F. Li et al. (Eds.): ICWL 2008, LNCS 5145, pp. 424 – 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 jk76@zjnu.cn, linsuxian@126.com, yangyun662000@yahoo.com.cn, zxhsd@yahoo.cn 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 http://www.etkeylab. 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 . 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. 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. 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.