Abstract:

Whenever developers design tools for e-learning (i.e. Learning Management Systems (LMS), Personal Learning Environments (PLE), web portals), network theories as well as didactic concepts play an important role in the design process. Social ideas of web 2.0 offer huge possibilities for implementing social or knowledge networks, user generated content etc. Unfortunately, users or rather, learners and their needs, are, to a large extent, only weakly, or even not at all involved in the design process. On the other hand, informal learning becomes more and more important, especially in the framework of higher education and business enterprises where lifelong learning is one of the most up-to-date future trends. Informal learning, however, by its definition, exceeds common borders of formal curricular learning. Usually, it implies self-guided and self-directed forms of learning where learners search for information or solutions concerning their recent ongoing work challenges. Consequently, tools and learning environments for informal learning need to be designed in a way that enables learners to extend their knowledge in reasonable time and with reasonable effort. Therefore, they need not only to be designed for intuitive use. They need to be designed like learners use them. To meet these demands, learners should be involved in the process of designing and implementation from the very beginning. Approaches like designing of prototypes, collaborative design and so on are well known methods. They are available in the same way as technical solutions or methods of quality management and quality enhancement. Unfortunately, they are rarely combined in a holistic and interdisciplinary course of action.
Using an example of an e-learning web portal (http://sugi.d-grid.de/), developed for informal training in e-business and e-science within the German Grid Community (D-Grid), we will show how we merged these approaches of a scaffolded prototype design and collaborative design involving users from scratch. The complete process of design and implementation was further conducted by a holistic concept of feedback-driven quality management and quality enhancement where learners’ needs played a major role. The question of how to unite recent constructivist learning theories with intuitive usability by an exhaustive consideration of learners’ demands and the complex and particular situation of informal learning in a scientific high quality context to develop a lean and intuitively usable system, was a central issue. In our presentation and paper, we will introduce our approach and summarize results and in particular experiences from our work.

Keywords:

SuGI, e-learning, e-science, e-business, informal learning, tool design, prototype.