The KP-Lab Framework for Knowledge Creation Practicesby Dimitris Kotzinos, Vassilis Christophides and Liisa Ilomäki KP-Lab (Knowledge Practices Laboratory) is an EU-funded project involving 22 partners from 14 countries. It focuses on studying learning practices in professional and educational environments, cross-fertilizing them, and creating the necessary tools to support emerging practices through sharing and collaboration. KP-Lab has two aims; first, we wish to understand how, in long-term processes, people collaboratively develop novel epistemic artefacts and transform their knowledge practices both in higher education and professional environments. In addition, we wish to understand how we can cross-fertilize these practices in order to solve complex, authentic problems with the help of innovative educational technology. Second, based on this understanding, KP-Lab aims to develop tools to help these new working and learning practices. While modern information and communication technology facilitates knowledge creation around shared objects, it also creates and enhances the need to develop a structured approach, which we call trialogical learning. KP-Lab Platform’s Architecture We can identify three basic layers in the KP-Lab platform architecture. Using these layers one can easily identify dependencies among the different components of the platform and the information flow that is observed in the platform. This is based on the fact that services rely on other services that belong to the same or lower levels in the architecture.  KP-Lab platform components. The Lower (Core Services) layer includes basic services relating to multimedia, real-time communication, content management and knowledge management. Multimedia services allow for the manipulation of multimedia resources. Real-time communication services allow for users or user applications to interact in real time. Content management services facilitate access to content repositories (both internal and external to the project). Semantic Web knowledge middleware services (for knowledge capture, access, distribution, development and refinement) facilitate any kind of access to any form of explicitly described knowledge that is stored in one or more knowledge repositories. The Middle (Learning Services) layer includes services that are built on top of the core services and that transform their output to conceptualizations suitable to the learning environment we want to support. Thus we have awareness services that expose users’ presence in the system and their use of knowledge artefacts; annotation services that support semantic and multimedia annotation (thus covering both tacit and explicit knowledge); and portal services that support partition of the knowledge artefacts into shared spaces within which users can share, browse or process these artefacts as individuals or groups. The Upper (Tools) layer includes the actual tools that use the described services and perform a single, well-defined task. These tools can be shared and reused among different applications. Upon completion of the KP-Lab platform, tools will range from visual model editors and semantic Wikis to mobile tools like CASS and meeting tools like to-do lists, agendas and argumentation management. In addition to these layers of services and tools, a comprehensive set of platform services required for the integration and interoperability of KP-Lab tools will be made available across all layers. These include Single Sign-On (SSO), user management (authentication/authorization) and session and state management, and will support communication, security and reliability. Moreover the actions and actors in the platform are described in the KP-Lab system model, which provides semantic descriptions for them and their interactions in a formal schema (ontology). Thus the components of the platform have a common language using which they can exchange information and understand one another. Current Status and Future Work Link: Please contact: Vassilis Christophides Liisa Ilomäki |
ERCIM News 71
ics.forth.grContents
- Keynote
- Joint ERCIM Actions
- Special Theme: Technolgy-Enhanced Learning
- Technology-Enhanced Learning - Introduction to the Special Theme
- Developing Products and Services for E-learning
- Collaborative and Engaging Online Learning
- HyLearn: Cooperative M-Learning in Hybrid Networks
- The MOSEP E-Portfolio Course: A New Didactic Concept for Teachers and Vocational Trainers
- Open Educational Resources: Features, Trends and Implications
- User-Centred Learning Object Metadata for Effective and Efficient E-learning Environments
- InterEDU: Supplying Teachers and Students with Educational Resources
- The Web Geographic Information System for Culture as Preliminary Learning Phase
- Supporting Organizational Learning: AnaXagora
- The KP-Lab Framework for Knowledge Creation Practices
- The SISINE Project: Developing an E-Learning Platform for Educational Role-Playing Games
- Bringing Together Knowledge Management and E-Learning in Software Engineering
- CoPe_it! – Supporting Incremental Formalization in Collaborative Learning Environments
- TAO: An Open and Versatile Assessment Platform Based on Semantic Web Technology
- Context-Based Adaptive and Responsive Authentication
- Turning Web 2.0 Social Software into Collaborative Learning and Knowledge Management Solutions
- Interactive Games to Enhance the Learning Experience of Museum Visitors
- Interactive Educational Play with Augmented Toy Environments
- BabyTeach: Using Ambient Facial Interfaces for Interactive Education
- Interactive Correction and Recommendation in the Learning of Computer Languages
- Client-Side Scripting in Blended Learning Environments
- GVT: Virtual Training in Maintenance Procedures
- OSLab: An Interactive Operating System Laboratory
- Technology-Enhanced Learning on Industrial Automation Solutions Development
- R&D and Technology Transfer
- News From W3C
- Events
- In Brief