AERA-2002, New Orleans, April 4-5 2002
Modeling the Physiology of
Distributed Learning
Systems
By
Gilbert Paquette,
Center for interuniversity research on
Telelearning applications (CIRTA)
Télé-université
© LICEF
http://www.licef.teluq.uquebec.ca/gp
Distributed learning systems
WORLD INTERNET
Organizations
Virtual Learning
Training Organization
Delivery Servers
VLC
Front desk
Server
Organization’s
Workstations
Management
servers
Learners
Organizations
Learners
/Workers
at home
© LICEF
The Challenge of Delivery
 Distributed
delivery systems can be
complex
 Actors ruling operations, using and
producing resources for other actors
 Direct or mediated interactions between
actors
 Before, during, after learning
 Delivery
planning: an important ISD problem
 Delivery support: building a usable system
 Delivery analysis: to maintain and improve
© LICEF
Delivery problems
 Technological
noise
 Tools
not there, inefficient, complex
 Weak technical assistance
 Organizational
(interaction) noise
 Human
services not known
 Intervention out of context
 Comprehension
 No
noise
global view of the process
 No tools to understand interactions
 Diverted attention from learning
© LICEF
MISA main tasks
Phase 2 Preliminary analysis
folder
MISA 4.0
Phase 1 Problem definition
folder
DC
100
Organization’s
training system
102
Training
objectives
104
Target
populations
DP
D
E
V
I
S
210
Knowledge
modeling
principles
220
Instructional
principles
212
Knowledge
model
Phase 3 Architecture folder
310
Learning unit
content
214
Target
competencies
222
Learning events
network
320
Instructional
scenarios
224
Learning units
properties
322
Learning
activities
properties
230
Media
DM
development
principles
330
Development
infrastructure
106
Actual situation
108
Reference
documentss
© LICEF
DD
240
Delivery
principles
242
Cost-benefit
analysis
340
Delivery
planning
Phase 4 Design folder
Phase 5 Production and
validation folder
Phase 6 Final delivery folder
610
Knowledge and
comptency
management
410
Learning
instrument
content
620
Actors and group
management
420
Learning
instruments
properties
430 List of
learning
materials
432
Media
elements
PRODUCTION
OF THE
MATERIALS
432 Models
of materials
434
Source
documents
TESTS
440
Delivery
models
444
Tools and
telecom
442
Actors and
materials
446
Services and
locations
540
Assessment
planning
542
Revision
folder
630
Learning system
and ressource
management
640
Maintenance
and quality
management
Model of a Delivery Process
© LICEF
Levels of delivery models
Types or organisms
Physiological functions
within an organism
Local operations
participating in
functions
© LICEF
Distributed classrooms, Webbased self-learning, On-line
teaching, Communities of
practice, EPSS,…
Knowledge management,
learning progress assessment,
collaboration support,…
An actor (or group of actors)
managing a group of
operations, using and
producing learning resources
Local operations for an actor
Provider 2
R
User
Provide a
tool
R
I/P
Tool
Provider 1
R
I/P
Use a
learning
material
I/P
I/P
Provide a
learning
material
© LICEF
Learning
material
I/P
User
production
Types of delivery models
Receive
input, ask
questions,
exercises
Presenter
Autonomous
Learning,
access
information
Training
manager
Asks
questions,
cooperation,
telediscuss.
Presentatio
ns, videos,
websites
ModelSpecific
Tools
Video-conf.
system,
browser,
present.tools
Means of
Com.
Synchronous Asynchronous Asynchronous
telecom
telecom
telecom
Asynchronous Asynchronous
telecom
telecom
Required
Services
Technical
support
Com.
support
Com.
support
Comm.
support
Delivery
Locations
Classroom,
multimedia
room
Residence,
workplace
Residence,
workplace
Residence,
workplace
Facilitators’
actions
Main type
of Material
© LICEF
EPSS
Web SelfTraining
Learners’
Actions
Online
Training
Communities
of practice
Distributed
Classroom
Exercises,
case studies,
simulations
Trainer,
presenter
Cooperation,
telediscuss,
information
exchange
Group
animator
Internet
and MM
training
Productions,
informative
websites
Productions,
informative
websites
Activity guide,
contextualised
help files
Browser,
search
engine, MM
support
Forum,
email,
multimedia
documents
Forum, email,
multimedia
documents
Organization
data bases
and systems
Support
manager
Systems
technical
support
Workplace
A distributed classroom
O
O
5+1 rooms
R
M
White board
I/P
Information
presentation
I/P
I/P
I/P
I/P
I/P
S
Room
organization
I/P
S
I/P
Technical
support
E
Videoconferencing
system
I/P
Manuel
d'utilisation des
équipements
I/P
I/P
I/P
C
R
Present
content
I/P
I/P
I/P
E
TV - VCR
I/P
I/P
S
O
Computer and
browser
O
Multimemdia
lab
Listen to
presentations
Document
camera
Presentation
material
I/P
R
R
A
I/P
I/P
TECHNICIAN
A
Ask questions
Answering
quetions
E
PROFESSOR
R
Study guide
R
A
LEARNER
At home
R
I/P Reference manual
I/P
R
I/P
E
M
I/P
Provide
materials
S
I/P
Advice
Doing
homework
R
Between
presentations
I/P
Homework
assessment
I/P
I/P
I/P
C
I/P
S
© LICEF
I/P
S
I/P
Internet
Homework to be
evaluated
I/P
Provide
pedagogical
coaching
Soutenir le
fonctionnement
des équipements
R
A community of practice
O
Consult information
on the web and
locally
I/P
A
Synchronous
presentation
tools
WEB
TECHNICIANS
R
I/P
O
O
I/P
Resource
center
HTML
editor and
MM tools
E
Document base
built by
participants
A
LEARNER
PRESENTER
C
I/P
I/P
I/P
I/P
S
I/P
I/P
C
Technical
support
I/P
R
Give technical
support
I/P
Internet link
I/P
Interact in a
community of
practice
C
I/P
S
Produce and presente
information and
solutions to the group
I/P
Animer une
communauté de
pratique
C
O
I/P
I/P
O
Computer and
browser
C
Work
collaboratively at
a distance
I/P
Forum, Email,
File transfer
I/P
R
I/P
I/P
M
At home or at
work
© LICEF
Advice
I/P
O
Browser
I/P
I/P
S
Participate in
telediscussions
I/P
Group
animation
A
GROUP
ANIMATOR
Functions
Learner’s assessment
 Knowledge management
 Competency management
 Information sources management
 Collaboration management
 Documents and tools management
 Emerging activities management
 …..

A function is a multi-actor process graph
…part of a delivery model represeting
…a use-case of the DLS
…and a physiology of the DLS
© LICEF
A learner assessment function
Instructional
designer
Learning
scenario
editor
R
Test presenter
I/P
I/P
Structure the
evaluation
space
Pass the
tests
Tool to present
evaluations
Learner
R
I/P
Obtain
evaluation
results
Completed
tests
I/P
I/P
Learning
scenario and
evaluation
activities
Test
editor
I/P
I/P
I/P
Author
© LICEF
Tests
evaluated and
transmitted
I/P
I/P
I/P
R
I/P
R
Build
evaluation
tests
Tests in learning
I/P
object
repository
Analyse
and
evaluate
Summary of
evaluation
results
R
I/P
Evaluation
assistant
Trainer evaluator
A knowledge management
function
DESIGNER
I/P
Knowledge
model library
I/P
Model e ditor
R
Put in media
form
Le arning
materials,
presentations
I/P
I/P
I/P
Knowledge mode l
structure
I/P
I/P
AUTHOR
Build the
knowledge
structure
R
I/P
Knowledge mode l
I/P
LEARNER
I/P
Construct
R
I/P
EXPERT
Other
knowledge
models
I/P
R
Navigate, annotate,
define knowledge
request
I/P
I/P
I/P
MANAGER
© LICEF
R
Import or
Export
Knowledge mode l
I/P in a knowledge
bank
Consulted and
annotated
knowledge obje cts
A competency management
function
Instructional
Designer
Competency
Editor
Expert
Competency
Manager
Competency
management
system
R
R
I/P
I/P
Compentency
dictionary and
profiles
I/P
Manage the
competency
base
I/P
I/P
Test presentor
I/P
I/P
Evaluate
explanation
competencies
Define the
competency
profiles
R
Actor
competencies
registry
Competency offer
I/P
I/P
I/P
Learning
events
repository
I/P
Registry tool
Identify and
declare
comptencies
R
UserLearner
© LICEF
Register an
actor's
competencies
I/P
I/P
Competency
demand
Transfert to
management
systems
I/P
I/P
Advice to select
experts and
I/P learning events
Match
R
R
Communication
Manager
I/P
Mentoring
assistant
Actors operations and
resources
Actor’s
Name
Function
Learners
evaluation
LEARNER
DESIGNER
Competency
Management
© LICEF
(T) Test presenter
(M) Test in LO repository
(M) Evaluation results
(T) Test presenter
(M) Competency profiles
Material and Resources
Produced
(M) Completed test
(M) Request of Competency
Knowledge (M) Knowledge model
Management (M) Model in a knowledge base
(M) Models processes
Learners
evaluation
(T) Scenario Editor
(M) Scenarios and evaluation
activities
(T) Competencies Editor
(M) Competency dictionary and
profile
(T) Test Editor
(M) Scenarios and eval. activities
(M) Tests in a learning objects
repository
Competency
Management
Learners
evaluation
EXPERT
Material and Resources Used
Competency (T) Test presenter
Management
(M) Competency Offer
Knowledge (T) Model Editor
Management (M) Model Library
(M) Knowledge base
(M) Knowledge Model
(M) Presentations, Materials, etc
(M) Model in knowledge base
Implementing in Explor@
Expert
EXPERT
© LICEF
The model as a dynamic
aggregation interface

© LICEF
Learning objects, resources
 The interoperability problem
 An ISD problem and a
delivery problem
 Aggregate actors, resources,
functions, environments
 A changing anatomy
 Capture physiology
Resource integration into
delivery models

Prevent decomposition into small
learning objects
 Facilitate the reuse of resources
 Provide meaningful action context
 Facilitate actors coordination

© LICEF
Support the evolution of
interactions and productions
AERA-2002, New Orleans, April 4-5 2002
Modeling the Physiology of
Distributed Learning
Systems
By
Gilbert Paquette,
Center for interuniversity research on
Telelearning applications (CIRTA)
Télé-université
© LICEF
http://www.licef.teluq.uquebec.ca/gp