open LCMS – DELFI 2021 Workshop

A user-model for a next generation Learning Management System

31. August 2021, Gerd Kortemeyer, ETHZ

Currently, learner data are highly distributed and duplicated: Academic records are traditionally held by the respective institutions that the learner attended. Within those institutions, some data are in institution-wide databases, while other data are stored in particular learning platforms like course management systems and frequently associated with particular courses. 

Leaners usually receive paper copies of their certified transcripts (showing earned course credits) and degrees, and they need to make photocopies or scans of those documents to transmit their credentials to other institutions or potential employers.  Not surprisingly, fraud abounds, particularly in an increasingly global education and work space. 

Learners leave behind a breadcrumb trail of educational data across platforms and institutions, over which they have very little control, and often they cannot even access it – the user lacks sovereignty. An alternative view would be to see the learner’s educational experience as one contiguous, lifelong journey, and that data gathered along the way gets added to one continuous transcript (“ledger”) of achievements, credits, certifications, and degrees.

Also along the way, learning analytics data builds up, which could enable learners to take better advantage of each station along their educational journey. While a perfect human tutor or mentor would accompany a learner over an extended amount of time and get to know him or her, the status quo is that any kind of AI-mentor would be rather scatter-brained and frequently suffering from memory-loss. 

The result of the status quo is a lack of verifiability, coherence, and personal, user-centric data sovereignty (“data self-sovereignty”) of educational data. The workshop will explore next generation user models to support migrant learners who move from educational experience to educational experience.

Workshop programme

The workshop will be carried out online with English as working language to allow broad participation. We will use WebEx provided Dortmund  University of Applied Science as conference tool. Each contribution consists of approximately 30 minutes presentation plus 15 minutes discussion.

Registration

Please register via email to Gerd Kortemeyer, gerd.kortemeyer@let.etzh.ch and also with DELFI – registering only for the workshop day is free of charge.

We will need both registrations, since DELFI does not provide registration for individual workshops.