This paper presents the concept of iKlassroom as a real-time and realplace teaching analytics application. We present design sketches and screenshots, outline a usage scenario for classroom practice and identify potential contributions to learning sciences research. According to Vatrapu and colleagues1 Teaching Analytics is conceived as a subfield of learning analytics that focuses on the design, development, evaluation, and education of visual analytics methods and tools for teachers in primary, secondary, and tertiary educational settings. Teachers' professional practices with visual analytics methods and tools are a central concern of teaching analytics. Teaching analytics methods and tools aim to develop innovative solutions to assist and augment teachers' dynamic diagnostic decision-making in the classrooms of the 21st century.
In this article, we describe the concept of a real-time and real-place teaching analytics applications, present design sketches and screenshots, outline a usage scenario for classroom practice and identify potential contributions to learning sciences research.
Current instructional support technologies such as classroom response systems [
However, as far as we know, there are no learning analytics and/or teaching analytics solutions out there that support not only real-time interactions but also real-place interfaces. One application, Learning Catalytics5 maps its user interface to the actual physical configuration of the classroom). We envision real-time + real-place teaching analytics solutions that support the following: • • • • •
User interface for teachers is in direct correspondence to the physical classroom Dashboard view of students corresponds in real-time and real-place to the students in the classroom Solicitation, communication and interpretation of emotional information Linkages between classroom information management and teachers’ gaze management Multi-grained classroom engagement ranging from individual students, collocated or distributed or groups of students to geographical sections of the classroom
With iKlassroom, the spatial characteristics of the real-world classroom are replicated in the user interface. For instance, the floor plan and the seating arrangement of a lecture auditorium are modelled into the dashboard interface. Students “check-in” to the lecture auditorium by selecting a particular seat like they do for flights and in some cases for movie theatres. The teacher’s dashboard in iKlassroom re-presents the actual spatial configurations of the physical classroom with empty seats, occupied seats, the aisles, the stairs and such.
Figure 1 presents the design sketch of the real-time + real-place interface. The central idea is that all classroom engagement between students and teachers with regard to formative assessment, affective states and such are mapped to this model of the actual classroom.
Figure 2 presents a picture of Auditorium 1 at the IT University of Copenhagen in Denmark. Figure 3 presents the conceptual sketch of physically addressable classrooms. Figure 4 presents the screenshot from the iKlassroom prototype.
Teachers create accounts on iKlassroom and setup their courses by providing information about the course (code, title, description) and its schedule (time and room location). Teachers have the option of using the default classroom configurations already available in iKlassroom or create a new classroom configuration (that is, seating arrangement). Before each class, the teachers open an iKlassroom session for student to check-in (each seat in the classroom is assigned a unique identity).
Functionality implemented in the first prototype of iKlassroom allows teachers to do the following: • • • • •
Make accessible learning objects and resources to students (iStore)
Teachers (alone or together with co-teachers and/or teaching assistants) can monitor and manage their classroom activities through the iKlassroom Dashboard which provides a simple colour-coded overview with details on demand. Screenshots from the prototype are presented below.
Students create accounts with iKlassroom and are automatically added to eligible courses. Students sign-in to iKlassroom class session by checking in to the particular seat that they are currently sitting in the physical classroom. Students have the ability to convey their emotional state whenever they want to apart from responding to teacher elicited iMood responses. Similarly, students can ask questions whenever they want to (iAsk) as well as respond to teachers’ questions (iCheck) and quizzes (iQuiz). Learning objects and resources for the current class session are readily available from iStore. Screenshots from the prototype are presented below. 3 Discussion
iKlassroom follows the triadic model of teaching analytics and involves teachers,
students, visual analysts, and design-based researchers [
How iKlassroom influences teachers’ professional vision is a central concern for us in terms of different levels of cognitive load as well as different configurations of instructional practice (individual vs. team teaching with assistants and/or co-teachers).
This project is partially supported by the European Community (EC) under the Information Society Technologies (IST) priority of the 7th Framework Programme for R&D under contract number 258114 NEXT-TELL. This document does not represent the opinion of the EC, and the EC is not responsible for any use that might be made of its content.