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L. Filippi, 11. Cadot, D. URA: Tlic 01
L. Filippi, 11. Cadot, D. URA: Tlic 01
TO END-USER LEARNING-STYLE
1. Abstract
AcLoIdiiig to tlic aiiii of llie COLOS project - where COLOS slaiids lor “COiicep-
lual Leariiiiig 01 Sciciicc” - wliicli is to use aiid to proiiiole llic use of tlic poleiitial ol
riiodeiii ~uiripulcrlccluiology lor ilbeller arid iiioie diiecl approach towards iiiluitive
picseiilalioii and uiicicistaiidiiig of basic coiiccpts iii scieiice aiid techiiology [I] [2],
we desciilic iii lliib paper a incttiod l o decide a studelit’s iriaiii type of category. In
aiiolliei step we explaiii iii whicli way llie liuiuaii iiitei€ace of a CA’l’/CAL (Compulei
Aided Teachiiig/Learning) product must be designed with respect t o the considered
type, that means to define a “Learning Environment ”.
We present some principles enabling to adapt the interfaces of softwares lo the user.
2. T h e driving concepts
‘l’lic ArisI,oI,cIi:i.ii way or tliiiikiiig iiscd I)y Zvoiiko Ikzariiic lo iiopiilsc 1.1i(~ COLOS
pr<J,jccl,coiihiiis t l i c ( x J ~ I w ~ of ~ , “liil.iiit,ioii”. kiiowlotlgc! Iwgiiis wi1,li S C I I -
Iliiiiiii~ii
sations arid is ;rctivo lliloiigli Iiitiiitioii. ‘Tlic Iiituilioii allows access l o llie bii.sic
priiiciplcs of cveryi,liirig.
iiic sags t h a t lltc tcaclicr creates dyriariiic displays wliicli c;i.pliirc
Iiis/licr iiiciill~i.liiiiiigcs. Jlc sags: “lJiitlol.staiitlirig is il process wliicli is coiriplclctl
wlicii (,lie ‘‘light, coiiios OH”, wlicri Ilic sliitlcii i,ys “NOW 1 gel. il” ii.ittl is :~blc: l o
s licltl wliosc soliilioii tlcp”ls oii iiii(1ershidiiig ol 1.1iiit
start rjolviiig i ~ r o l i l w ~i r i~ llic
lield.”
1.0 c w s t i t i i k i~.iidliciciit iiitiiitivc iliidacc for loariiiiig, wc waiil tlic sliitlciit to
, I
experiineiil tlic taught iiiatter in the saiiie way as Iie/she experinleiits Iiis/her own life
eriviroiiiiieiit [3], tlial iiieaiis the interrace iiiusl be designed like a life enviroiiment.
The couple “computer-student” is a system for whicli the best result is obtained
when each part of the couple is adapted to the other part.
1 r;i.iis;icl,ioii;il A u;i.lysis l i ; ~b c ~ mtlovc~lopoclIbr ;haul Ibr1.y livc yoa.rs. 11, i s sliarcd iis
, \
You must solve the problem withiii Good niorning, are you OK this
N niinutes. iiiorning?
I I IJCsplit iii X SUI,-
‘l’liis ~ ~ < J I J I C Iciiii W c l ~ ~ i i iiici tliis scssioii.
piirts. Ilcrc is w1ia.t wc ask you:
A valid;i~lioiiof Y O I I ~k~iowlcdgcwill ...
ta.lto ~I;I.cc: iil. tlic c i i t l o f I,liis scssioii. iryoll ilavc ;L l)robiclll, t~oll’tworry...
1\11 the rcclucstcd iuforiualions a.re you caii go backward aiitl succeed
iii the library. step by step quietly.
Good work! Don’t loose courage...
Figirrc 2: Obscssioiial type (I&) vcrsus lfystcric type (right)
- Examples oI persondity structure related Instructions -
489
To determine learning styles, we also use other methods which will be described in
l u l u 1c 1>i1,I><*Ih.
0 The first method consists in considering the student group as a stable family. We
perform tests to determine a reference of the mean learning style they belong to,
and we use the corresponding learning environment. This solution presents some
handicaps:
As all methods based on a statistical repartition of human behavior, it shuts
out the students who are at the margin of the group.
e Each sludent evolves during the course of his/lier studies iii a way whicli
<:iliiiioI, be forecast. l’liis iiiiplies tliat the iiieaii structure would iieed to be
~ l i d i t g c ~i lll IIiv liiiic.
Thus, this solution, eveii if it is the easiest to implement, is too restrictive to allow
optiiiiuiri, iiitlivitliidistic adal)latiori of tlir CA’l’/CAL intellace. l u additioa it is
obvious that, when a iicw evaluation of the iiieaii structure is doiie, the inlel1a;lLe
of an dieady used applicalioii iiiust not be cliaiiged because tlie iiiodilicalioii of
acquired practices can be harmful to the learuing process or individual students.
490
If the sludeiit has the “Obsessioiial” type as his/her iiiaiii personality coiiipoiieiit,
Iie/she iieeds to have 011 his/her screeii the maximum of siniultaiieous inforiiiations,
hi ii. vety strttct~tr(do t g a ~ i i z a t i o ~ i ‘L’lie . givcii iiislructioiis iiiust lead Iiiui/lier 10
orgaiiizc Iiis/licr lcariiiiig time iii a veiy clliciciil wily.
111 l , l i c x S C W I I ~~ x i i i i i p l c ,tliv s~,iident,has llic “llystcric” typc as Iiis/licr tiieiii pcrsoii-
ality coti~poiieiit.llc/slic iiccds to have a iiiiiiiiiiuiii ol siiiiiiltaiicous iiiloriiialioiis on
liis/her screen, with a Diendly layout and some warm colors. Bis/lier instruetioils
inus1 conlain a kind of encouragements to incite Iiim/lier to piogress.
7. Conclusion
Now we have applications allowing us to test the efficiency of our method on students
in a static way. T h e next step will be to produce applications which are able to adapt
their own interface t o the learning style of the student.
To realize this, we will iieed to deiiioiistrale that, iii a CAT/CAL software, the
IriLllgliI.t i i i i , I , I , ~(:ii.ii I)(! tlissociihxl frot11 tho I)I‘O(:CSS itsot1 to IORL.II
it.
I
1 . 1 1 ~litii1.l goa.l will bo IAJiiiii.ii;i,g~~
8
tlic wliol~!lwrtiiiig procoss iqipl.yitig this leiwiiitig
slylo I,IIOO~.Y to r(!iLdl tlio tiiii.xitiiittii cflic:icitc:y ol‘ tlic Aristololiati it1cii.s: “liiliiilioii”
a.tI cl “N al.ii ra.l” .
References
[I] Z.Fazarinc, “Coiiipuler siiiiulalioii ill pliysics”, IEEE Polewlials, April 1990, pp. 30-33.
[Z] 1).Muller, L. Mariaux, A. Nicolas, “A Coii~puleraided Education Environment used iii
leacliiiig llie siiiglc pliasc bridgc rcctilicr,” EAIKElE, Mullimcdia und Cumpuler Ibols:
the future f o r Engziieering, Prague, Sept. 1993, pp. 77-81.
[3] S. Papert, “Mind storms, Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas,” Basic Books, 1980.
[4] P. Ware, “Type de personnalite et plan therapeutique,” Actualite‘ e a Analyse Traiisac-
lionaelle, 1981, 4, pp264-273.
[5] C.M. O’Grady, M.J. Cuniiingham, “The effectiveness of CAL in Electrical Engineer-
ing Courses,’’ EAIEEIE, Mullitiiedia and Coinputer Tools: the future for Eiigiiiceriiig,
Prague, Sept. 1993, pi). 74-70.
491