GRIDCOLE: a Grid Collaborative Learning

Environment

M.L. Bote-Lorenzo, L.M. Vaquero-González, G. Vega-Gorgojo, J.I. Asensio-Pérez, E. Gómez-Sánchez, Y.A.

Dimitriadis University of Valladolid, Spain

CLAG 2004

2

Index

1. Collaborative Learning Systems2. Gridcole

a. Approachb. Functionalityc. Implementation

3. Sample Collaborative Learning Scenario4. Conclusions and Future work

3

Index

1. Collaborative Learning Systems2. Gridcole

a. Approachb. Functionalityc. Implementation

3. Sample Collaborative Learning Scenario4. Conclusions and Future work

4

Collaborative Learning Systems

Provide an environment with suitable tools in order to support a given collaborative learning scenario

E.g: C-CHENE Promotes learning of concepts related to energy in

physics Provides a free chat, a structured chat, and a

collaborative energy chain editor CSCL researchers have developed many Collaborative

Learning System

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Drawbacks of most CLSs Lack of tailorability

A tailorable CLS enables easy integration of suitable tools within a single environment in order to support a given collaborative learning scenario

E.g: DARE, Symba Use of tools requiring supercomputing capabilities is not

allowed Needed in many natural sciences and medical areas E.g: weather forecasting (CoVis Collaboratory)

Use of tools requiring specific hardware resources not allowed Employed in many collaborative learning scenarios E.g: integration of seismographic sensors (Coldex Project)

Interpretation of collaboration scripts not allowed Script interpretation enhances the effectiveness of learning E.g: COW, Coppercore

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Gridcole

A new CLS that aims to overcome the drawbacks of current systems

Based on two standards IMS Learning Design (IMS-LD)

Enables formal description of teaching-learning processes Open Grid Services Architecture (OGSA)

Defines a service-oriented structure for grid computing environments

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Index

1. Collaborative Learning Systems2. Gridcole

a. Approachb. Functionalityc. Implementation

3. Sample Collaborative Learning Scenario4. Conclusions and Future work

8

Gridcole Technologies OGSA-based grids

Service-oriented architecture Enable transparent access to:

Large amounts of computing power Specific hardware resources

IMS-LD documents Describe a learning scenario

Roles to be played by each participant Sequence of learning activities to be performed by each role Tools and documents that support each activity

Supports a wide range of pedagogies Can be applied to collaborative learning

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Gridcole Approach

OGSA-based grid used as a pool of tools Tools not limited in supercomputing or specific hardware

needs Tools without such needs can also be employed

IMS-LD documents employed as: A tailoring script describing the tools to be integrated A collaboration script to be interpreted in order to

structure interactions between students

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Suitability of Approach

CSCL problems OGSA IMS-LD

Difficult integration

Defines a set of conventions and uniform

semantics

-

Scarce reuse High-level building blocksfit educator’s mental

model

Promotes learning design reuse and thus tool reuse

Technification Service provider in charge of deployment and set-up

Authoring tools enable easy edition of IMS-LD

documents

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Index

1. Collaborative Learning Systems2. Gridcole

a. Approachb. Functionalityc. Implementation

3. Sample Collaborative Learning Scenario4. Conclusions and Future work

12

Tailoring Educators can tailor Gridcole providing an IMS-LD

document The system follows IMS-LD document to find tools in a

grid Educator can choose between different tool

implementations

E d u c ato rG rid c o le

1. S tore IM S -L D doc um e nt

2 . S e le c t IM S -L D doc um e nt

4 . S e le c t tools3 . S e a rc h too ls

O G S A -b a s e d grid5. L is t o f pa r tic ipa nts

6 . S ta r t e xe c ution

S tu d e n t

7. J o in e xe c utionT o o l A

T o o l B

T o o l D

T o o l C

T o o l E

T o o l F

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Support Gridcole supports the scenario following the IMS-LD document

The sequence of activities to be carried out by each student is determined

A personalized desktop is provided for each activity Desktop enables the use of grid service tools through graphical

interface panes

S tu de n t 1

D es k to p

O G S A -b a s e d grid

T o o l A

T o o l F

T o o l C

P an e A P an e F

S tu de n t 2

D es k to p

P an e A P an e C

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Index

1. Collaborative Learning Systems2. Gridcole

a. Approachb. Functionalityc. Implementation

3. Sample Collaborative Learning Scenario4. Conclusions and Future work

15

Architecture

Learning Flow

Engine

Index Service

Tool Grid Services

Index Service

Content Documents

Application

Web Browser

Service Clients

Document Browsers

Application

Client

Learning Object Index Service

Learning Design Repository

User Database

Tool Searcher

Service Clients

Document Browsers

User computers Gridcole computational resources

Third-party computational resources

Web Browsers

Web Portal

Learning Flow

Engine

Index Service

Tool Grid Services

Index Service

Content Documents

Applications

Application Desktops

Tool Index Service

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Prototype Gridcole is currently under development using GT3

and Java A first prototype has been built

Shows the feasibility of our system

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Index

1. Collaborative Learning Systems2. Gridcole

a. Approachb. Functionalityc. Implementation

3. Sample Collaborative Learning Scenario4. Conclusions and Future work

18

Educational context Course on Computer Architecture for undergraduate

students Organized around a design project (three subprojects) Groups of four pairs collaboratively play the role of

consultants Have to advise a given customer on a computing solution

(machine, operating system, software, etc) The scenario applies for the first subproject, with clear

learning objectives: Contents:

Learn how to use benchmarks Get a quantitative impression on a few real machines

Skills: Interpreting and selecting information Arguing Taking compromise solutions

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Scenario outline

O rganiz e in groups S upervis e organiz at ion

S tudy c us tom er needs C larify c us tom er needs

M odel c om putat ional load

W eight ing benc hm ark s

D is t ribute m ac hines

E x ec ute benc hm ark s

Debate

L e a rn e rs Ed u ca to r Designed by course teachers Learning activities

Model customer’s presumed computational load

Test real machines using benchmarks

Debate best solution for customer Tools

Collaborative: group formation, concept map, task assignment, debate…

Non-collaborative: text editor, … Specific hardware needs:

benchmarking tool, …

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Scenario realization Gridcole support will be evaluated from educational

point of view next fall semester Tools offered in a grid shared by three Universities

A limited version of this scenario has been realized using Gridcole prototype

Includes four activities Employs three tools

Collaborative taskassignment tool Benchmarking tool Chat tool

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Index

1. Collaborative Learning Systems2. Gridcole

a. Approachb. Functionalityc. Implementation

3. Sample Collaborative Learning Scenario4. Conclusions and Future work

22

Conclusions Tailoring, scripting, supercomputing

capabilities, and specific resources are not supported by most CLS

IMS-LD and OGSA technologies can be combined to address these issues

Gridcole is a new CLS that builds upon IMS-LD and OGSA

Gridcole can provide valuable support in real collaborative learning scenarios

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Future Work

Complete development of Gridcole

Evaluation from educational point of view

Characterization of tool services using the Learning Object Management (LOM) standard

QoS provision

GRIDCOLE: a Grid Collaborative Learning

Environment

M.L. Bote-Lorenzo, L.M. Vaquero-González, G. Vega-Gorgojo, J.I. Asensio-Pérez, E. Gómez-Sánchez, Y.A.

Dimitriadis University of Valladolid, Spain

CLAG 2004