Learning environments on the World Wide Web: experiences from Astronomy On-Line

In this article the Astronomy On-Line (AOL) learning experiment on World Wide Web (WWW) is described. As a part of AOL, educational research was carried out. The purpose of this study was to measure how students experience the new medium in their learning and how students utilize the communication facilities (group e-mail, real-time discussion) available through the WWW site. This study also describes the computational facilities available among AOL participants all around Europe     

Towards Adaptive Learning Materials: Speed of Interaction and Relative Number of Mistakes as Indicators of Learning Results

The aim of this study was to explore the significance of interaction in multimedia learning materials. Two explanative variables were modelled from the primary variables of the collected data. Those variables were (1) time between two user events, named as interaction, and (2) relative error. The results of this study showed a clear connection between the usage of the learning material and the learning results. In general, the learning material should be difficult enough to influence thinking. Improved thinking could be achieved either as an inner process, when interaction between material and learner was slow, or with fast interaction, when the number of mistakes increases. In the developing of adaptive multimedia learning materials, the utilisation of these two variables seem to be quite promising.     

Mobile panoramic video applications for learning

The use of videos on the internet has grown significantly in the last few years. For example, Khan Academy has a large collection of educational videos, especially on STEM subjects, available for free on the internet. Professional panoramic video cameras are expensive and usually not easy to carry because of the large size of the equipment. Recently, at least two companies have launched a new type of product that enabled panoramic video for certain smartphone users. The aim of this article is to analyze how panoramic video can be adopted, how attractive it is for actual everyday use, how it is used today, and how technology and other solutions should develop to become popular and accessible for mainstream users in learning applications. This research is based on the qualitative research method, namely content analysis. The analysis involved 1595 panoramic videos that users posted to two panoramic video sites. The videos represent a snapshot of videos from the beginning of the panoramic video sites. The videos were classified in 22 groups. In addition, the comments and discussions related to each of the videos were analyzed. Based on the study, it is concluded that panoramic videos are not yet widely used for learning, even though they have much potential for this purpose. Panoramic videos are good for documenting complex interaction situations in settings where a lower image quality is sufficient. Typical social media features are present in panoramic video sites, but they do not provide any extra support for learning or collaboration.     

Matrix algebra with hypermedia

A pilot hypermedia-based course on Matrix Algebra at Tampere University of Technology (TUT) is presented. Essential features, in addition to the lecture notes, are hypertext, computer-aided exercises, connections with existing mathematical software, interactive exercises, graphics, animation and video clips. Different learning strategies, based on concept, theorem and problem databases are discussed. Finally classroom experiences are presented.