O presente trabalho consistiu na proposta, desenvolvimento e teste de um ambiente computacional hierárquico que vise facilitar a criação, organização e gerenciamento de cursos para serem disponibilizados via Internet, inserido nos projetos de Educação a Distância conduzidos pelo CDCC (Centro de Divulgação Científica e Cultural da USP- São Carlos), tendo como objetivo inicial o treinamento e reciclagem de professores da rede pública, nas disciplinas de física e ciências. O ambiente possui um sistema especialista para o tratamento das dúvidas dos usuários, o Sistema Gerenciador de Dúvidas Online (SGDO) que se tornou uma ferramenta autônoma e hoje faz parte do Plantão de Dúvidas Online do CDCC/USP. O SGDO utiliza o conceito de Education Intelligence, através do uso de data mining, possibilitando ao instrutor selecionar dados, analisar informações, identificar tendência e tomar decisões no decorrer de um curso a distância. A ferramenta WebCourse é um ambiente hierárquico baseado na Web consistindo de quatro módulos: WebCourse Instrutor, WebCourse Monitor, WebCourse Aluno e WebCourse Administrador. Cada módulo possui ferramentas específicas, desenvolvidas para as necessidades dos agentes participantes do ambiente (instrutores, monitores, alunos e administradores). O ambiente é dito hierárquico porque algumas de suas ferramentas somente podem ser usadas por certos módulos. Cada módulo está altamente conectado aos outros e todas as ferramentas são baseadas em templates HTML, usando a linguagem script Lite, do banco de dados mSQL, para a geração de arquivos HTML dinâmicos. Todo o sistema é gerenciado através de um banco de dados mSQL, localizado num servidor web, onde os dados são armazenados e recuperados sob demanda. / The present work consisted on the proposal, development and test of a hierarchical computational environment to facilitate the creation, organization and management of courses to be available over the Internet, inserted on the projects of Distance Education conducted by CDCC (Center for Scientifical and Cultural Dissemination at the University of São Paulo at São Carlos). Its initial objective was training public school teachers of Physics and Sciences. The environment has a specialist system for the treatment of online doubts called Online Doubt Managing System (ODMS), which became an autonomous tool inside the Online Doubt Helping Center at CDCC/USP. ODMS utilizes the concept of Education Intelligence through the use of data mining, making it possible for instructors to select data, analyze informations, identify trends and take decisions during a course carried via Web. WebCourse is a hierarchical web-based tool for the creation and management of web-based courses which consists of four modules: WebCourse Instrutor (Instructor Module), WebCourse Monitor (Teacher Assistant Module), WebCourse Aluno (Student Module) and WebCourse Administrador (Administrator Module). Every module has a set of specific tools, developed to meet the necessities of the environment\'s participant agents (instructors, teacher assistants, students and administrators). The tool is said to be hierarchical since some of its tools can only be used by certain modules. Each module is highly connected to the others and every tool is template-based, using the mSQL database\'s Lite scripting facility in order to generate HTML files on-the-fly. All the system is managed through a mSQL database, located on a web server, where data is stored and recovered on demand.

eLearning applications have penetrated the world of education as most higher education organizations all over the world choose to deploy eLearning applications. A review of literature and surveys performed confirmed that currently there is very little engagement of students in web-based eLearning applications, especially related to web-based constructive activities. In fact, eLearning platforms are mostly used as on-line repositories for a variety of course related documents without actively contributing to the learning process utilizing available modern learning methods. eLearning aims to actively engage students by making available learning content, but also through using interactive practices in the process of learning. Therefore, students in addition to access learning content may actively participate in the discovery of knowledge rather than being passive receptors to that content. Consequently, engagement of students to eLearning activities and content is important. Two surveys were undertaken in order to identify the reasons why web-based eLearning platforms fail to achieve both constructivist learning and the required engagement by both students and instructors. In addition to that, these surveys investigated and measured the level of interactivity of both students and instructors with on-line Information Technology (IT) services offered by both web-based and mobile applications and services. The rational was to investigate opportunities in creating a technology that can disseminate eLearning content that is mainly offered by institutional eLearning platforms and popular on-line services like social networks and communications services, in order to increase awareness, availability, and simplicity of eLearning activities and thus engagement to eLearning. The findings illustrated that most instructors fail to create and promptly support constructive eLearning activities largely because of the complexity and time required for such undertakings. Consequently, the critical student participant mass is not achieved. Additionally, it seems that most learning platforms rely on email messages and native applications’ notifications to update both students and instructors on new interactions. However, these channels of communication are not within the preferred communication channels and thus updates become outdated and fail to serve their purpose. Finally, web-based learning platforms seem to be oriented around laptop/desktop computer use (i.e. a full sized computer screen) rather than adopting and adapting to current mobile use of technology. The research presents a novel conceptual model of a mobile application that integrates and combines various already existing popular, on-line, web-based and mobile application services (communication, social media, voice command systems, etc.) including relative technologies (smart devices, mobile sensors, application servers), with institutional eLearning platforms. The aim is to increase the engagement of both students and instructors to eLearning, through constructive eLearning activities using a variety of existing popular technologies. This research shows that a Mobile Technology Enhanced Learning (mTEL) technology that integrates eLearning activities to both students and instructors will assist in increasing the awareness of learners to eLearning activities. At the same time, it offers the means to access, respond and participate in learning activities virtually from everywhere, thus making interaction ubiquitous, simpler and prompt, thus addressing key eLearning weaknesses leading to low engagement. These benefits are offered to both students and instructors, for a variety of eLearning activities and tools (positivistic and constructive). The research goes one step further by evaluating mTEL’s effectiveness. A conceptual novel model of a mobile application was designed and positively evaluated to contribute in the resolution of the major problem of low engagement of both students and instructors to eLearning. This is achieved by technologically enhancing mobile learning and introducing learning activities and materials at the current, highly populated on-line ecosystems where learners are already engaged instead of expecting them to directly interact with the institutional web-based platforms.

Learning Management Systems (LMS) is a widespread information system used in many Higher Education Institutes (HEI) in order to facilitate educational efforts. The system can be used for support in campus courses; courses conducted on the Internet and of course a mixture of these usages. This study attempts to understand the process of the implementing an LMS at a specific HEI. The HEI has made several implementations over the last 6 years, but decided to implement a new LMS during 2018. The focus of the study is the perceived effects on teachers in the implementation and the role a group of so-called Ambassadors played in the implementation. The study applied a social constructivist approach, mixing interviews, observation and survey as methods for data collection from teachers and implementation project management at the HEI. The study applied thematic analysis in order to analyse the collected data. The analysis built on five themes, Ambassadors, Implementation, Major concerns, Pedagogy, and System Literacy. Findings suggest that time management issues created the major effect on the daily work of teachers and that the group of Ambassadors in their role acted as a form of change agents, thus influencing the implementation project positively. Findings also suggested that only a few teachers took the opportunity to apply new pedagogical features to their teaching, in connection with the implementation. Finally, findings suggested that, in line with previous research, that the LMS is not used fully, as some teachers tends to use only minor functionalities in the LMS.

O crescente uso das tecnologias digitais no dia-a-dia das pessoas gerou diversas mudanças de comportamento; tendências colaborativas de troca e compartilhamento de informações, ideias, conhecimentos e bens materiais passam a integrar não apenas a vida social dos usuários da internet, mas também surgem no ambiente escolar e de trabalho, mediadas por diferentes interfaces e dispositivos digitais. Nesse contexto, esta pesquisa pretende compreender como as ferramentas que surgiram a partir do uso das novas tecnologias de informação e comunicação (TICs) impulsionaram ou facilitaram a colaboração entre usuários na internet, abordando os principais aspectos e necessidades da colaboração em ambientes virtuais e relacionando-os com conhecimentos da área do design de interfaces O principal objetivo do estudo é propor elementos de interface que, integrados aos ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem (AVAs), favoreçam a realização de atividades colaborativas. Para tanto, após revisão bibliográfica e análise de similares, foi realizada uma análise das ferramentas colaborativas na interface do AVA Moodle, sob o aspecto dos mecanismos de conversação, coordenação e percepção de Preece, Rogers e Sharp (2005). Em seguida, foi aplicado um questionário com professores da área de design a respeito do uso do Moodle e/ou de demais tecnologias digitais em atividades colaborativas com os alunos. Os resultados dessa etapa foram discutidos em uma oficina com especialistas do campo de design a fim de avaliar as possibilidades de implementação de elementos gráficos e ferramentas computacionais na interface do Moodle que pudessem facilitar a colaboração entre seus usuários. Esses procedimentos elucidaram um conjunto de necessidades, requisitos, elementos e funcionalidades de interface com vistas a apoiar a colaboração em AVAs e/ou outras plataformas digitais. / The increasing use of digital technologies in people's daily lives has generated a number of behavioral changes; collaborative tendencies of exchange and sharing of information, ideas, knowledge and material goods integrate not only the social life of internet users, but also arise in the school and work environment, mediated by different interfaces and digital devices. In this sense, this research aims to understand how the tools that have emerged from the use of the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) have driven or facilitated Internet user’s collaboration, addressing the main aspects and needs of collaboration in virtual environments, relating them to interface design topics. The main objective of the study is to propose interface elements that, integrated to the interface of learning management systems (LMS), promote the accomplishment of collaborative activities To do so, after a literature review and the analysis of interfaces with collaborative functions, an analysis of Moodle's collaborative tools was carried out considering the mechanisms of conversation, coordination and awareness (PREECE; ROGERS; SHARP, 2005). Then, a questionnaire was applied with professors from the design area regarding the use of Moodle and/or other digital technologies in collaborative activities with their students. The results of this stage were discussed in a workshop with design experts, in order to evaluate the possibilities of implementing graphic elements and computational tools in Moodle's interface that could facilitate user's collaboration. These procedures have generated a set of needs, requirements, interface elements and functionalities to facilitate collaboration processes in learning management systems and/or other digital platforms.

Lärplattformar blir ett allt vanligare inslag i den svenska gymnasieskolan. Dessa beskrivs ofta okritiskt som fan­tas­t­iska hjälpmedel både för lärares arbete och för elevers lärande. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att utreda hur lär­plattformar kan fungera som ett stöd i lärares arbete, vilka hinder som kan finnas för detta och vad dessa hinder kan bero på. För att besvara dessa frågor har vi genomfört semistrukturerade intervjuer med tolv yrkesverksamma gymnasielärare. Resultatet visar att de flesta av informanterna ser att lärplattformar har en funktion att fylla. Framför allt ser de tillgänglighet som en stor för­del. Flera av lärarna känner sig som digitala immigranter och ser eleverna som digitala infödingar. Dock är de senare inte så kunniga inom digital teknik som viss forskning vill låta påskina. Vi har funnit att lärplattformar kan fungera som ett stöd i lärares arbete, bl.a. genom ökat elevansvar, obundenhet i tid och rum, underlättad kommunikation och möjlighet till överblick. Orsaker till att lärplatt­formar inte alltid fungerar som ett stöd i arbetet kan vara att skolledningen infört lärplattformen utan någon större re­flektion, att lärplattformar inte är pedagogiska verktyg eller anpassade efter skolans behov, samt att lärarna har fått för dålig ut­bildning för att kunna hantera lärplattformen. En slutsats vi har dragit är att lärplattformar mycket väl kan fungera som stöd i lärares arbete men att det i dag sker genom att de underlättar det administrativa arbetet. Däremot är inte lärplattformar pedagogiska verktyg men de kan bidra till att det pedagogiska kan fokuseras genom att tid och energi frigörs, så att läraren kan fokusera på kärnverksamheten – det pedagogiska.

Syftet med denna studie är att få kunskaper om hur lärplattformar och sociala nätverksverktyg stödjer undervisningen. Lärplattformar kallas för Learning Management Systems på engelska och förkortas med LMS. Det är ett samarbetsverktyg som används av lärare och studenter i undervisningen. Sociala nätverksverktyg används för att lärare ska kunna publicera sitt material via olika sociala nätverksverktyg, och de viktigaste verktygen är Facebook, bloggar och You-tube. De senaste åren har lärare börjat integrera sin undervisning med sociala nätverksverktyg för att de utökade kommunikationsmöjligheterna kan gynna lärandet.Denna studie handlar om användning av lärplattformar och sociala nätverksverktyg i högre utbildning. Uppsatsen bygger på en intervjustudie med lärare i två olika utbildningar på Högskolan Väst. De lärare som har intervjuats har olika erfarenheter av användning av lärplatt-formar och sociala nätverksverktyg. En av de slutsatser som har framkommit i studien är att diskussionsforum i alla lärplattformar inte är användbara. Ett annat resultat som har framkommit i denna uppsats är att via lärplattformen kan lärarna examinera studenter på ett bra och säkert sätt. Sociala nätverksverktyg och andra verktyg innehåller många fler funktioner och är mer tillgängliga för de flesta användare. Lärplattformar erbjuder en del möjligheter och att sociala nätverksverktyg erbjuder andra möjligheter. Detta innebär att man kan integrera olika verktygs-stöd för att läraren ska kunna göra sitt arbete på ett bra och flexibelt sätt. / The purpose of this study is to gain knowledge of Learning Management Systems (LMS) and how learning platforms and social networking tools supporting education. LMS is a tool used by teachers and students in education. Social networks are used by teachers for publishing their materials through various social networking tools, and the most used tools are Facebook, blogs, and YouTube. In recent years, teachers have been integrating their teaching with social network-ing tools for practical activities can be powerful tools for learning.This work is about the use of learning platforms and social networking tools in higher education. The work is based on some interviews of teachers in two different courses in the University West. The teachers who have been interviewed have different experiences on the use of learning platforms and social networking tools. One of the conclusions that have emerged in the study is that the discussion boards that is already available in the learning platforms are not useful. Something else that has emerged in this study is that by learning platform teachers can examine students in a good and safe way. Social networking tools and other tools contains many more features and is more available for most users. Another conclusion is that learning platforms offer some opportunities, and social networking tools offer other possibilities. This means that you can integrate different tool support for the teacher to be able to do their work in a good and flexible way.

Στην παρούσα εργασία μελετάται η αποτίμηση της ευχρηστίας στο πλαίσιο των συστημάτων διαχείρισης της μάθησης (Learning Management Systems - LMS). Σκοπός της έρευνας που διεξάγεται είναι η εγκυροποίηση του ερωτηματολογίου System Usability Scale (SUS) (Brooke, 1996), ως εργαλείο αποτίμησης της ευχρηστίας, στο πλαίσιο αυτό. Επιπλέον στόχος της εργασίας είναι η εγκυροποίηση της ελληνικής μετάφρασης του ερωτηματολογίου SUS, όπως αυτή δημιουργήθηκε από τους Katsanos, Tselios and Xenos (2012), και τέλος διερευνώνται τα αποτελέσματα του SUS σε σχέση με διάφορους παράγοντες, π.χ. φύλο, ηλικία, κ.ά. Για την επίτευξη των στόχων πραγματοποιήθηκαν 11 μελέτες στις οποίες συμμετείχαν συνολικά 771 φοιτητές του Πανεπιστημίου Πατρών. Οι συμμετέχοντες αξιολόγησαν την ευχρηστία των συστημάτων eClass και Moodle που χρησιμοποιούνται στο πλαίσιο μαθημάτων του προγράμματος σπουδών τους, συμπληρώνοντας ένα ανώνυμο ερωτηματολόγιο το οποίο συμπεριλάμβανε το ερωτηματολόγιο SUS. Από την ανάλυση των δεδομένων που συλλέχθηκαν, προέκυψε ότι το ερωτηματολόγιο SUS φαίνεται να είναι ένα έγκυρο εργαλείο αποτίμησης ευχρηστίας για τα συστήματα διαχείρισης της μάθησης. Η ελληνική έκδοση του ερωτηματολογίου επιβεβαιώθηκε ως κατάλληλη για την αξιολόγηση της ευχρηστίας των LMS από φοιτητές που μιλούν ελληνικά. Τέλος, επιβεβαιώθηκαν ευρήματα προηγούμενων μελετών (Tullis & Stetson, 2004; Bangor, Kortum & Miller, 2008; Kobsa, Sonawalla, Tsudik, Uzun, & Wang, 2009; Granića & Ćukušić, 2011; Sauro, 2011a; Kortum & Bangor, 2013), και βρέθηκαν κάποιες επιπλέον συσχετίσεις των αποτελεσμάτων του ερωτηματολογίου SUS με τους παράγοντες: αυτοαποτελεσματικότητα για το Διαδίκτυο, στάση προς το Διαδίκτυο ως μαθησιακό εργαλείο και συχνότητα χρήσης του LMS. / In this paper we study the evaluation of usability in the context of management learning (Learning Management Systems - LMS). The purpose of the survey conducted is the validation of the questionnaire System Usability Scale (SUS) (Brooke, 1996), a tool for assessment of usability, in this context. Additional aim of this work is the validation of the Greek translation of the questionnaire SUS, as created by Katsanos, Tselios and Xenos (2012), and then the investigation of the effects of SUS in relation to various factors, eg gender, age, etc. To achieve the objectives 11 studies were held involving a total of 771 students of the University of Patras. Participants evaluated the usability of systems eClass and Moodle, which are used within the course curriculum, by completing an anonymous questionnaire, which included the SUS. From the analysis of the data collected it was showed that the SUS questionnaire appears to be a valid usability assessment tool for learning management systems. The Greek version of the questionnaire was confirmed as suitable for evaluating the usability of LMS by students who speak Greek. Finally, findings of previous studies were confirmed (Tullis & Stetson, 2004; Bangor, Kortum & Miller, 2008; Kobsa, Sonawalla, Tsudik, Uzun, & Wang, 2009; Granića & Ćukušić, 2011; Sauro, 2011a; Kortum & Bangor, 2013), and some additional correlations between the SUS score and three factors were found: self-efficacy on the Internet, attitude towards the Internet as a learning tool and frequency of use of LMS.

Australia's tertiary educational environment is changing; in the past decade, it has faced a new set of challenges and pressures (Cunningham et al., 1998) that are encroaching on the traditional definitions of what higher education is. These challenges often dictate the directions in which the tertiary education environment evolves into. Within the framework of institutional reforms, the adopted policies are often the best indicators of that transition. Flexible delivery or learning has been espoused as a means of meeting and mediating some of those challenges. With their emphasis on catering to the needs and expectations of the consumer in a consumerist society, flexible policies are becoming the norm in most institutes of higher learning. However, of interest within the structure of the flexible delivery approach is the development of learner management systems (LMS). The question is what are learner management systems? What do they represent and what do they offer to the learner that differentiates it from the traditional forms of learning? In its basic form, a learner management system is essentially a series of processes that are developed and organised so as to efficiently provide the learner with the required access and interaction required to facilitate his or her learning. However, what are the benefits of being aware of the capabilities and limitations afforded by such approaches? How does it contribute to the process of teaching and learning in the context of higher education? The effectiveness of how these learner management systems are used in context to its application in multimedia programmes is of importance. Institutions are progressively introducing similar learning systems into their delivery framework. The question as to whether a singular adaptive system or a customised option remains to be tested.

O crescente uso das tecnologias digitais no dia-a-dia das pessoas gerou diversas mudanças de comportamento; tendências colaborativas de troca e compartilhamento de informações, ideias, conhecimentos e bens materiais passam a integrar não apenas a vida social dos usuários da internet, mas também surgem no ambiente escolar e de trabalho, mediadas por diferentes interfaces e dispositivos digitais. Nesse contexto, esta pesquisa pretende compreender como as ferramentas que surgiram a partir do uso das novas tecnologias de informação e comunicação (TICs) impulsionaram ou facilitaram a colaboração entre usuários na internet, abordando os principais aspectos e necessidades da colaboração em ambientes virtuais e relacionando-os com conhecimentos da área do design de interfaces O principal objetivo do estudo é propor elementos de interface que, integrados aos ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem (AVAs), favoreçam a realização de atividades colaborativas. Para tanto, após revisão bibliográfica e análise de similares, foi realizada uma análise das ferramentas colaborativas na interface do AVA Moodle, sob o aspecto dos mecanismos de conversação, coordenação e percepção de Preece, Rogers e Sharp (2005). Em seguida, foi aplicado um questionário com professores da área de design a respeito do uso do Moodle e/ou de demais tecnologias digitais em atividades colaborativas com os alunos. Os resultados dessa etapa foram discutidos em uma oficina com especialistas do campo de design a fim de avaliar as possibilidades de implementação de elementos gráficos e ferramentas computacionais na interface do Moodle que pudessem facilitar a colaboração entre seus usuários. Esses procedimentos elucidaram um conjunto de necessidades, requisitos, elementos e funcionalidades de interface com vistas a apoiar a colaboração em AVAs e/ou outras plataformas digitais. / The increasing use of digital technologies in people's daily lives has generated a number of behavioral changes; collaborative tendencies of exchange and sharing of information, ideas, knowledge and material goods integrate not only the social life of internet users, but also arise in the school and work environment, mediated by different interfaces and digital devices. In this sense, this research aims to understand how the tools that have emerged from the use of the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) have driven or facilitated Internet user’s collaboration, addressing the main aspects and needs of collaboration in virtual environments, relating them to interface design topics. The main objective of the study is to propose interface elements that, integrated to the interface of learning management systems (LMS), promote the accomplishment of collaborative activities To do so, after a literature review and the analysis of interfaces with collaborative functions, an analysis of Moodle's collaborative tools was carried out considering the mechanisms of conversation, coordination and awareness (PREECE; ROGERS; SHARP, 2005). Then, a questionnaire was applied with professors from the design area regarding the use of Moodle and/or other digital technologies in collaborative activities with their students. The results of this stage were discussed in a workshop with design experts, in order to evaluate the possibilities of implementing graphic elements and computational tools in Moodle's interface that could facilitate user's collaboration. These procedures have generated a set of needs, requirements, interface elements and functionalities to facilitate collaboration processes in learning management systems and/or other digital platforms.

O crescente uso das tecnologias digitais no dia-a-dia das pessoas gerou diversas mudanças de comportamento; tendências colaborativas de troca e compartilhamento de informações, ideias, conhecimentos e bens materiais passam a integrar não apenas a vida social dos usuários da internet, mas também surgem no ambiente escolar e de trabalho, mediadas por diferentes interfaces e dispositivos digitais. Nesse contexto, esta pesquisa pretende compreender como as ferramentas que surgiram a partir do uso das novas tecnologias de informação e comunicação (TICs) impulsionaram ou facilitaram a colaboração entre usuários na internet, abordando os principais aspectos e necessidades da colaboração em ambientes virtuais e relacionando-os com conhecimentos da área do design de interfaces O principal objetivo do estudo é propor elementos de interface que, integrados aos ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem (AVAs), favoreçam a realização de atividades colaborativas. Para tanto, após revisão bibliográfica e análise de similares, foi realizada uma análise das ferramentas colaborativas na interface do AVA Moodle, sob o aspecto dos mecanismos de conversação, coordenação e percepção de Preece, Rogers e Sharp (2005). Em seguida, foi aplicado um questionário com professores da área de design a respeito do uso do Moodle e/ou de demais tecnologias digitais em atividades colaborativas com os alunos. Os resultados dessa etapa foram discutidos em uma oficina com especialistas do campo de design a fim de avaliar as possibilidades de implementação de elementos gráficos e ferramentas computacionais na interface do Moodle que pudessem facilitar a colaboração entre seus usuários. Esses procedimentos elucidaram um conjunto de necessidades, requisitos, elementos e funcionalidades de interface com vistas a apoiar a colaboração em AVAs e/ou outras plataformas digitais. / The increasing use of digital technologies in people's daily lives has generated a number of behavioral changes; collaborative tendencies of exchange and sharing of information, ideas, knowledge and material goods integrate not only the social life of internet users, but also arise in the school and work environment, mediated by different interfaces and digital devices. In this sense, this research aims to understand how the tools that have emerged from the use of the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) have driven or facilitated Internet user’s collaboration, addressing the main aspects and needs of collaboration in virtual environments, relating them to interface design topics. The main objective of the study is to propose interface elements that, integrated to the interface of learning management systems (LMS), promote the accomplishment of collaborative activities To do so, after a literature review and the analysis of interfaces with collaborative functions, an analysis of Moodle's collaborative tools was carried out considering the mechanisms of conversation, coordination and awareness (PREECE; ROGERS; SHARP, 2005). Then, a questionnaire was applied with professors from the design area regarding the use of Moodle and/or other digital technologies in collaborative activities with their students. The results of this stage were discussed in a workshop with design experts, in order to evaluate the possibilities of implementing graphic elements and computational tools in Moodle's interface that could facilitate user's collaboration. These procedures have generated a set of needs, requirements, interface elements and functionalities to facilitate collaboration processes in learning management systems and/or other digital platforms.