Abstract:

Process orientation has been successfully implemented in different subject areas like e.g. corporate management, logistics, IT service management, software development. Also in the context of technology enhanced learning process orientation has currently attracted attention ([1], [4]). Clear parallels have successfully been identified between business processes and e-learning processes ([1], [2], [4]). Still, process orientation in e-learning has not been treated in a way that learners, instructors and learning platform implementers can easily profit from the wide range of the potentials of learning process management (e.g. increase in learning and learning design effectiveness and efficiency, learning environment adaptation).
In this paper we demonstrate that the interdisciplinary field of process orientation in e-learning is likely to benefit from structured process modelling frameworks which deal with three different categories of processes: learning, moderation and support processes (the latter includes not learning related activities like providing the learning platform and help with technical problems). The paper focuses on the first two process categories.
Hirumi ([3]) has developed a framework for sequencing e-learning interactions based on a grounded approach. We combined this approach with our method derived from the field of business management, process analysis.
A special focus is to which extent the order of process steps matters or does not matter, e.g. in terms of task comprehensibility. Dealing with relevant process analysis techniques we introduce process mining of e-learning processes as a method recently discussed in literature. It provides considerable possibilities to learn about the complex field of e-learning processes.
Sequencing recommendations of learning tasks -similar to supplying checklists to improve e-learning processes- is a common approach similar to designing process models. The difference between simple sequencing of learning activity recommendations and designing the learning process -as in our approach- is that we strictly apply process modelling rules and best practices in process design. That means, e.g. that prior knowledge recall and contextualisation is decomposed into atomic activity steps which are attributed to the role in question. Considering this restriction helps to develop detailed optimisation strategies for the respective processes.
We gathered implications from learning theory, instructional design and educational technology research. The implications are categorised by core affected roles involved in the e-learning process- that is learners, instructors and implementers. Consequently, by helping to prioritise factors and complement implications when adapting to more specified process requirements, our framework is supposed to contribute to the scientific discussion in the field of process orientation in technology enhanced learning environments.

References:
[1] Bergenthum et al. (2008). Learnflow Mining....
[2] Frosch-Wilke et al. (2008). Evolutionary Design of Collaborative Learning Processes through Reflective Petri Nets ...
[3] Hirumi, A. (2002). The Design and Sequencing of eLearning Interactions: A Grounded Approach....
[4] Holzhüter, M. et al. (2010). Discussion of the benefit potentials of process mining for e-learning processes....

Keywords:

Process analysis, e-learning processes, adaptation, process mining, process design.