Customized PLE implementations for test-bed scenario ... - ROLE

epository” – the community database containing all services and service bundles –,
and a “widget preference server” – a platform component which allows to store service
preferences of users and enables sharing of services and bundles.
In further consequence, the deliverable elaborates the most relevant use cases around
this architecture, related work from literature and case studies, as well as
implementation details. Moreover and in accordance with WP3, D4.2 highlights the
importance of widget and service interoperability for usability enhancements like singlesign-on
or for end-user aspects like combining two widgets with each other, i.e. to
automatically synchronise data between two widgets.
Learner interaction capturing and PLE recommendations
Beside other deliverables in the work packages 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7, WP4 also deals with
the idea of capturing learner interactions and generate recommendations for PLE users
from this data. Therefore, D4.1 reports on the Camera widget which monitors learners
and captures user interactions with the PLE (e.g. the Christmas prototype) in the
Contextualized Attention Metadata (CAM) format. Deliverable D3.3 explains the
architecture behind the Camera widget in detail. On a pragmatic level, D2.2 and ID6.2
propose deriving pedagogical recommendations while ongoing work in WP7 elaborates
how PLE recommendations can be mined from these user-given interaction recordings.
User profiles, authentication, authorisation, single-sign-on
Other issues addressed in various work packages are user (learner) profiles and
aspects of authentication and authorisation. Amongst others, D2.2 and D6.1 give first
details of what a learner profile should contain in order to satisfy the requirements of the
PPIM. D3.3 gives an overview of standards and specification in connection with user
and learner profiles while D3.1 even surveys platforms containing user management
(e.g. LMSes) or authorisation and authentication services (e.g. OpenID and Shibboleth).
D4.2 highlights the importance of a central authentication mechanism and a single-signon
solution in order to not annoy end-users by being in need of and managing various
user accounts.
User interface and usability issues
Concrete user interface and usability issues are primarily addressed in the work
packages which are close to the end-users, namely in WP4 and WP5. D4.1 describes
the Christmas prototype (see Figure 2-4) and thus proposes a concrete user interface
for end-users. Moreover, D4.2 elaborates the most relevant use cases in connection
with the widget-based PLE infrastructure and review existing technology (Appstore,
iGoogle, Netvibes, etc.). The deliverable D5.1/D5.2 (‘Participatory design and
implementation plan of Personal Learning Test-beds’) present PLE like solutions
available or planned within the five ROLE test-beds. All in all, the user interface and
usability issues of a ROLE PLE have being discussed within an own taskforce in the
project. Results are partially published at former conferences (e.g. by Isaksson &
Palmer, 2010), or will be documented in upcoming deliverables.
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