X-TEC: TECHNO-DIDACTICAL EXTENSION FOR

INSTRUCTION/LEARNING BASED ON COMPUTER

A New Development Model for Educational Software

Paula Escudeiro

Departamento de Engenharia Informática,

Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Portugal

José Bidarra

Departamento de Ciências Exactas e Tecnologia,

Universidade Aberta, Lisboa Portugal

Keywords: Computer based learning, educational software development, instructional design, learning environment.

Abstract: In this paper we propose a new development model for Educational Software called X-TEC. It is based on

the paradigms of software engineering applied to the construction of educational software. This model

allows educational software developers to reduce the gap between instructional design and technical

development. Our approach presents two overlapping extensions: the instructional model and the learning

environment. The instructional model will be related to the instructor/educational software and the learning

environment will be associated with the student/educational software. The X-TEC model promotes the

interaction between these two extensions, allowing the deployment of a common development platform

1 INTRODUCTION

In general, educational software is based on

development methodologies or methodological

approaches, concerned fundamentally with processes

or data. Its lifecycle is supported on two different

and independent stages: instructional design and

technical development.

The gap between the typical skills and

terminologies of these two stages usually leads to a

problem: the final product is far away from the

initial requirements proposed by the author.

Consequently, these approaches usually imply the

high risk of obtaining low quality products.

In this work, we analyze some of the existing

structured methodologies, such as (Yourdon, 1998) )

and object oriented methodologies (Booch, 1991)

(Coad and Yourdon, 1991), (Jacobson, 1992),

(Rumbaugh, 1994).

This study led us to conclude that although object

oriented approaches seem to be more adequate than

structured approaches, they still fall short of solving

the above mentioned gap between instructional

design and technical development. We argue that

there is a need for a new model focused on results.

This orientation is very important due to the high

quality demand placed upon educational systems.

We found different methodological approaches

proposed by different authors but none of them

seems to fill the required quality patterns. The X-

TEC model tries to solve this problem.

The process of creating this model is supported by

the software engineering paradigm proposed by

Pressman.

325

Escudeiro P. and Bidarra J. (2006).

X-TEC: TECHNO-DIDACTICAL EXTENSION FOR INSTRUCTION/LEARNING BASED ON COMPUTER - A New Development Model for Educational

Software.

In Proceedings of WEBIST 2006 - Second International Conference on Web Information Systems and Technologies - Society, e-Business and

e-Government / e-Learning, pages 325-331

DOI: 10.5220/0001247503250331

 SciTePress

2 CONCEPTUAL MODEL

The X-TEC model presents two overlapping

extensions: instructional model and learning

environment. This model promotes an interaction

between these two extensions, allowing the

deployment of a common development platform,

represented in fig. 1.

This platform has quality factors settled on a

multifaceted conception described by a set of

internal and external factors.

The X-TEC lifecycle is mainly supported on three

major activities:

Cognitive (Knowledge) - mental skills where the

brain must be used to perform intellectual tasks.

Affective (Attitude) - best described as making a

commitment - just because we know something, it

does not mean we will act upon it.

Psychomotor (Skills) - physical skills where the

body must coordinate muscular activities (some are

minor, such as turning a dial with your fingers).

X-TEC model should leverage the educator’s

creativity and make possible a better vision of

Information Technology on Educational Systems,

guaranteeing a new related perspective which is

represented in the following structure:

Idea;

Objectives (target id; support materials; instruction;

evaluation);

Didactics strategies id (based on Allessi Trolip

strategies);

Planning (activities chronogram);

Cost/benefit estimate;

Requirement analysis (functional and non

functional-implementation feasibility; development

model; metaphor id; actor’s id; action table;

educational software architecture; educational

software; system analysis and framing);

Implementation (data base structure id; relational

data model; interaction diagram; screen architecture;

key screen; dialogue id; educational software

prototype);

Educational software evaluation (creation of a

method to evaluate the educational software quality)

Idea

Goals

Instructional

Strategies

Requirements

Funcional

Non Funcional

lem en ta tion

Evaluation

“A lessi Tro llip”

Inteaction

Diagram; ER;

Funtiona l

Diagram; Key

Screen; Dialog

Tecnhi

ues

E ntities;

Use Case;

A ctio n

table

Simply

Common

D ev elopm ent

Platform

Performance

Learning

Activities

Learning

Profiles

“Contemts support”

Bidarra 2005

Mediatize

Interaction

Contents

Didactics

Technolog

Active

Reflexive

Abstracted

pragmatic

Figure 1: The X-TEC conceptual model.

WEBIST 2006 - E-LEARNING

326

3 INTERVENING

The development team proposed on X-TEC model is

composed by three elements: Educational System

Annalist (ESA)/Content Specialists (CS) and

Informatics Specialists (IS).

During the development phase a new element may

come by: Designer/Audio visual Consulter (AVC).

The role of the development team is organized as

follows:

ESA/CS - Prototype developer

IS to Implement explicit messages from educational

software scenario.

AVC to Implement implicit messages from scenario.

Implicit messages: trigger student’s reactions; for

instance, color, object screen positioning, scenario

presentation, images, sound, moving arrow around

screen.

Implicit messages: trigger student’s reactions; for

instance, color, object screen positioning, scenario

presentation, images, sound, moving arrow around

screen.

Explicit messages: sent by the program and

explicitly activated by the student; for instance,

menu options.

The consistent use of implicit messages as a

complement of explicit messages will enable a better

interaction between the student and the educator and

between these and the educational software.

4 ACTORS

The main actors on X-TEC model are the student,

the program and the educator as shown in fig. 2.

X-TEC

Educational

Software

Student

Educator

Figure 2: X-TEC main actors.

Student: uses the educational software for learning

the subjects. The students choose the learning

environment adapted to their personal

characteristics. They should be in control of the

system.

Educator: is the educational system supervisor.

Educational Software: is the knowledge detainer and

adviser.

The X-TEC model will be responsible for giving

guidelines, controlling the process phases to allow

for a better contribution of these intervenient in an

evolutive perspective of the process of creating a

quality learning environment.

5 LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

The activity learning net proposed by Bidarra

“Contempt’s Construction Support”, (Bidarra 2005),

is shown through the construction matrix where we

can identify four learning profiles (based on Kolb):

active; reflexive; abstracted; pragmatic.

These learning profiles allow us to fit in two main

methods for presenting instructional content

“Simulations and the Future of Learning: An

Innovative (and perhaps Revolutionary) Approach to

e-Learning, Clark Aldrich”: deductive and inductive.

Deductive: allows the learners to work from general

information to examples.

Inductive: supplies examples and requires learners to

generalize common patterns.

X-TEC: TECHNO-DIDACTICAL EXTENSION FOR INSTRUCTION/LEARNING BASED ON COMPUTER - A New

Development Model for Educational Software

327

In addition, there are two main approaches for

helping learners to learn: inquisitory and expository.

Inquisitory: allows the learners to find their

examples or general information.

Expository: supplies examples and general

information.

The learning environment on X-TEC model is based

on blended learning (fig. 3).

The term blended learning is used to describe a

solution that combines several different delivery

methods, such as web-based courses and knowledge

management practices. It is used to describe learning

that mixes various event-based activities, including

face-to-face classrooms, live e-learning, and self-

placed learning. “Learning circuits- American

Society for Training & Development”

Distance

Learning

Traditional

Learning

lended Learnin

Figure 3: The X-TEC learning environment.

Learning theories of Keller, Gagné, Bloom, Merrill,

Clark and Gery identify five important elements

emerging from a blended process (fig 4).

Live Events: Synchronous, instructor-led learning

events in which all learners participate at the same

time, such as in a live “virtual classroom.”

Self-Paced Learning: Learning experiences that the

learner completes individually, at his own

space/rythm and in his own time, such as interactive,

Internet-based or CD-ROM training.

Collaboration: Environments in which learners

communicate with others, for example, e-mail,

threaded discussions or online chat.

Assessment: A measure of learners’ knowledge. Pre-

assessments can come before live or self-paced

events to determine prior knowledge, and post-

assessments can occur after live or self-paced

learning events to measure learning transfer.

Performance Support Materials: On-the-job

reference materials that enhance learning retention

and transfer, including PDA downloads and

printable references, summaries and job aids.

Figure 4: The X-TEC blended process.

6 EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

ARCHITECTURE

The X-TEC model is supported by a three tiered

architecture (Eckerson 95): User Interface, Rules

and Information Repository, according to fig.5.

The three tier architecture is used to provide

increased performance, flexibility, maintainability,

reusability and scalability while hiding the

complexity of distributed processing from the end

user.

1st Tier: Interface

It is related with the scenario identification,

synchronous and asynchronous communication

technologies and implicit and explicit messages.

This following elements act on this tier: Educational

Software; Content Specialist’s and Designers.

2nd Tier: Rules

It is related with the virtual abstracted organization

of the content.

WEBIST 2006 - E-LEARNING

328

The intervenient on the Rules tier is: ILMS –

Instruction/Learning Management System.

3rd Tier: Information Repository

It will allow for all the contents, rules and interface

specifications being stored on a warehousing

platform.

The intervenient is: Data Base Management

Functionality.

In the initial development of X-TEC model we have

adopted the instructional strategies defined by Alessi

and Trolip, “Computer Based Instruction: Methods

and Development” Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood

Cliffs, New Jersey, USA. 1985. The instructional

strategies are tutorials, drills, tests, simulation, and

educational games.

The ESA has to fit the educational software in one

of these didactical strategies. This identification will

enable the classification of the educational software

into two classes: consultation (class 1) and

evaluation (class 2).

The definition of these two main groups obeying

specific orientation guides conducts the ESA to

choose a learning strategy (learning alone or

learning by retroaction) for the educational software.

The ESA plays the role of moderator between the

student and the educational software in this learning

process.

The ESA should easily be able to evaluate the

student learning process, appealing when needed to

the information stored in the educational software

database.

Three tier architectures facilitate educational

software development because each tier can be built

and executed on a separated platform, thus making it

easier to organize the implementation.

Interface

Rules

ILMS – Instruction/Learning

Management System

Information Repository

Test

Class

Contempt’s

Tests Result

Blended

Development

True/False

Multiple Choice

Figure 5: The X-TEC architecture.

X-TEC: TECHNO-DIDACTICAL EXTENSION FOR INSTRUCTION/LEARNING BASED ON COMPUTER - A New

Development Model for Educational Software

329

7 QUALITY FACTORS

X-TEC model is supported by software engineering

goals, principles and actions (Pressman, 2001),

(Bates, 2000). In particular, the model is appraised

for:

Reusability: How well the model is suited to create,

as well as incorporate, reusable components into its

execution.

Testability: Each stage deliverables are evaluated to

specify how well they are suited for use in a testing

process.

Modifiability: The degree to which the educational

software product generated using the model is

evaluated. In particular, it is determined the degree

of object coupling allowed in the model. If the

degree allowed of coupling is unconstrained, then

the method provides poor modifiability.

Conceptual Integrity: Conceptual integrity is a

measure of degree to which the models remain true

to the concept of “objects”.

Access: How accessible is a particular technology

for learners? How flexible is it for a particular target

group?

Cost: What is the cost structure of each technology?

What is the unit cost per student?

Teaching and Learning: What kinds of learning are

needed? What instructional approaches will best

meet these needs? What are the best technologies

supporting this teaching and learning process?

Interactivity and user-friendliness: What kind of

interaction does this technology enable? How easy is

it to be used?

Organization and user-friendliness: What are the

organizational requirements and the barriers to be

removed before this technology can be used

successfully? What changes in organization need to

be made?

Novelty: How new is this technology?

Speed: How quickly can courses be mounted with

this technology? How quickly can materials be

changed?

8 CONCLUSION

This study is the first step towards creating a model

for the development of educational materials based

on results.

It is our ultimate goal to train a workforce of

talented educational designers, equipped with the

fundamental skills to effectively undertake any

problem in educational systems design.

We will go in depth with the process of creating a

model that allows developers of educational

software to reduce the gap between instructional

design and technical development.

Tacit knowledge, or the knowledge held by people

in their brains, is fed mainly by two streams: training

and experience. We believe it could be an interesting

research to track the training and experience of the

present online developers of educational software in

order to check if their background corresponds to the

necessary profile of the knowledge holder and

manager. Indeed, and besides training and

experience, the profile should also include social and

economics variables.

REFERENCES

Allesi, S. e Trollip 1985. S. Computer Based Instruction:

Methods and Development, Prentice Hall, Inc.

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA, 1985

Bates Tony, 2000. A. W. Tony Managing Technological

Change: Strategies for College and University

Leaders. San Francisco, 2000

BloomBertram B. Mesia, and David R. Krathwohl, 1964.

Bloom B. S. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives,:

The Affective Domain & The Cognitive Domain. New

York: David McKay Co Inc.

Booch, 1994. G. Booch, Object Oriented Analysis and

Design With Applications, Second Edition,

Benjamin/Cummings, Menlo Park, Califórnia, 1994.

Clark, RE Media will never influence learning.

Educational Technology Research and Development

Clark 1994, Gery, 1994. Gery, GJ Making CBT happen.

Boston: Weingarten.

Coad and Yordon, 1991. P. Coad and E. Yourdon, OOA –

Object Oriented Analysis, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall,

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1991

Crossley, K. e Green. Le Design des Didacticiels: Guide

Pratique pour la Conception de Scénarios

Pédagigiques Interactifs. ACL-Editions, Paris France

1990

Eckerson 95. Eckerson, Wayne W. "Three Tier

Client/Server Architecture: Achieving Scalability,

WEBIST 2006 - E-LEARNING

330

Performance, and Efficiency in Client Server

Applications." Open Information Systems 10, 1

(January 1995): 3(20).

Gagné, 1996. Gagné, Robert M. and Medsker, Karen L.

(1996). The Conditions of Learning Training

Applications. Florida: Harcourt Brace & Company.

Jacobson, 1992. Jacobson, Object Oriented Systems

Engineering, Addison-Wesley, 1992.

Keller/Back 2004. Keller, M.; Back, A.: Blended-

Learning-Projekte im Unternehmen, Learning Center

der Universität St. Gallen, St. Gallen, 2004

Merrill, 1981. Merrill, M.D., Kowallis, T., & Wilson, B.G.

Instructional design in transition. In F. Farley & N.

Gordon (Eds.), Psychology and education: The state of

union

Minken, I., Stenseth, B. E Vavik L., 1998. Educational

Software. ULTIMA-Gruppen A/S, Haden, Norway,

1998

Pressman Roger S., 2001. Pressman, Roger S. Software

Engineering a Practitioner’s Approach, 5 th Edition,

McGraw-Hill Companies Inc, 2001

Purinima Valiathan, 2005. ASTD-Linking People,

Learning & Performance. Learning circuits- American

Society for Training & Development

Rumbaugh et al, 1991. J. Rumbaugh, M. Blaha, W.

Premerlani, F. Eddy, and W. Lorensen, Object

Oriented Modeling and Design, Prentice Hall,

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1991.

Yourdon, 1998. E. Yourdon, Managing the System Life

Cycle, 2nd Edition, Yourdon Press/prentice Hall,

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1998.

X-TEC: TECHNO-DIDACTICAL EXTENSION FOR INSTRUCTION/LEARNING BASED ON COMPUTER - A New

Development Model for Educational Software

331