend on exercise material being offered in the forms of quizzes, programming exercises, laboratories, simulations, etc. Providing hands on experience in courses such as Internetworking could be facilitated by providing laboratory exercises based on virtual machine environments where the student studies the performance of different internet protocols under different conditions (such as different throughput bounds, error rates, and patterns of changes in these conditions). Unfortunately, the integration of such exercises and their tailored virtual environments is not yet very popular in LMSs. This thesis project investigates the generation of on-demand virtual exercise environments using cloud infrastructures and integration with an LMS to provide a rich e-learning in an Internetworking course. The software deliverable of this project enables instructors to dynamically instantiate virtual laboratories without incurring the overhead of running and maintaining their own physical infrastructure. This sets the foundations for a virtual classroom that can scale in response to higher system utilization during specific periods of the academic calendar. / Lärplattformar (eng. Learning Management Systems (LMS)) används i stor utsträckning för högre utbildning för att förbättra lärande, undervisning och administrativa uppgifter för både studenter och instruktörer. Sådana system berikar den pedagogiska erfarenheten genom att integrera ett brett utbud av tjänster, såsom on-demand kursmaterial och träning, vilket ger studenterna möjlighet att uppnå sina lärandemål i egen takt. Kurser inom olika delområden av datavetenskap som syftar till att ge en bred erfarenhet av elektroniskt lärande (e-learning) har träningsmaterial i form av frågesporter, programmeringsövningar, laboratorier, simuleringar etc. Praktiskt erfarenhet i kurser som Internetworking kan underlättas genom att tillhandahålla laboratorieövningar baserade på virtuella maskinmiljöer där studenten studerar prestanda för olika internetprotokoll under olika förhållanden (t.ex. olika gränsvärden, felfrekvenser och förändringsmönster under dessa förhållanden). Tyvärr är integrationen av sådana övningar och deras skräddarsydda virtuella miljöer ännu inte populär i LMSs. Detta examensarbete undersöker generering av virtuella träningsmiljöer på begäran med hjälp av molninfrastruktur och integration med en LMS för att ge ett rikt e-lärande i en Internetworking-kurs. Programvaran som levereras av detta projekt gör det möjligt för instruktörer att dynamiskt instansera virtuella laboratorier utan att behöva hantera sin egen fysiska infrastruktur. Detta sätter grunden för ett virtuellt klassrum som kan skala med högre systemutnyttjande under specifika perioder av den akademiska kalendern.

In the world in which we live today, information and communication technology (ICT) has proliferated in all spheres of society, including in the corporate, social and academic arenas. Within these arenas ICT has made noteworthy contributions. In the academic space, which is the focus of this study, ICT has made a significant contribution to the communication and consultation between students and higher education institution staff. One such example has been the emergence of learning management systems (LMSs) in higher education institutions, both locally and globally, with LMSs providing higher education institutions with several possibilities as regards facilitating the online teaching and learning process. Nevertheless, research has shown that there is underutilisation of LMSs throughout the world. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to investigate the utilisation of LMSs in an open and distance learning (ODL) institution in South Africa to ascertain whether they are being used to their full potential. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Adult Education)

nÃo hà / O propÃsito desta pesquisa consiste em desenvolver um sistema de anÃlise para compreender as interaÃÃes em AVA que favorecem a aprendizagem (interaÃÃes contingentes). Os AVA constituem uma classe de softwares para a criaÃÃo, oferta e gerenciamento de cursos baseados na Internet. Integram Tecnologias de InformaÃÃo e ComunicaÃÃo com a finalidade de criar um ambiente que possibilite o processo de interaÃÃo e de produÃÃo de conhecimentos pelos participantes do cenÃrio educacional. O presente estudo investigou o conceito de interaÃÃo contingente no contexto de duas disciplinas de licenciatura, ministradas na modalidade a distÃncia, dentro do Programa Universidade Aberta do Brasil (UAB), as quais encontram-se ligadas a Ãreas de conhecimento distintas (exatas e humanas) com pÃblicos tambÃm distintos. Como parte da metodologia, observou-se a troca de mensagens em fÃrum e em chat pelos participantes da investigaÃÃo, analisando-as à luz de parÃmetros caracterÃsticos de interaÃÃes contingentes. A anÃlise das mensagens foi confrontada com dados obtidos em entrevistas semi-estruturadas, realizadas com alguns alunos e seus respectivos professores-tutores. O desenvolvimento do Sistema de AnÃlise das InteraÃÃes Contingentes integrou diferentes domÃnios teÃricos (a EducaÃÃo, a Psicologia e a Linguistica) que apontam a interaÃÃo como um fenÃmeno essencial em situaÃÃes educacionais. As categorias foram construÃdas com base na literatura que discute o conceito de interaÃÃo, e aplicadas tanto Ãs comunicaÃÃes sÃncronas quanto assÃncronas, estabelecidas entre os interlocutores das disciplinas de exatas e humanas. O sistema de anÃlise resultante encontra-se estruturado em quatro categorias gerais (ConversaÃÃo, TextualizaÃÃo, DiÃlogo e Aprendizagem) e algumas sub-categorias, ligadas aos domÃnios teÃricos que fundamentaram o seu desenvolvimento. Os resultados apontam a coerÃncia interna do sistema e sua validade, ao constatar a presenÃa das caracterÃsticas de interaÃÃes contingentes em todos os contextos analisados, podendo tambÃm ser aplicado em outros universos de investigaÃÃo. O Sistema de AnÃlise das InteraÃÃes Contingentes traz contribuiÃÃes teÃricas e empÃricas ao conceito de interaÃÃo contingente, alÃm de oferecer parÃmetros para a realizaÃÃo de aÃÃes em EducaÃÃo a DistÃncia fundamentadas em uma perspectiva sociointeracionista. A pesquisa permite concluir que a emergÃncia de interaÃÃes com vistas ao aprendizado depende bem mais das pessoas envolvidas e do tipo de relaÃÃo que estabelecem durante o ato educativo que de uma Ãrea especÃfica ou de uma ferramenta de comunicaÃÃo em particular. / The purpose of this research is to develop an analytical system to understand the interactions in a LMS that promote learning (contingent interactions). The LMS are a class of software for the design, suport and management of Internet-based courses. Integrate Information and Communication Technologies in order to create an environment that enables the process of interaction and production of knowledge by participants of the educational scene. This study investigated the concept of contingent interaction in the context of two undergraduate courses, taught at the blended mode within the Open University of Brazil (UAB), which are linked to different areas of knowledge (hard and humanity sciences) and were ministered for different audiences. As part of the methodology, the exchange of messages between the participants of the research through discussion foruns and chats was observed and analyzed according to the typical parameters of contingent interactions. The analysis of the messages was compared with data obtained from semi-structured interviews conducted with some students and their tutors. The development of the Analytical System of Contingent Interaction integrated different theoretical fields (Education, Psychology and Linguistics) that point out the interaction as an essential phenomenon in educational situations. The categories were builded based on the literature that discusses the concept of interaction, and applied to both synchronous and asynchronous communication established between the interlocutors of the hard and humanity courses. The resulting analytical system is structured into four general categories (Conversation, Textualization, Dialogue and Learning) and some sub-categories, linked to the theoretical areas that supported its development. The results show up the internal coherence of the system and its validity, confirming the existence of contingent interaction characteristics in all contexts examined, which also enables the system application to other research universes. The Analytical System of Contingent Interactions presents theoretical and empirical contributions to the concept of contingent interaction, and provide parameters for performing actions in Distance Education based on a social interactionist perspective. The research indicates that the emergence of interactions with learning objectives depends far more on the relations established among people involved in the educational act than on a specific area or communication tool.

Online examinations are an integral component of many online learning environments and a high-stake process for students, teachers and educational institutions. They are the target of many security threats, including intrusion by hackers and collusion. Collu-sion happens when a student invites a third party to impersonate him/her in an online test, or to abet with the exam questions. This research proposed a profile-based chal-lenge question approach to create and consolidate a student's profile during the learning process, to be used for authentication in the examination process. The pro-posed method was investigated in six research studies using a usability test method and a risk-based security assessment method, in order to investigate usability attributes and security threats. The findings of the studies revealed that text-based questions are prone to usability issues such as ambiguity, syntactic variation, and spelling mistakes. The results of a usability analysis suggested that image-based questions are more usable than text-based questions (p < 0.01). The findings identified that dynamic profile questions are more efficient and effective than text-based and image-based questions (p < 0.01). Since text-based questions are associated with an individual's personal information, they are prone to being shared with impersonators. An increase in the numbers of chal-lenge questions being shared showed a significant linear trend (p < 0.01) and increased the success of an impersonation attack. An increase in the database size decreased the success of an impersonation attack with a significant linear trend (p < 0.01). The security analysis of dynamic profile questions revealed that an impersonation attack was not successful when a student shared credentials using email asynchronously. However, a similar attack was successful when a student and impersonator shared information in real time using mobile phones. The response time in this attack was significantly different when a genuine student responded to his challenge questions (p < 0.01). The security analysis revealed that the use of dynamic profile questions in a proctored exam can influence impersonation and abetting. This view was supported by online programme tutors in a focus group study.

In the world in which we live today, information and communication technology (ICT) has proliferated in all spheres of society, including in the corporate, social and academic arenas. Within these arenas ICT has made noteworthy contributions. In the academic space, which is the focus of this study, ICT has made a significant contribution to the communication and consultation between students and higher education institution staff. One such example has been the emergence of learning management systems (LMSs) in higher education institutions, both locally and globally, with LMSs providing higher education institutions with several possibilities as regards facilitating the online teaching and learning process. Nevertheless, research has shown that there is underutilisation of LMSs throughout the world. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to investigate the utilisation of LMSs in an open and distance learning (ODL) institution in South Africa to ascertain whether they are being used to their full potential. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Adult Education)

DAVID, Priscila Barros. Interações contingentes em ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem. 2010. 227f. Tese (Doutorado em Educação) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Faculdade de Educação, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Brasileira, Fortaleza-CE, 2010. / Submitted by Maria Josineide Góis (josineide@ufc.br) on 2012-07-10T15:28:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_Tese_PBDavid.pdf: 951345 bytes, checksum: 28eb7d2bd4ff22a1f6c101e92001f2e0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Josineide Góis(josineide@ufc.br) on 2012-07-12T11:07:17Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_Tese_PBDavid.pdf: 951345 bytes, checksum: 28eb7d2bd4ff22a1f6c101e92001f2e0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-07-12T11:07:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_Tese_PBDavid.pdf: 951345 bytes, checksum: 28eb7d2bd4ff22a1f6c101e92001f2e0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / The purpose of this research is to develop an analytical system to understand the interactions in a LMS that promote learning (contingent interactions). The LMS are a class of software for the design, suport and management of Internet-based courses. Integrate Information and Communication Technologies in order to create an environment that enables the process of interaction and production of knowledge by participants of the educational scene. This study investigated the concept of contingent interaction in the context of two undergraduate courses, taught at the blended mode within the Open University of Brazil (UAB), which are linked to different areas of knowledge (hard and humanity sciences) and were ministered for different audiences. As part of the methodology, the exchange of messages between the participants of the research through discussion foruns and chats was observed and analyzed according to the typical parameters of contingent interactions. The analysis of the messages was compared with data obtained from semi-structured interviews conducted with some students and their tutors. The development of the Analytical System of Contingent Interaction integrated different theoretical fields (Education, Psychology and Linguistics) that point out the interaction as an essential phenomenon in educational situations. The categories were builded based on the literature that discusses the concept of interaction, and applied to both synchronous and asynchronous communication established between the interlocutors of the hard and humanity courses. The resulting analytical system is structured into four general categories (Conversation, Textualization, Dialogue and Learning) and some sub-categories, linked to the theoretical areas that supported its development. The results show up the internal coherence of the system and its validity, confirming the existence of contingent interaction characteristics in all contexts examined, which also enables the system application to other research universes. The Analytical System of Contingent Interactions presents theoretical and empirical contributions to the concept of contingent interaction, and provide parameters for performing actions in Distance Education based on a social interactionist perspective. The research indicates that the emergence of interactions with learning objectives depends far more on the relations established among people involved in the educational act than on a specific area or communication tool. / O propósito desta pesquisa consiste em desenvolver um sistema de análise para compreender as interações em AVA que favorecem a aprendizagem (interações contingentes). Os AVA constituem uma classe de softwares para a criação, oferta e gerenciamento de cursos baseados na Internet. Integram Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação com a finalidade de criar um ambiente que possibilite o processo de interação e de produção de conhecimentos pelos participantes do cenário educacional. O presente estudo investigou o conceito de interação contingente no contexto de duas disciplinas de licenciatura, ministradas na modalidade a distância, dentro do Programa Universidade Aberta do Brasil (UAB), as quais encontram-se ligadas a áreas de conhecimento distintas (exatas e humanas) com públicos também distintos. Como parte da metodologia, observou-se a troca de mensagens em fórum e em chat pelos participantes da investigação, analisando-as à luz de parâmetros característicos de interações contingentes. A análise das mensagens foi confrontada com dados obtidos em entrevistas semi-estruturadas, realizadas com alguns alunos e seus respectivos professores-tutores. O desenvolvimento do Sistema de Análise das Interações Contingentes integrou diferentes domínios teóricos (a Educação, a Psicologia e a Linguistica) que apontam a interação como um fenômeno essencial em situações educacionais. As categorias foram construídas com base na literatura que discute o conceito de interação, e aplicadas tanto às comunicações síncronas quanto assíncronas, estabelecidas entre os interlocutores das disciplinas de exatas e humanas. O sistema de análise resultante encontra-se estruturado em quatro categorias gerais (Conversação, Textualização, Diálogo e Aprendizagem) e algumas sub-categorias, ligadas aos domínios teóricos que fundamentaram o seu desenvolvimento. Os resultados apontam a coerência interna do sistema e sua validade, ao constatar a presença das características de interações contingentes em todos os contextos analisados, podendo também ser aplicado em outros universos de investigação. O Sistema de Análise das Interações Contingentes traz contribuições teóricas e empíricas ao conceito de interação contingente, além de oferecer parâmetros para a realização de ações em Educação a Distância fundamentadas em uma perspectiva sociointeracionista. A pesquisa permite concluir que a emergência de interações com vistas ao aprendizado depende bem mais das pessoas envolvidas e do tipo de relação que estabelecem durante o ato educativo que de uma área específica ou de uma ferramenta de comunicação em particular.

The advance of the internet and Web 2.0 technologies continue to drive a dramatic change in the way people access and share information through various channels of communication. In the education sector, several learning management systems have been integrated into teaching and learning activities. To increase more interactivities between teachers and learners, tools for synchronous video conferencing are implemented in universities to enable online education. Prior studies indicate that the adoption and use of the tools in higher education institutions have been substantially expanding, more particularly in developed countries. Therefore, understanding the state of integrating synchronous video conference tools to support teaching and learning activities is important for scholars and academicians as this innovative communication technology is proven to have a substantial impact on quality education and effective learning. In Rwanda, before COVID-19, research on the adoption and use of video conference systems is still scarce. The objective of this study was therefore twofold: (1) to understand the adoption and use of synchronous video conference technologies for teaching and learning purposes and (2) to propose a strategy for effective implementation and value addition of video conferencing tools (VCT) at University of Rwanda. A qualitative method was adopted and case study was used as a research strategy for this research. Meanwhile, the Social-Technical System theory was applied in this research for data collection, analysis and reporting of results. 17 responses from participants (teachers and eLearning Officers) were collected using an online internet-based survey questionnaire. Key findings indicate that the adoption and use of video conference systems was found to be at a lower level and the associated contributing inhibitors were identified and reported in this research. Based on the empirical findings and on the responses from participants, this study proposed a contextual strategy for effective integration of video conference systems at the case study institution. Overall, this study concluded that for an effective delivery of live lectures through webinars enabled by the web-based video conference tools, the 10 elements composing the proposed action-oriented strategy for integrating video conference systems should be taken into consideration by the case study institution. Practical and scientific contributions of this research are reported in this thesis and recommendations for further research in connection with the current one have been also put forward.

Learning Management Systems have become increasingly used in all levels of education since more people have access to computers and the internet. An important feature of the LMS is to provide students with information about their courses. This information, however, is not always easy to find. Especially when the system does not follow usability guidelines about how to provide your users with information. In this study four different course pages on the KTH LMS Canvas have been evaluated with a moderated usability test to asses how well users find information on the LMS. The results show that some improvements could be made by adhering more to usability guidelines and that the courses that did were easier for testers to navigate. Some conclusions that can be made are that users find things easier when there is a high similarity between link names and the information they are looking for and that users scan web pages rather than read them. This is in line with previous research. The conclusions lead to four recommendations to KTH that can improve the usability of all Canvas course pages. / Utbildningsplattformar används allt mer sen intågen av datorer och internet i människors hem. En viktig funktion på en utbildningsplattform är att ge studenter information om sina kurser. Dock är denna information inte alltid så lätt att hitta. Särskilt inte om plattformen inte följer de riktlinjer som finns för hur man förser användare med information på ett användarvänligt sätt. I denna studie har fyra olika KTH- Canvassidor undersökts med ett modererat användartest för att utvärdera hur lätt användare hittar information på utbildningsplattformen. Resultaten visar att vissa förbättringar kan ske genom att tydligare följa riktlinjerna för användarvänlighet och att kurserna som följde riktlinjerna bättre var lättare att navigera. Slutsater som kan dras är bland annat att det är lättare för användare att hitta information när länknamnet är likt den information som söks och att användare skumläser hemsidor istället för att läsa dem noggrant. Detta överensstämmer med resultat från tidigare studier. Från slutsatserna gjordes fyra rekommendationer till KTH som kan förbättra användarvänligheten för alla Canvassidor.

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