Currently I am a researcher at Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science Laboratory (LIACC), led by Professor Eugénio Oliveira and a PhD student at Engineering Faculty of Porto University (FEUP) in the ProDEI program, supervised by Professor Francisco José Restivo.

My topic and working title thesis is:

Adaptive Learning Environments with Knowledge Representation and Social Interaction

 

Synthesis:

My research area is on E-Learning with particular interest on Social Networks usage (Web 2.0) in high school contexts. At present I am doing research about adaptive and personalised learning.

Previously I have been looking at the issues of Interoperability, integrating two types of web-based systems: Social Networking Hi5 with LMS Moodle.

Also Usability and Knowledge representation are core issues on my research, but for the time being were not deeply developed.

 

Approach Method:

I did a state-of -art survey about Pedagogy models and learning educational approaches that could be interesting to mention when developing E-Learning systems. For instances the Connectivism theory or the Social Constructivism emphasize the importance social interaction and context in constructing knowledge. Some contemporary theories like the theories of Vygotsky and Bruner, and Bandura's social cognitive theory also reinforce the perspective of learning as a dynamic and social process.

However E-Learning has also evolved to E-Learning 2.0, where Stephen Downes, Steve Wheeler  claim for a more participative learning environment and Graham Attwell emphasis Personal Learning Environments (PLE).

But how web sites like MySpace, Facebook, Hi5, Plaxo, or others even with 3D features, such as Second Life, ActiveWorlds, The Sims Online, might improve the social phenomena of learning at school? And How to improve learner's involvement, participation and motivation levels at school?

I believe technologies can be used in learning environments in order to increase and enhance the learning experience. Therefore I have been studying, using and analysing some Web 2.0 social software tools, which might allow students to interact more and share data with other learners. However for learning to effectively happen, teacher's contributions should also be taken into account but changing the teacher role into tutor and still scaffolding the learner's quest.

 

Activities:

* In 2007 I used an interesting software Social tool Ning in a school context. It is available at ESGondomar, but it is in Portuguese. I published at the Web 2.0 meeting some results about its usage.

* In 2008 I have drawn a conceptual framework where students should use their social network, usually Hi5 supported, and engage them in learning activities triggered by the teacher or even any other learner.

* In 2008/09 I was involved in another project called L-Escola, where teachers have been using a Wiki tool to increase the collaboration and interaction levels with their students. It is available at wiki.l-escola, but it is in Portuguese.

* 2009 I am implementing a "social software" gadget based on OpenSocial to enable integration with Hi5 with Moodle activities.

Current Research effort:

I am now trying to add some adaptability to the gadget, in order to bring some artificial intelligence into the learning system.  I have been looking at heuristic or logical  rules  which might approach the human behaviour of learning process. This is truly a dauting task but I am trying to push forward my research into innovative applications of Artificial Intelligence.

 

Conclusion remarks:

Considering that knowledge and its transfer is ubiquitous, or social algorithms have unpredictable variables, and the social paradigm, with an egalitarian and meritocratic bottom up approach, is not usual at high schools, brings some additonal difficulties in our project evaluation. However the goal of our research is only to evaluate, in a real context, the interoperability between Social Networks with LMS, where distinct agents (students, teachers from a particular class) interact on a web based environment and decrease the error predicted in the learning process.

In orther to anchor this research work there is the L-Tree Web site, where it is expectable, in a near future, to be used by learners with their peers, scaffolded by their teachers. Today in the web site one can read a short description what it is going to be the L-Tree tool.

Also I created my blogspot Web2learn.blogspot.com where I put my ideas, my thoughts or even some interesting links or planned activities.

If you are interested in additional information please contact me.

See also My:

Moodle place , one Site I developed for teaching support, my Hi5 page , my LinkedIn page, my Personnal web site , my Youtube page or my Short CV

 

 

 

Contact details:

Eng. Joaquim Fernando Silva
Address: Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science Laboratory (LIACC )

Informatic Engineering Department (DEI)
Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto (FEUP)
Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, S/N
4200-465 Porto PORTUGAL
Room: I 120
Phone: +351 22 508 1566 ext. 1314
M-phone:+351 91 7465092
skype: jffsilva
E-mail: Joaquim.silva@fe.up.pt

 

Since April 1, 2007

Page Last change: March 10, 2009

©2007-2009 Joaquim Silva