1. The document discusses the design methodology for the TERENCE adaptive learning system (ALS) which combines user-centered design and evidence-based design. 2. User data was gathered through gamified field studies and enriched with expert input to define learner classes and personas to depict user requirements. 3. These informed the design of adaptive learning material, games, and feedback tailored to learner characteristics like age, gender, and reading level. 4. An example walkthrough of the ALS is provided, from logging in to choosing an avatar, reading material, and playing games.

1. Play
and
Learn
about
Your
Learners
to
Early
Form
your
TEL
Design
T.
di
Mascio,
R.
Gennari,
A.
Melonio,
P.
Vi@orini
I.
Marenzi
18.09. 2013 / Paphos, Cyprus
TEFA Workshop

2. Thread
-­‐
Outline
STEP
I
–
Introduc/on:
the
TERENCE
design
methodology
and
context
of
use
analysis
STEP
II
–
The
design
of
adaptaLon
and
learning
material
STEP
III
–
The
adapta/on
process
STEP
IV
–
The
end:
conclusions

3. The
TERENCE
Project
TERENCE
is
a
3-­‐year
collabora/ve
project
‣ of
the
FP7
framework
‣ for
Technology
Enhanced
Learning
(TEL)
‣ with
12
partners
and
2
consultants
‣ for
developing
an
Adap/ve
Learning
System
(ALS)
‣ that
recommends,
to
its
users,
its
learning
material
‣ stories
and
games
‣ and
learning
tasks
‣ reading
and
playing
‣ to
sLmulate
their
reading
comprehension

4. UCD
and
EBD
TERENCE
mixes
two
design
methodologies:
o the
user
centred
design
(UCD),
that
is
iteraLve
and
places
users
at
the
centre
of
the
design
process
for
a@aining
usability;
o the
other,
the
evidence
based
design
(EBD),
that
stresses
the
role
of
empirical
evidence
for
a@aining
pedagogical
effecLveness.

5. TERENCE:
UCD
+
EBD
inizio
no
rilascio
sìok?
raccolta e analisi requisiti
progettazione e sviluppo
valutazione
user
requirements
evaluation
design and development
start
no yes
release

6. Gamified
data
gathering
for
context
of
use

7. From
context
of
use
to
design
Classes:
1. the
data
gathered
via
gamified
field
studies
were
enriched
with
data
coming
from
contextual
inquiries
with
domain
experts
and
teachers
concerning
– cogniLve
skills
for
reading
comprehension
2. all
such
data
were
analysed
and
used
to
create
user
classes,
in
parLcular,
learner
classes,
that
describe
the
relevant
user
characterisLcs,
environment
and
other
relevant
requirements
for
interacLng
with
the
TERENCE
ALS
Personas:
1. for
each
class
of
user,
we
created
a
persona
2. a
persona
(see
right
figure)
vividly
depicts
the
user
requirements
for
the
design
of
1. the
learning
material
2. the
adaptaLon
of
the
TERENCE
ALS

8. Thread
-­‐
Outline
STEP
I
–
Introduc/on:
the
TERENCE
design
methodology
and
context
of
use
analysis
STEP
II
–
The
design
of
the
adaptaLon
and
learning
material
STEP
III
–
The
adapta/on
process
STEP
IV
–
The
end:
conclusions

9. Relevant
bio
informa/on
Age
range
younger,
older
Gender
male,
female
Reading
comprehension
4
levels
Deafness
with/without
cochlear
implants,…
Area
urban,
rural
Learner
CharacterisLcs
for
AdaptaLon

10. Avatar:
age,
gender
and
area
affect
the
type
of
preferred
avatar
(field
studies,
Le_FR_29):
– all,
independently
of
their
age,
prefer
human-­‐like
avatars
to
fantasy
or
animal
avatars
‣ to
all,
present
first
human-­‐like
avatars
– female
learners
definitely
prefer
fantasy
avatars
to
animal
avatars
‣ if
female
learner
then
present
fantasy
animals
before
animal
avatars
– older
children
prefer
photorealisLc
avatars,
contrary
to
younger
children
‣ if
older
then
present
photorealisLc
avatars
as
first,
else
vice-­‐versa
Learner
CharacterisLcs
for
AdaptaLon

11. ISTC-CNR
Sep 13th 2012

12. Relevant
bio
informa/on
Age
range
younger,
olders
Gender
male,
female
Reading
comprehension
4
levels
Deafness
with/without
cochlear
implants,…
Area
urban,
rural
Learner
CharacterisLcs
for
AdaptaLon

13. Learner
CharacterisLcs
for
Game
Level
Design
Design
of
game
levels
for
learners
according
to
the
cogniLve
learner
requirements
specified
via
contextual
inquiries
with
experts
Learner
Level
Smart
Games
Character
Time
Causality
Who
What
Before-­‐
Aeer
Before-­‐
While
While-­‐
Aeer
Before-­‐
While-­‐
Aeer
Effect
Cause
Cause-­‐
Effect
Level
1
X
X
X
X
X
X
Level
2
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Level
3
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Level
4
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
more difficult
moreskilled

14. Learner
CharacterisLcs
for
Feedback
Design
An
example
of
visual-­‐feedback
design
according
to
the
cogniLve
learner
requirements
specified
via
contextual
inquiries
with
experts—rely
on
visuo-­‐perceptual
skills
visual interaction
feedback
visual explanatory
feedback

15. Thread
-­‐
Outline
STEP
I
–
Introduc/on:
the
TERENCE
design
methodology
and
context
of
use
analysis
STEP
II
–
The
design
of
the
adaptaLon
and
learning
material
STEP
III
–
The
adapta/on
process
STEP
IV
–
The
end:
conclusions

16. A
Walk
Through
–
Log
in
Task:
logging
in

17. A
Walk
Through
–
Choose
your
Avatar
Task:
choosing
one’s
avatar,
the
learner’s
guide
through
the
system

18. A
Walk
Through
–
Read

19. A
Walk
Through
–
Play

20. Thread
-­‐
Outline
STEP
I
–
Introduc/on:
the
TERENCE
design
methodology
and
context
of
use
analysis
STEP
II
–
The
design
of
the
adaptaLon
and
learning
material
STEP
III
–
The
adapta/on
process
STEP
IV
–
The
end:
conclusions

21. Conclusions
o The
project
is
an
ICT
project
but
highly
mulL-­‐
disciplinary
– cogniLve
psychologists,
therapists,
computer
scienLsts,
sw
engineers,
human-­‐machine
interacLon
experts
o and
has
produced
– learning
material
– adaptaLon
rules
based
on
user
requirements,
iniLally
specified
by
analysing
the
context
of
use
(also)
with
gamified
field
studies
with
children
o The
project
is
at
the
end
of
the
third
year,
finishing
the
large-­‐scale
evaluaLon

22. http://hixwg.univaq.it/terence/2nd-release/