Creative multimodal information spaces for problem-based learning
Principal Investigator: Andri Ioannou
Programme: Bilateral Cooperation: Cyprus – Slovenia
Research Staff: Christina Vasiliou
Total Funding: €25,000
Funding to the Lab: €25,000
Funding Source: Research Promotion Foundation, European Regional Development Fund (ΔΙΑΚΡΑΤΙΚΕΣ/ΚΥ-ΣΛΟ/0411)
Duration: 2 years (15/03/2012- 14/02/2014)
Partners:
• Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) – Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts
Research team: Andri Ioannou (Coordinator) and Panayiotis Zaphiris
• Institute “Jozef Stefan” (IJS) – Laboratory for Open Systems and Networks
Research team: Tanja Arh, Tomaž Klobučar and Matija Pipan
Project Summary:
Problem based learning (PBL) pedagogy aims to provide context-rich academic situations where students can work together and demonstrate authentic application of knowledge. This project seeks to address a recurrent problem in higher education related to the implementation of PBL pedagogy — that students are often disengaged from active collaboration, fertile discussion, physical interaction around emerging group artifacts, and reflection. The success of PBL implementation depends on both the selection of learning activities and development of appropriate infrastructure, that is, learning spaces in which the activities can take place. Yet, the technologies often comprising the PBL learning space in the university classroom (e.g., projector, laptops, vertical smartboard) and the way they are being used by instructors and learners, seem to hinder the successful implementation of PBL. This research project joins forces between two European research institutions (CUT and JSI) to develop and deliver a framework comprising the construction of creative, multi-modal information spaces ideal for the implementation of PBL in the university classroom. The project has the potential to revolutionize the practice of PBL in higher education, helping instructors to successfully implement PBL pedagogy and allowing learners to be more engaged in the process of problem solving. Ultimately, the project will contribute to the existing body of knowledge in the fields of HCI, technology-enhanced learning, CSCL/CSCW and related fields.
This project is funded by the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation (DESMI 2009-2010) and the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS), under the “Bilateral Cooperation” between Cyprus and Slovenia (ΔΙΑΚΡΑΤΙΚΕΣ/ΚΥ-ΣΛΟ/0411).