Implementation

Topolor 3 is implemented by applying PHP, HTML, CSS, SQL and JavaScript and is built on the Yii Framework (http://yiiframework.com) as Topolot 2 was. Topolor 3 has been implemented in order to meet the system requirements proposed by the learners, as defined in section 5.3.Table 20 presents the extent of the modifications made to Topolor 2 to arrive at Topolor 3, specifically concentrating on collaborative learning aspects.

102 Table 20: Overview of Topolor 2 and Topolor 3 systems

Course Tool Description Topolor2 Topolor3

1. Take tests  Take tests after learning a topic.

X X

2. Learning progress

 View learning progress in percentage.

X X

3. Learning path.  Choose to view the whole or partial learning path.

X X

4. Create groups  Create groups that are registered for the same topic.  Create groups that share

common learning interests.

X X

5. Discuss  Discuss the current learning topic with other students.

X X

6. Ask/answer  Ask and answer questions of other students.

X X

7. Feedback  Use the feedback &

questions forum at the end of each lesson.

X X

8. Share materials  Share and/or recommend learning materials.

X X

9. Communicatio n tools

 Use communication tools to chat and leave messages.

X X

10. Comments  Write comments/notions wherever and whenever wanted.

X X

11. View history  View history discussion when selecting a particular topic.

103 12. Recommend

topics

 Recommend other topics according to current learning topic. Recommend topics according to student’s knowledge level. X X 13. Adapt learning path

 Adapt learning path according to learning progress.

X X

14. Recommend students

 Recommend other students according to the current topic.

X X

15. Project instance

 It is composed of multiple ideas for projects related to Java Script, with defines skills for each idea that enables personalised matching between students and ideas. Each project idea has one or more resources, to help in improving the students’ knowledge about the project. A project is recommended to students according to their skills, knowledge level and interested.

X

16. Taking a Test for project topic

 Each project has a quiz to assess students’ knowledge,

104 in order to recommend a project topic according to the student’s knowledge level. If a student’s knowledge is less than 40%, it is recommended to them to study the

resources related to the project and repeat the quiz afterwards, to ensure that the knowledge has been updated, prior to joining the group or selecting another project that has enables skills.

17. Recommended Students

 Group members are recommended for a given project, from among registered students, based on their profile. Students can easily select the members of their group that is relevant to them, according to their characteristics from their learner profiles.

X

18. Start Group

 Students self-define group membership based on recommendations about the students’ characteristics from the learners’ profiles. Group members can be added by inviting them with a

105 description related to the project and then the invitee can accept or reject the invite.

19. Task Project Management

 It contains different featured tasks that allow for students to create tasks, edit, delete and view list of student tasks. Tasks are

recommended to students according to the task style: whether the students are verbal or visual - as obtained from a personality test. a task project management tool has been implemented, to help students plan and organise project groups.

X

20. Chat group

 This is a communication tool privately used by a group project and any member of the group can check the history of the discussions at any time.

Recommendations for the communication tools are provided in Topolor 3, to improve communication among the group members and other groups. The system

106 monitors user contribution and updates user models. Then, student participation can be identified.

21. Translation

 Translation from English to other languages such as Arabic.

X

As shown in Figure 13, a Project instance is composed of multiple ideas for projects related to Java Script, with defined skills for each idea that enable personalised matching between students and ideas. Each project idea has one or more resources, to help in improving the students’ knowledge about the project. A project is recommended to students according to their skills, knowledge level and interested.

Taking a Test: Each project has a quiz to assess students’ knowledge, in order to recommend a project topic according to the student’s knowledge level. If a student’s knowledge is less than 40%, it is recommended to them to study the resources related to the project and repeat the quiz afterwards, to ensure that the knowledge has been updated, prior to joining the group or selecting another project that has different skills (see Figure 13).

107 Figure 13: Project Ideas and Taking a Test

Recommended Students: Group members are recommended according to registered students in the same project with their profile (e.g., first name, last name, email, gender, question asked, question answered, and comment). A student can easily select their members group that relevant to characteristics by learner’s profile (see Figure 14).

108 Figure 14: Recommended Students

Start Group: Students self-define group membership based on recommendations about the students’ characteristics from the learners’ profiles. Group members can be added by inviting them with a description related to the project and then the invitee can accept or reject the invite (see Figure 15).

109

Task Project Management: It contains different featured tasks that allow for students to create tasks, edit, delete and view list of students’ tasks (see Figure 17, Figure 18 and Figure 19). Tasks are recommended to students according to the task style: whether the students are verbal or visual as obtained from a personality Test. There are many measures of learning styles, but the one applied here is the Felder and Soloman’s “Index of Learning Styles” (ILS) [158] . FSLSM has been named the most suitable for learning styles model in technology-enhanced learning [10, 11]. Moreover, it is freely provided, and has been integrated in Topolor 3 as an external link that allows student to test their personality, to select appropriate tasks for them (see Figure 17). Example tasks in a project are: creating the interface, coding, testing and fixing bugs, writing report and other tasks. Moreover, a task project management tool has been implemented, to help students plan and organise project groups. For example, it can give an overview about how long tasks will take to complete, early warnings of any risks to the project, recommended daily progress to complete the tasks before the deadline, and historical information on other projects.

110 Figure 17: Creating Project Tasks

Figure 18: Viewing Tasks

111

Chat group: This is communication tool privately used by a group project and any member group can check the history of the discussions at any time. As was earlier mentioned, one reason for problems with communication is that some students are struggling with communication skills, and that this can influence the outcome of a project. Therefore, recommendations for the communication tools are provided in Topolor 3 (see Figure 20), to improve communication among the group members and other groups. The system monitors user contribution and updates user models. Then, student participation can be identified.

Topolor 3 has also some other features, of social, personalisation and adaptation nature that existed in the previous version, Topolor 2. For example, tools for sending private messages, for asking questions, for sharing text content, images and links, to further support students (see Figure 21: Social toolset).

112 Figure 21: Social toolset

Culture

1. Saudi Arabian culture is high uncertainty avoidance. Thus, Topolor 3 system is designed to reduce uncertainty by providing clear structure and familiar descriptions. The forecasting of results is available before students act (e.g., “if you take test, you will be allowed to create group and access task project”). Facilitate the e-learning navigation, by means of alerts, messages, and guidelines.

2. Saudi Arabian Culture has a high power distance dimension, studentsneed more support and guidance from teachers/leaders or e-learning system. Students can get assessment and feedback from lecturers by toolsets and comments on the learning pages in Topolor 3 system. High Power Distance includes similar features to high uncertainty avoidant sites. Topolor 3 system supports assisting with navigation via alerts and guidelines.

3. Saudi Arabian Culture is a collectivist culture. Saudi Arabia students desire to study or work collaboratively in a group rather than work individually. Thus, Topolor 3 system is designed to supports social interaction. For example, group chat and group project management. Additionally, Topolor 3 has also some other features, of social that existed in the version, Topolor 2. For example, tools messages, for asking questions, for comments from students or

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lecturer, for discussion forums, for sharing text content, images and links, to further support students and teamwork in project to provide online learning with sense of community. 4. Saudi Arabian Culture is a masculine society. Saudi Arabian society is very sensitive to

display pictures of females in e-learning. Thus Topolor 3 system is designed to not forcing sign of female photographs. Students’ photographs are generated from the Facebook website, but in Facebook, most of Saudi women do not put their pictures but often put fake photos such as photo flowers. Moreover, the Topolor 3 system is designed to facilitate creating group projects that offer social interaction, with separation of the genders.

Moreover, Topolor 3 system supports translation to Arabic or other languages as well as supporting the direction of writing. For example, in the Arabic language the direction of writing is from right.