A Case Study of an Algorithmic Course
Transcription
A Case Study of an Algorithmic Course
ISSN:2229-6093 Mohamed Benslimane et al, International Journal of Computer Technology & Applications,Vol 7(4),530-536 Proposal of an Approach of Online Course Design and Implementation: A Case Study of an Algorithmic Course Mohamed BENSLIMANE*1, Kamar OUAZZANI#2, Mehdi TMIMI#3, Mohammed BERRADA#4 *Transmission and Treatment of Information Laboratory, EST, USMBA # Laboratory of computing and interdisciplinary physics, ENS, USMBA 1 benslimane_mohamed@live.fr, 2 kamar_ouazzani@yahoo.fr, 3mehditmimi@live.fr, 4 mohammed.berrada@gmail.com Abstract Online learning continues to be emulated. It not only fits better to the expectations of teachers and students, but it also develops promising concepts. give courses, creating motivation among students, prove that it is possible to learn otherwise, to work differently. In this paper we will meet a set of very important issues, bearing in online learning (eLearning), while starting from the comparison between the face-to-face courses, distance courses and online courses, through the good pedagogical practices that allow us to develop a solid set of specifications for our course (algorithmic course), and ending with its implementation on the LMS (Learning Management System) Moodle. The E-Learning requires tools for the development and distribution of courses on the Internet. This is possible either by developing a clean computing environment or by the use of a Learning Management System (LMS) existing which is no other than a set of tools dedicated to the development and delivery of courses and assessment of learners on the Internet via a welldefined policy. KEYWORDS: Online learning, Face-to-face Learning, Distance Learning, Pedagogy, LMS, eLearning, Hypermedia 2. Concepts 1. Introduction In a training cycle, we have had a demonstration as learners that allowed us to intuitively explore and to manipulate some LMS. This has led to many questions: how to use concretely in a class, all the riches of this tool? What is the educational model on? How to integrate it into a course and to serve it? Is it accessible for all students and teachers? What are its advantages and disadvantages? What are its limitations? What about his place in our university? What image are we of this tool? How to use it properly? Which platform to choose? All these questions have been the basis of this paper. Our main objective was simply to think outside the box. Moodle has only existed since 2002 and Claroline only existed since 2001. These are not tools rooted in the habits of the Moroccan university. Sometimes, they are very little known and often used only partially. And unfortunately, there are still too few books on the subject. We therefore wanted to innovate in how to IJCTA | July-August 2016 Available online@www.ijcta.com In "e-Learning", we find very clearly the word "learning" and "e" which refers to electronics and more specifically to Information and Communication Technologies. All, therefore, means teaching and learning online. So before looking at "e" we have to find how to make the "learning" pedagogical, set goals and decide if your course will face-to-face, distance or online. The transition from traditional learning to online learning requires three changes: the availability and the proper mastery of technical tools, the consideration of the distance and the move towards a more learnercentred education. 2.1. The didactic triangle The didactic triangle (Figure 1) shows the relationship (sides of the triangle) between the three poles (triangle vertices): the knowledge, the teacher and the learner. Then, there are three types of relationships: • Knowledge-teacher relationship: includes the instruction, the didactic work of the information management, this is the process "teach". 530 ISSN:2229-6093 Mohamed Benslimane et al, International Journal of Computer Technology & Applications,Vol 7(4),530-536 • • Teacher-learner relationship: includes the education and the training, it is the process of "form". Learners-knowledge relationship: includes the learning, it is the process of "learning". We have chosen to promote this process because by integrating technology in this process, we will facilitate the acquisition of knowledge by the learner, and it remains the major goal of instruction. present this technology are better than man. On the other side, when the teacher acts as a guide, accompanist, technology can never replaces him. He underlines the importance of working with Claroline in face-to-face and not just only from a distance by supplying the site by many documents. 2.2. Factors favouring the learning process Often, we tend to think that the learner is responsible for its success, as it is for him to study. It is the student himself who, by building knowledge, builds itself and thus acquires knowledge. And concerning the teacher? The teacher, too, learns. And regarding ICT specifically, it has been noticed that it is necessary to train teachers, over all, pedagogically because such a device requires sound pedagogy to develop. In fact, teacher training is an important point between student training and development of technological innovation in universities. Fig. 1. The didactic triangle [1]. This triangle allows, so, to analyze different teaching methods. Today, the teacher is rather seen as a guide and not as the person who has the knowledge and transmits it to student. He helps the student to acquire knowledge and to build oneself. Indeed, the teacher can make available of learners contents, knowledge (tool "Documents and Links") but the learner also can bring contents, works to his teacher (tool "Works"). It is also noted that this is the letter "I" (Information) of "ICT". When the "C" (Communication) represents the relationship between the student and the teacher, (tools "Forums", "Discussion", "send an email" ...). For the last relationship, it is clear that the teacher will always be face to new knowledge, new interesting technologies to master, new tool platform to discover ... Whence the necessary teacher training for the improvement of teaching methods, quality of teaching and learning. For Marcel Lebrun [2], eLearning is a tool or a means by which to facilitate learning and to support various forms of teachings. It thus serves to teach and learn. It is a means energized by the electronics and used to facilitate or extend teaching and learning. To the question "is that technologies will replace the teacher?" Marcel Lebrun reply "yes" ironic because if the question is asked is that the teacher's model who posed the question is based on the transmission and at IJCTA | July-August 2016 Available online@www.ijcta.com The efforts of universities in the field of technological innovation, teacher training, active methods in place to teach and tools developed are all elements that focus on student learning and success in school. Specifically, as shown in the figure 2 below, it is first to be clear about the goals of learning and finding methods that will facilitate this learning while allowing for achieve goals. Then we have to think about the tools to operationalize these methods, and to the satisfaction of the user that appears as a major dimension since the acceptance is final when users are satisfied with the technology [3]. According to Wang [4], satisfaction in an e-learning context measures responses and emotional reactions of students in front of educational activities online. The interface of pedagogical platform and its contents are the two most frequently used components of satisfaction in previous work [5,6]. The interface proposed to the learner should be easy to use and understand, friendly and stable. In terms of content, it must be useful, comprehensive, quality and updated regularly [4]. Some facilitators conditions, including the availability of technology resources and quality of Internet access would also be linked to the process of acceptance of elearning tools by learners. More computer equipment is present at academic institutions in sufficient quantity and the acceptance of the educational platform would increase [7,8]. The conceptual model also states that the quality of Internet connections would be positively 531 ISSN:2229-6093 Mohamed Benslimane et al, International Journal of Computer Technology & Applications,Vol 7(4),530-536 related to the acceptance of e-learning tools by learners [9], or to think of a solution in offline mode [10]. the essential elements of teaching methods and technological tools. Fig. 3. Key factors to bear in mind to enhance learning [13]. Fig. 2. Structure of the dynamic model of learning [11]. Among the existing pedagogical models, Marcel Lebrun has developed one in the basis of various currents (Piaget and constructivism, Vygotsky and social learning ...) and techniques. Before the design of this device, it is important that teachers have in mind a kind of "check list": what to put on my course website to motivate learners? What is the quality of my resources? What to ask them to do? What to product so? How interactions will happen? All these issues should be considered to create a course site. And the pedagogical model that the teacher has set beforehand will help to create its device and also to assess its impact. To promote learning, Marcel Lebrun reports that it is important to put several elements forward (Table 1). Online rectangles have a learning model based on constructivism, previous knowledge, data, information ... are then transformed into activities by the learner so he can build new knowledge (translated of the form of a report, of a project, for example). The factors of motivation (student engagement) and interaction (need feedback, concrete results) are like two motors to move the process forward. This model is, in fact, simple: we must start from internal resources (previous knowledge of learners and what the teacher brings) and from there, the teacher will provide activities. And that's when the learner will mix and pull information to produce something. 3. Online module 3.1. Systems constituting an online module When choosing to put a course online, we must first make a design of specifications set to do it in an educational way, while respecting the concepts discussed above. We no longer talk of courses when we are online, it becomes an online module. TABLE I. COMPONENTS OF THE LEARNING PROCESS [12] The following figure shows a dynamic view of the pedagogical model. It is by respecting the model that learning will be promoted. It may be noted that it found IJCTA | July-August 2016 Available online@www.ijcta.com Fig. 4. General Components of an online module [14]. 532 ISSN:2229-6093 Mohamed Benslimane et al, International Journal of Computer Technology & Applications,Vol 7(4),530-536 As shown in Figure 4, a module is a set of learning situations organized as a coherent whole. The consistency of this module is both the objectives set by the teacher and the teaching strategy to be adopted at the learning process. Figure 6 shows objectives and sub-objectives of outsourced case (algorithmic course). First, an online module must have three basic characteristics: autonomy or independence, versatility or reusability and consistency. After the characteristics, there is the input system, the learning system and the output system. For the input system, it manages student flows at input module and this thanks to the presentation of the objectives, the pre test and the entrance test. For the learning system, it concerns the module content, the required activities of learners, aid and resources and orientation in the system during the learning process. And finally, the output system, which tests the mastery of the module objectives and directs the learner at the end of the training, according to the results of the post test. Fig. 6. Objectives, sub-objectives and units of the algorithmic course. The second part of the development of the set of specifications is to detail every unit of our module. Table II presents the final set of specifications of our course (algorithmic). Fig. 5. Different scenarios of our course. 3.2. Development of the module set of specifications Before placing an online course, we must develop a set of specifications, starting with defining its general objectives, the purification of its objectives into subobjectives which ultimately will allow us to distinguish the different units of our module. TABLE II. IJCTA | July-August 2016 Available online@www.ijcta.com SPECIFICATIONS SET OF ALGORITHMIC COURSE 533 ISSN:2229-6093 Mohamed Benslimane et al, International Journal of Computer Technology & Applications,Vol 7(4),530-536 For the success of the online module the following constraints are set: • For each chapter, there will be a more detailed PDF, in case the learner fails to understand, • In the last chapter which is a case study, there will be a detailed demonstration video on the resolution of a given problem, • Learners can use the chat to discuss the course, • Learners can use the forum to post questions, • The quiz will be done in a limited time (15 min by quiz), • The exercises will also make limited by specific dates and times. Following completion of the specification set of the module to put online, we move to another heavier spot: the choice of learning management system LMS, on which we will host our module. 3.3. Choice of the Learning Management System For choosing our LMS, we made an inventory of criteria to consider. It is clear that a choice is never final, tools and open source projects evolve and technological monitoring is useful to confirm or deny our choice over time. 3.3.1. LMS Components A Learning Management System or platform distance education is integrated software: A. It resumed a wide extent of typical functionalities of a web based teaching: • Synchronous and asynchronous communication tools (chat, discussion forum, sending e-mail, discussion groups), Evaluation tools, Possibility of collaborative work, Realization of content, Analysis of the user trace, ... • • • • • B. It allows the management of course spaces, users and access control. IJCTA | July-August 2016 Available online@www.ijcta.com Fig. 7. The basic functionalities offered by the most popular open source platforms [15]. This implies the involvement of different types or profiles of actors, including not only teachers, assistants and students, but also administrators (system administrator and tool administrator). The system administrator is responsible for the hardware and the product installing and updates as the administrator of the platform is responsible for various settings, management of courses and users database and access management. 3.3.2. Advantages of using a Learning Management System A. To be actor of his Learning: E-Learning devices give some freedom and a significant degree of autonomy to the learner. He can therefore be individually engage in the proposed learning activities and carries with the responsibility for his own learning. B. To share and to exchange easily: Through the interaction modes present on most platforms or LMS (Learning Management System), the learner can easily share information, resources, and exchange with other participants (via forums, wikis, instant messaging). Online learning has, so, a social and collaborative dimension. C. To have various ways of learning: Trainers have the possibility of putting online multimedia teaching supports (audio sequences, videos, animations, diagrams). This combination of various media allows to respect the learning styles of each and to solicit the learner to several levels (the famous duo "Left Brain / Right Brain"). D. To learn at their own pace, on an individualized manner: Since the modules are fully online, the learner has the opportunity to review the media several times and to come back whenever he wants. 534 ISSN:2229-6093 Mohamed Benslimane et al, International Journal of Computer Technology & Applications,Vol 7(4),530-536 E. To have flexibility and availability: Just like the previous point, the fact that the modules are on an online platform allows participants to access wherever they are, even if they are on the move (Moodle also offers an application for mobile devices: tablets and smart phones). 3.3.3. Benchmark of best known open source LMS The installation, the configuration and the deployment of a test course in these different Learning Management Systems have allowed us to define their properties as shown in the following table: Fig. 8. Form@tique platform The figure 9 is a screenshot of our online courses. TABLE III. BENCHMARK OF THE BEST KNOWN OPEN SOURCE [16] This comparison confirmed that Moodle remains the pillar of free Learning Management Systems open source thanks to its intuitive interface, its rich documentation, the number of plug-in offered, the wide range of available users (Administrator, course creator, teacher, non-editing teacher, student and guest), integrated collaborative working tools (chat, wiki, video conferencing, forum ...) and the diversity of supported media. Also, it allows understanding why Moodle has an imposing continuously growing community. On the LMS Moodle, we implemented our specifications set algorithmic course for first-year students (Technical University Degree, Statistics and Informatics Business Intelligence, High School of Technology, Fez). The figure 8 shows the interface of our platform Form@tic (Training in Computer Science). IJCTA | July-August 2016 Available online@www.ijcta.com Fig. 9. Algorithmic Online Course The course is open now for the affected students (accounts were created for them), we wait the end of the course and the evaluation for statistics and comparison the results with those of a class that does the same course in face-to-face (Technical University Degree, Computer Science, High School of Technology, Fez). 4. Conclusions and perspectives In this document, we worked on good manners to give an online course, starting from the comparison between the classical course, the distance courses and the online courses, through the design of specifications set for an online course, and arriving at its implementation on the LMS Moodle according to very specific criteria. 535 ISSN:2229-6093 Mohamed Benslimane et al, International Journal of Computer Technology & Applications,Vol 7(4),530-536 The future extension of this work is to analyze the results [17] and to compare them with the results of the same course in face-to face for another class to draw conclusions and to improve this online course. 10. References [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] Jean HOUSSAYE, Le triangle pédagogique. Théorie pratiques de l'éducation scolaire (I), Edition scientifiques européennes, Berne 1992, p.40. LEBRUN (M.), elearning pour enseigner et apprendre. 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