Ruiz-Calleja Adolfo, Prieto Luis P., Ley Tobias, Rodrıguez-Triana Marıa Jesus, Dennerlein Sebastian
2021
Despite the ubiquity of learning in workplace and professional settings, the learning analytics (LA) community has paid significant attention to such settings only recently. This may be due to the focus on researching formal learning, as workplace learning is often informal, hard to grasp and not unequivocally defined. This paper summarizes the state of the art of Workplace Learning Analytics (WPLA), extracted from a two-iteration systematic literature review. Our in-depth analysis of 52 existing proposals not only provides a descriptive view of the field, but also reflects on researcher conceptions of learning and their influence on the design, analytics and technology choices made in this area. We also discuss the characteristics of workplace learning that make WPLA proposals different from LA in formal education contexts and the challenges resulting from this. We found that WPLA is gaining momentum, especially in some fields, like healthcare and education. The focus on theory is generally a positive feature in WPLA, but we encourage a stronger focus on assessing the impact of WPLA in realistic settings.
Fessl Angela, Maitz Katharina, Dennerlein Sebastian, Pammer-Schindler Viktoria
2021
Clear formulation and communication of learning goals is an acknowledged best practice in instruction at all levels. Typically, in curricula and course management systems, dedicated places for specifying learning goals at course-level exist. However, even in higher education, learning goals are typically formulated in a very heterogeneous manner. They are often not concrete enough to serve as guidance for students to master a lecture or to foster self-regulated learning. In this paper, we present a systematics for formulating learning goals for university courses, and a web-based widget that visualises these learning goals within a university's learning management system. The systematics is based on the revised version of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives by Anderson and Krathwohl. We evaluated both the learning goal systematics and the web-based widget in three lectures at our university.The participating lecturers perceived the systematics as easy-to-use and as helpful to structure their course and the learning content. Students' perceived benets lay in getting a quick overview of the lecture and its content as well as clear information regarding the requirements for passing the exam. By analysing the widget's activity log data, we could show that the widget helps students to track their learning progress and supports them in planning and conducting their learning in a self-regulated way. This work highlights how theory-based best practice in teaching can be transferred into a digital learning environment; at the same time it highlights that good non-technical systematics for formulating learning goals positively impacts on teaching and learning.
Dennerlein Sebastian, Wolf-Brenner Christof, Gutounig Robert, Schweiger Stefan, Pammer-Schindler Viktoria
2020
Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) ist zum Gegenstand gesellschaftlicher Debatten geworden. Die Beratung durch KI unterstützt uns in der Schule, im Alltag beim Einkauf, bei der Urlaubsplanung und beim Medienkonsum, manipuliert uns allerdings auch gezielt bei Entscheidungen oder führt durch Filter-Bubble-Phänomene zur Realitätsverzerrung.Eine der jüngsten Aufregungen hierzulande galt der Nutzung moderner Algorithmik durch das österreichische Arbeitsmarktservice AMS. Der sogenannte "AMS-Algorithmus" soll Beratende bei der Entscheidung über Fördermaßnahmen unterstützen.Wenn KI in einem so erheblichen Ausmaß in menschliches Handeln eingreift, bedarf sie im Hinblick auf ethische Prinzipien einer sorgfältigen Bewertung. Das ist notwendig, um unethische Folgen zu vermeiden. Üblicherweise wird gefordert, KI bzw. Algorithmen sollen fair sein, was bedeutet, sie sollen nicht diskriminieren und transparent sollen sie sein, also Einblick in ihre Funktionsweise ermöglichen
Dennerlein Sebastian, Wolf-Brenner Christof, Gutounig Robert, Schweiger Stefan, Pammer-Schindler Viktoria
2020
In society and politics, there is a rising interest in considering ethical principles in technological innovation, especially in the intersection of education and technology. We propose a first iteration of a theory-derived framework to analyze ethical issues in technology-enhanced learning (TEL) software development. The framework understands ethical issues as an expression of the overall socio-technical system that are rooted in the interactions of human actors with technology, so-called socio-technical interactions (STIs). For guiding ethical reflection, the framework helps to explicate this human involvement, and to elicit discussions of ethical principles on these STIs. Prompts in the form of reflection questions can be inferred to reflect on the technology functionality from relevant human perspectives, and in relation to a list of fundamental ethical principles. We illustrate the framework and discuss its implications for TEL
Gayane Sedrakya, Dennerlein Sebastian, Pammer-Schindler Viktoria, Lindstaedt Stefanie
2020
Our earlier research attempts to close the gap between learning behavior analytics based dashboard feedback and learning theories by grounding the idea of dashboard feedback onto learning science concepts such as feedback, learning goals, (socio-/meta-) cognitive mechanisms underlying learning processes. This work extends the earlier research by proposing mechanisms for making those concepts and relationships measurable. The outcome is a complementary framework that allows identifying feedback needs and timing for their provision in a generic context that can be applied to a certain subject in a given LMS. The research serves as general guidelines for educators in designing educational dashboards, as well as a starting research platform in the direction of systematically matching learning sciences concepts with data and analytics concepts
Dennerlein Sebastian, Tomberg Vladimir, Treasure-Jones, Tamsin, Theiler Dieter, Lindstaedt Stefanie , Ley Tobias
2020
PurposeIntroducing technology at work presents a special challenge as learning is tightly integrated with workplace practices. Current design-based research (DBR) methods are focused on formal learning context and often questioned for a lack of yielding traceable research insights. This paper aims to propose a method that extends DBR by understanding tools as sociocultural artefacts, co-designing affordances and systematically studying their adoption in practice.Design/methodology/approachThe iterative practice-centred method allows the co-design of cognitive tools in DBR, makes assumptions and design decisions traceable and builds convergent evidence by consistently analysing how affordances are appropriated. This is demonstrated in the context of health-care professionals’ informal learning, and how they make sense of their experiences. The authors report an 18-month DBR case study of using various prototypes and testing the designs with practitioners through various data collection means.FindingsBy considering the cognitive level in the analysis of appropriation, the authors came to an understanding of how professionals cope with pressure in the health-care domain (domain insight); a prototype with concrete design decisions (design insight); and an understanding of how memory and sensemaking processes interact when cognitive tools are used to elaborate representations of informal learning needs (theory insight).Research limitations/implicationsThe method is validated in one long-term and in-depth case study. While this was necessary to gain an understanding of stakeholder concerns, build trust and apply methods over several iterations, it also potentially limits this.Originality/valueBesides generating traceable research insights, the proposed DBR method allows to design technology-enhanced learning support for working domains and practices. The method is applicable in other domains and in formal learning.
Dennerlein Sebastian, Pammer-Schindler Viktoria, Ebner Markus, Getzinger Günter, Ebner Martin
2020
Sustainably digitalizing higher education requires a human-centred approach. To address actual problems in teaching as well as learning and increase acceptance, the Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) solution(s) must be co-designed with affected researchers, teachers, students and administrative staff. We present research-in-progress about a sandpit-informed innovation process with a f2f-marketplace of TEL research and problemmapping as well team formation alongside a competitive call phase, which is followed by a cooperative phase of funded interdisciplinary pilot teams codesigning and implementing TEL innovations. Pilot teams are supported by a University Innovation Canvas to document and reflect on their TEL innovation from multiple viewpoints.
Adolfo Ruiz Calleja, Dennerlein Sebastian, Kowald Dominik, Theiler Dieter, Lex Elisabeth, Tobias Ley
2019
In this paper, we propose the Social Semantic Server (SSS) as a service-based infrastructure for workplace andprofessional Learning Analytics (LA). The design and development of the SSS has evolved over 8 years, startingwith an analysis of workplace learning inspired by knowledge creation theories and its application in differentcontexts. The SSS collects data from workplace learning tools, integrates it into a common data model based ona semantically-enriched Artifact-Actor Network and offers it back for LA applications to exploit the data. Further,the SSS design promotes its flexibility in order to be adapted to different workplace learning situations. Thispaper contributes by systematizing the derivation of requirements for the SSS according to the knowledge creationtheories, and the support offered across a number of different learning tools and LA applications integrated to it.It also shows evidence for the usefulness of the SSS extracted from four authentic workplace learning situationsinvolving 57 participants. The evaluation results indicate that the SSS satisfactorily supports decision making indiverse workplace learning situations and allow us to reflect on the importance of the knowledge creation theoriesfor such analysis.
Breitfuß Gert, Fruhwirth Michael, Pammer-Schindler Viktoria, Stern Hermann, Dennerlein Sebastian
2019
Increasing digitization is generating more and more data in all areas ofbusiness. Modern analytical methods open up these large amounts of data forbusiness value creation. Expected business value ranges from process optimizationsuch as reduction of maintenance work and strategic decision support to businessmodel innovation. In the development of a data-driven business model, it is usefulto conceptualise elements of data-driven business models in order to differentiateand compare between examples of a data-driven business model and to think ofopportunities for using data to innovate an existing or design a new businessmodel. The goal of this paper is to identify a conceptual tool that supports datadrivenbusiness model innovation in a similar manner: We applied three existingclassification schemes to differentiate between data-driven business models basedon 30 examples for data-driven business model innovations. Subsequently, wepresent the strength and weaknesses of every scheme to identify possible blindspots for gaining business value out of data-driven activities. Following thisdiscussion, we outline a new classification scheme. The newly developed schemecombines all positive aspects from the three analysed classification models andresolves the identified weaknesses.
Robert Gutounig, Romana Rauter, Susanne Sackl-Sharif , Sabine Klinger, Dennerlein Sebastian
2018
Mit Digitalisierung werden unterschiedliche Erwartungen verbunden, die aus Organisationssicht bzw. aus ArbeitnehmerInnensicht durchaus ungleich ausfallen können. Eindeutig festzustellen ist jedenfalls die zunehmende Durch-dringung von Arbeitsprozessen durch digitale Tools. Bekannt sind mittlerweile auch zahlreiche gesundheitsbelastende Faktoren, die sich etwa durch Beschleu-nigung bzw. Intensivierung der Arbeit ergeben. Vor diesem Hintergrund wurde mittels einer explorativen Studie aus dem Gesundheitsdienstleistungsbereich er-hoben, vor welche neuen Herausforderungen ArbeitnehmerInnen und Organisa-tionen durch die zunehmende digitale Mediennutzung gestellt werden. Aus den Interviews und der Befragung geht hervor, dass die Durchführung der Arbeit ohne digitale Unterstützung nicht mehr denkbar wäre, besonders hinsichtlich der Dokumentation von Daten, aber zunehmend auch die Arbeit an den PatientInnen selbst betreffend. Durchgängig sind Ambivalenzen in der Wahrnehmung der Mit-arbeiterInnen zu finden, z.B. erleichterter Zugriff auf Daten vs. Kontrollregime durch den Arbeitgeber. Weitere identifizierte Themenfelder für Forschung zu Auswirkungen und Potenzialen digitaler Mediennutzung beinhalten u.a. Digital Literacy und partizipative Ansätze der Technikentwicklung. (PDF) Zwischen Produktivität und Überlastung. Auswirkungen digitalisierter Arbeitsprozesse im Gesundheitsdienstleistungsbereich am Beispiel Krankenhaus. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324835753_Zwischen_Produktivitat_und_Uberlastung_Auswirkungen_digitalisierter_Arbeitsprozesse_im_Gesundheitsdienstleistungsbereich_am_Beispiel_Krankenhaus [accessed Nov 15 2019].
Dennerlein Sebastian, Kowald Dominik, Lex Elisabeth, Ley Tobias, Pammer-Schindler Viktoria
2018
Co-Creation methods for interactive computer systems design are by now widely accepted as part of the methodological repertoire in any software development process. As the communityis becoming more and more aware of the factthat software is driven by complex, artificially intelligent algorithms, the question arises what “co-creation of algorithms” in the sense of users ex-plicitly shaping the parameters of algorithms during co-creation, could mean, and how it would work. They are not tangible like featuresin a tool and desired effects are harder to be explained or understood. Therefore, we propose an it-erative simulation-based Co-Design approach that allows to Co-Create Algo-rithms together with the domain professionals by making their assumptions and effects observable. The proposal is a methodological idea for discussion within the EC-TEL community, yet to be applied in a research practice
Seitlinger Paul, Ley Tobias, Kowald Dominik, Theiler Dieter, Hasani-Mavriqi Ilire, Dennerlein Sebastian, Lex Elisabeth, Albert D.
2017
Creative group work can be supported by collaborative search and annotation of Web resources. In this setting, it is important to help individuals both stay fluent in generating ideas of what to search next (i.e., maintain ideational fluency) and stay consistent in annotating resources (i.e., maintain organization). Based on a model of human memory, we hypothesize that sharing search results with other users, such as through bookmarks and social tags, prompts search processes in memory, which increase ideational fluency, but decrease the consistency of annotations, e.g., the reuse of tags for topically similar resources. To balance this tradeoff, we suggest the tag recommender SoMe, which is designed to simulate search of memory from user-specific tag-topic associations. An experimental field study (N = 18) in a workplace context finds evidence of the expected tradeoff and an advantage of SoMe over a conventional recommender in the collaborative setting. We conclude that sharing search results supports group creativity by increasing the ideational fluency, and that SoMe helps balancing the evidenced fluency-consistency tradeoff.
Stern Hermann, Dennerlein Sebastian, Pammer-Schindler Viktoria, Ginthör Robert, Breitfuß Gert
2017
To specify the current understanding of business models in the realm of Big Data, we used a qualitative approach analysing 25 Big Data projects spread over the domains of Retail, Energy, Production, and Life Sciences, and various company types (SME, group, start-up, etc.). All projects have been conducted in the last two years at Austria’s competence center for Data-driven Business and Big Data Analytics, the Know-Center.
Topps David, Dennerlein Sebastian, Treasure-Jones Tamsin
2017
There is increasing interest in Barcamps and Unconferences as an educational approach during traditional medical education conferences. Ourgroup has now accumulated extensive experience in these formats over a number of years in different educational venues. We present asummary of observations and lessons learned about what works and what doesn’t.
Ruiz-Calleja Adolfo, Prieto Luis Pablo, Jesús Rodríguez Triana María , Dennerlein Sebastian, Ley Tobias
2017
Despite the ubiquity of learning in the everyday life of most workplaces, the learning analytics community only has paid attention to such settings very recently. One probable reason for this oversight is the fact that learning in the workplace is often informal, hard to grasp and not univocally defined. This paper summarizes the state of the art of Workplace Learning Analytics (WPLA), extracted from a systematic literature review of five academic databases as well as other known sources in the WPLA community. Our analysis of existing proposals discusses particularly on the role of different conceptions of learning and their influence on the LA proposals’ design and technology choices. We end the paper by discussing opportunities for future work in this emergent field.
Dennerlein Sebastian, Treasure-Jones Tamsin, Lex Elisabeth, Ley Tobias
2016
Background: Teamworking, within and acrosshealthcare organisations, is essential to deliverexcellent integrated care. Drawing upon an alternationof collaborative and cooperative phases, we exploredthis teamworking and respective technologicalsupport within UK Primary Care. Participants usedBits&Pieces (B&P), a sensemaking tool for tracedexperiences that allows sharing results and mutuallyelaborating them: i.e. cooperating and/orcollaborating.Summary of Work: We conducted a two month-longcase study involving six healthcare professionals. InB&P, they reviewed organizational processes, whichrequired the involvement of different professions ineither collaborative and/or cooperative manner. Weused system-usage data, interviews and qualitativeanalysis to understand the interplay of teamworkingpracticeand technology.Summary of Results: Within our analysis we mainlyidentified cooperation phases. In a f2f-meeting,professionals collaboratively identified subtasks andassigned individuals leading collaboration on them.However, these subtasks were undertaken asindividual sensemaking efforts and finally combined(i.e. cooperation). We found few examples ofreciprocal interpretation processes (i.e. collaboration):e.g. discussing problems during sensemaking ormonitoring other’s sensemaking-outcomes to makesuggestions.Discussion: These patterns suggest that collaborationin healthcare often helps to construct a minimalshared understanding (SU) of subtasks to engage incooperation, where individuals trust in other’scompetencies and autonomous completion. However,we also found that professionals with positivecollaboration history and deepened SU were willing toundertake subtasks collaboratively. It seems thatacquiring such deepened SU of concepts andmethods, leads to benefits that motivate professionalsto collaborate more.Conclusion: Healthcare is a challenging environmentrequiring interprofessional work across organisations.For effective teamwork, a deepened SU is crucial andboth cooperation and collaboration are required.However, we found a tendency of staff to rely mainlyon cooperation when working in teams and not fullyexplore benefits of collaboration.Take Home Messages: To maximise benefits ofinterprofessional working, tools for teamworkingshould support both cooperation and collaborationprocesses and scaffold the move between them
Goldgruber Eva, Gutounig Robert, Schweiger Stefan, Dennerlein Sebastian
2016
Gutounig Robert, Goldgruber Eva, Dennerlein Sebastian, Schweiger Stefan
2016
Dennerlein Sebastian, Gutounig Robert, Goldgruber Eva , Schweiger Stefan
2016
There are many web-based tools like social networks, collaborative writing, or messaging tools that connectorganizations in accordance with web 2.0 principles. Slack is such a web 2.0 instant messaging tool. As per developer, itintegrates the entire communication, file-sharing, real-time messaging, digital archiving and search at one place. Usage inline with these functionalities would reflect expected appropriation, while other usage would account for unexpectedappropriation. We explored which factors of web 2.0 tools determine actual usage and how they affect knowledgemanagement (KM). Therefore, we investigated the relation between the three influencing factors, proposed tool utility fromdeveloper side, intended usage of key implementers, and context of application, to the actual usage in terms of knowledgeactivities (generate, acquire, organize, transfer and save knowledge). We conducted episodic interviews with keyimplementers in five different organizational contexts to understand how messaging tools affect KM by analyzing theappropriation of features. Slack was implemented with the intention to enable exchange between project teams, connectingdistributed project members, initiate a community of learners and establish a communication platform. Independent of thecontext, all key implementers agreed on knowledge transfer, organization and saving in accordance with Slack’s proposedutility. Moreover, results revealed that a usage intention of internal management does not lead to acquisition of externalknowledge, and usage intention of networking not to generation of new knowledge. These results suggest that it is not thecontext of application, but the intended usage that mainly affects the tool's efficacy with respect to KM: I.e. intention seemsto affect tool selection, first, explaining commonalities with respect to knowledge activities (expected appropriation) and,subsequently, intention also affects unexpected appropriation beyond the developers’ tool utility. A messaging tool is, hence,not only a messaging tool, but it is ‘what you make of it!’
Kraker Peter, Dennerlein Sebastian, Dörler, D, Ferus, A, Gutounig Robert, Heigl, F., Kaier, C., Rieck Katharina, Šimukovic, E., Vignoli Michela
2016
Between April 2015 and June 2016, members of the Open Access Network Aus- tria (OANA) working group “Open Access and Scholarly Communication” met in Vienna to discuss a fundamental reform of the scholarly communication system.By scholarly communication we mean the processes of producing, reviewing, organising, disseminating and preserving scholarly knowledge1. Scholarly communication does not only concern researchers, but also society at large, especially students, educators, policy makers, public administrators, funders, librarians, journalists, practitioners, publishers, public and private organisations, and interested citizens.
Dennerlein Sebastian, Lex Elisabeth, Ruiz-Calleja Adolfo, Ley Elisabeth
2016
This paper reports the design and development of a visual Dashboard, called the SSS Dashboard, which visualizes data from informal workplace learning processes from different viewpoints. The SSS Dashboard retrieves its data from the Social Semantic Server (SSS), an infrastructure that integrates data from several workplace learning applications into a semantically-enriched Artifact-Actor Network. A first evaluation with end users in a course for professional teachers gave promising results. Both a trainer and a learner could understand the learning process from different perspectives using the SSS Dashboard. The results obtained will pave the way for the development of future Learning Analytics applications that exploit the data collected by the SSS.
Dennerlein Sebastian, Ley Tobias, , Lex Elisabeth, Seitlinger Paul
2016
In the digital realm, meaning making is reflected in the reciprocal manipulation of mediating artefacts. We understand uptake, i.e. interaction with and understanding of others’ artefact interpretations, as central mechanism and investigate its impact on individual and social learning at work. Results of our social tagging field study indicate that increased uptake of others’ tags is related to a higher shared understanding of collaborators as well as narrower and more elaborative exploration in individual information search. We attribute the social and individual impact to accommodative processes in the high uptake condition.
Santos Patricia, Dennerlein Sebastian, Theiler Dieter, Cook John, Treasure-Jones Tamsin, Holley Debbie, Kerr Micky , Atwell Graham, Kowald Dominik, Lex Elisabeth
2016
Social learning networks enable the sharing, transfer and enhancement of knowledge in the workplace that builds the ground to exchange informal learning practices. In this work, three healthcare networks are studied in order to understand how to enable the building, maintaining and activation of new contacts at work and the exchange of knowledge between them. By paying close attention to the needs of the practitioners, we aimed to understand how personal and social learning could be supported by technological services exploiting social networks and the respective traces reflected in the semantics. This paper presents a case study reporting on the results of two co-design sessions and elicits requirements showing the importance of scaffolding strategies in personal and shared learning networks. Besides, the significance of these strategies to aggregate trust among peers when sharing resources and decision-support when exchanging questions and answers. The outcome is a set of design criteria to be used for further technical development for a social tool. We conclude with the lessons learned and future work.
Dennerlein Sebastian, Rella Matthias, Tomberg Vladimir, Theiler Dieter, Treasure-Jones Tamsin, Kerr Micky, Ley Tobias, Al-Smadi Mohammad, Trattner Christoph
2015
Sensemaking at the workplace and in educational contexts has beenextensively studied for decades. Interestingly, making sense out of the own wealthof learning experiences at the workplace has been widely ignored. To tackle thisissue, we have implemented a novel sensemaking interface for healthcare professionalsto support learning at the workplace. The proposed prototype supportsremembering of informal experiences from episodic memory followed by sensemakingin semantic memory. Results from an initial study conducted as part ofan iterative co-design process reveal the prototype is being perceived as usefuland supportive for informal sensemaking by study participants from the healthcaredomain. Furthermore, we find first evidence that re-evaluation of collectedinformation is a potentially necessary process that needs further exploration tofully understand and support sensemaking of informal learning experiences.
Ruiz-Calleja Adolfo, Dennerlein Sebastian, Tomberg Vladimir , Pata Kai, Ley Tobias, Theiler Dieter, Lex Elisabeth
2015
This paper presents the potential of a social semantic infrastructure that implements an Actor Artifact Network (AAN) with the final goal of supporting learning analytics at the workplace. Two applications were built on top of such infrastructure and make use of the emerging relations of such a AAN. A preliminary evaluation shows that an AAN can be created out of the usage of both applications, thus opening the possibility to implement learning analytics at the workplace.
Ruiz-Calleja Adolfo, Dennerlein Sebastian, Tomberg Vladimir , Ley Tobias , Theiler Dieter, Lex Elisabeth
2015
This paper presents our experiences using a social semantic infrastructure that implements a semantically-enriched Actor Artifact Network (AAN) to support informal learning at the workplace. Our previous research led us to define the Model of Scaling Informal Learning, to identify several common practices when learning happens at the workplace, and to propose a social semantic infrastructure able to support them. This paper shows this support by means of two illustrative examples where practitioners employed several applications integrated into the infrastructure. Thus, this paper clarifies how workplace learning processes can be supported with such infrastructure according to the aforementioned model. The initial analysis of these experiences gives promising results since it shows how the infrastructure mediates in the sharing of contextualized learning artifacts and how it builds up an AAN that makes explicit the relationships between actors and artifacts when learning at the workplace.
Cook John, Ley Tobias, Maier Ronald, Mor Yishay, Santos Patricia, Lex Elisabeth, Dennerlein Sebastian, Trattner Christoph, Holley Debbie
2015
In this paper we define the notion of the Hybrid Social Learning Network. We propose mechanisms for interlinking and enhancing both the practice of professional learning and theories on informal learning. Our approach shows how we employ empirical and design work and a participatory pattern workshop to move from (kernel) theories via Design Principles and prototypes to social machines articulating the notion of a HSLN. We illustrate this approach with the example of Help Seeking for healthcare professionals.
Dennerlein Sebastian, Kowald Dominik, Lex Elisabeth, Lacic Emanuel, Theiler Dieter, Ley Tobias
2015
Informal learning at the workplace includes a multitude of processes. Respective activities can be categorized into multiple perspectives on informal learning, such as reflection, sensemaking, help seeking and maturing of collective knowledge. Each perspective raises requirements with respect to the technical support, this is why an integrated solution relying on social, adaptive and semantic technologies is needed. In this paper, we present the Social Semantic Server, an extensible, open-source application server that equips clientside tools with services to support and scale informal learning at the workplace. More specifically, the Social Semantic Server semantically enriches social data that is created at the workplace in the context of user-to-user or user-artifact interactions. This enriched data can then in turn be exploited in informal learning scenarios to, e.g., foster help seeking by recommending collaborators, resources, or experts. Following the design-based research paradigm, the Social Semantic Server has been implemented based on design principles, which were derived from theories such as Distributed Cognition and Meaning Making. We illustrate the applicability and efficacy of the Social Semantic Server in the light of three real-world applications that have been developed using its social semantic services. Furthermore, we report preliminary results of two user studies that have been carried out recently.
Dennerlein Sebastian, Theiler Dieter, Marton Peter, Lindstaedt Stefanie , Lex Elisabeth, Santos Patricia, Cook John
2015
We present KnowBrain (KB), an open source Dropbox-like knowledge repository with social features for informal workplace learning. KB enables users (i) to share and collaboratively structure knowledge, (ii) to access knowledge via sophisticated content- and metadatabased search and recommendation, and (iii) to discuss artefacts by means of multimedia-enriched Q&A. As such, KB can support, integrate and foster various collaborative learning processes related to daily work-tasks.
Dennerlein Sebastian, Treasure-Jones Tamsin, Tomberg Vladimir, Theiler Dieter, Lex Elisabeth, Ley Tobias
2015
Sensemaking at the workplace and in educational contexts has been extensively studied for decades. Interestingly, making sense out of the own wealth of learning experiences at the workplace has been widely ignored. To tackle this issue, we have implemented a novel sensemaking interface for healthcare professionals to support learning at the workplace. The proposed prototype supports remembering of informal experiences from episodic memory followed by sensemaking in semantic memory. Results from an initial study conducted as part of an iterative co-design process reveal the prototype is being perceived as useful and supportive for informal sensemaking by study participants from the healthcare domain. Furthermore, we find first evidence that re-evaluation of collected information is a potentially necessary process that needs further exploration to fully understand and support sensemaking of informal learning experiences.
Dennerlein Sebastian, Kaiser Rene_DB, Barreiros Carla, Gutounig Robert , Rauter Romana
2015
Barcamps are events for open knowledge exchange. They are generally open to everyone, irrespective of background or discipline, and request no attendance fee. Barcamps are structured by only a small set of common rules and invite participants to an interactive and interdisciplinary discourse on an equal footing. In contrast to scientific conferences, the program is decided by the participants themselves on-site. Barcamps are often called un-conferences or ad-hoc conferences. Since barcamps are typically attended by people in their spare time, their motivation to actively engage and benefit from participating is very high. This paper presents a case study conducted at the annual Barcamp Graz in Austria. Within the case study, two field studies (quantitative and qualitative) and a parallel participant observation were carried out between 2010 and 2014. In these investigations we elaborated on the differences of the barcamp to scientific conferences, inferred characteristics of barcamps for knowledge generation, sharing and transfer in organizations and propose three usages of barcamps in organizations: further education of employees, internal knowledge transfer and getting outside knowledge in. Barcamps can be used as further education for employees enabling not only knowledge sharing, generation and transfer via the participating employees, but also for informally promoting a company’s competences. With respect to internal knowledge transfer, hierarchical boundaries can be temporarily broken by allowing informal and interactive discussion. This can lead to the elicitation of ‘hidden’ knowledge, knowledge transfer resulting in more efficient teamwork and interdepartmental cooperation. Finally, external stakeholders such as customers and partners can be included in this process to get outside knowledge in and identify customer needs, sketch first solutions and to start concrete projects. As a result of the case study, we hypothesise as a step towards further research that organisations can benefit from utilising this format as knowledge strategy.
Lex Elisabeth, Dennerlein Sebastian
2015
Today's complex scientific problems often require interdisciplinary, team-oriented approaches: the expertise of researchers from different disciplines is needed to collaboratively reach a solution. Interdisciplinary teams yet face many challenges such as differences in research practice, terminology, communication , and in the usage of tools. In this paper, we therefore study concrete mechanisms and tools of two real-world scientific projects with the aim to examine their efficacy and influence on interdisciplinary teamwork. For our study, we draw upon Bronstein's model of interdisciplinary collaboration. We found that it is key to use suitable environments for communication and collaboration, especially when teams are geographically distributed. Plus, the willingness to share (domain) knowledge is not a given and requires strong common goals and incentives. Besides, structural barriers such as financial aspects can hinder interdisciplinary work, especially in applied, industry funded research. Furthermore, we observed a kind of cold-start problem in interdisciplinary collaboration, when there is no work history and when the disciplines are rather different, e.g. in terms of wording. HowTo: Scientific Work in Interdisciplinary and Distributed Teams (PDF Download Available). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282813815_HowTo_Scientific_Work_in_Interdisciplinary_and_Distributed_Teams [accessed Jul 13, 2017].
Lex Elisabeth, Kraker Peter, Dennerlein Sebastian
2014
Today’s data driven world requires interdisciplinary, teamoriented approaches: experts from different disciplines are needed to collaboratively solve complex real-world problems. Interdisciplinary teams face a set of challenges that are not necessarily encountered by unidisciplinary teams, such as organisational culture, mental and financial barriers. We share our experiences with interdisciplinary teamwork based on a real-world example. We found that models of interdisciplinary teamwork from Social Sciences and Web Science can guide interdisciplinary teamwork in the domain of pharmaceutical knowledge management. Additionally, we identified potential extensions of the models’ components as well as novel influencing factors such the willingness to explicate and share domain knowledge.
Dennerlein Sebastian, Cook John, Kravcik Milos, Kunzmann Christine, Pata Kai, Purma Jukka, Sandars John, Santos Patricia , Schmidt Andreas, Al-Smadi Mohammad, Trattner Christoph, Ley Tobias
2014
Workplace learning happens in the process and context of work, is multi-episodic, often informal, problem based and takes place on a just-in-time basis. While this is a very effective means of delivery, it also does not scale very well beyond the immediate context. We review three types of technologies that have been suggested to scale learning and three connected theoretical discourses around learning and its support. Based on these three strands and an in-depth contextual inquiry into two workplace learning domains, health care and building and construction, four design-based research projects were conducted that have given rise to designs for scaling informal learning with technology. The insights gained from the design and contextual inquiry contributed to a model that provides an integrative view on three informal learning processes at work and how they can be supported with technology: (1) task performance, reflection and sensemaking; (2) help seeking, guidance and support; and (3) emergence and maturing of collective knowledge. The model fosters our understanding of how informal learning can be scaled and how an orchestrated set of technologies can support this process.
Trattner Christoph, Smadi Mohammad, Theiler Dieter, Dennerlein Sebastian, Kowald Dominik, Rella Matthias, Kraker Peter, Barreto da Rosa Isaías, Tomberg Vladimir, Kröll Mark, Treasure-Jones Tamsin, Kerr Micky, Lindstaedt Stefanie , Ley Tobias
2013
Dennerlein Sebastian, Gutounig Robert, Kraker Peter, Kaiser Rene_DB, Rauter Romana , Ausserhofer Julian
2013
Barcamps are informal conferences whose content is not de-fined in advance, often referred to as ad-hoc conferences orun-conferences. Therefore, the outcomes of a barcamp arelargely unknown before the event. This raises the question ofthe participants’ motivations to attend and contribute. Toanswer this question, we conducted an exploratory empiricalstudy at Barcamp Graz 2012. We applied a mixed-methodapproach: first we used a socio-demographic questionnaire(n=99) which allowed us to characterize the ’typical barcamper’.Second, we conducted qualitative interviews (n=10) toget a deeper understanding of the participants’ motivationsto attend, expectations, and the use of social media in thatcontext. We identified three concepts, which could be deductedfrom the interviews: people, format and topics. Wefound that the motivation to attend and even a commonidentity is quite strongly based on these three factors. Furthermore,the results indicate that participants share a set ofactivities and methods by following the barcamp’s inherentrules and make extensive use of social media.
Cook John, Santos Patricia, Ley Tobias, Dennerlein Sebastian, Pata Kai, Colley Joanna, Sandars John, Treasure-Jones Tamsin
2013
Dennerlein Sebastian, Santos Patricia, Kämäräinen Pekka , Deitmer Ludger , Heinemann Lars , Campbell Melanie, Dertl Michael, Bachl Martin, Trattner Christoph, Bauters Merja
2013
Being able to connect informal and formal learning experiences is thekey to successful apprenticeships. For instance the knowledge emerging out ofpractice should be used to extend and refine formal leaning experiences, andvice versa. Currently such scenarios are not supported appropriately withtechnology in many different domains. This paper focuses on the constructiondomain, which is one of the test-beds in the recently started large-scale EUproject ‘Learning Layers’. We suggest a model for bridging this gap betweenformal and informal learning by co-designing with construction sectorrepresentatives to identify how web services, apps and mobile devices can beorchestrated to connect informal and formal learning with the goal of enhancingcollaboration and supporting contextual learning at the workplace.
Dennerlein Sebastian
2013
This dissertation will elaborate on the understanding of intersubjective meaning making by analyzing the traces of collaborative knowledge construction users leave behind in socio-technical systems. Therefore, it will draw upon more theoretical and more formal models of cognitive psychology to describe and explain the underlying process in detail. This is done with the goal to support intersubjective meaning making and thus elevate informal collaborative knowledge construction in nowadays affordances of social media.
Kraker Peter, Dennerlein Sebastian
2013
In this position paper, we argue that the different disciplinesin Web Science do not work together in an interdisciplinaryway. We attribute this to a fundamental difference in approachingresearch between social scientists and computerscientists, which we call the patterns vs. model problem.We reason that interdisciplinary teamwork is needed toovercome the patterns vs. model problem. We then discusstwo theoretical strains in social science which we see asrelevant in the context of interdisciplinary teamwork. Finally,we sketch a model of interdisciplinary teamwork in WebScience based on the interplay of collaboration and cooperation.
Ley Tobias, Cook John, Dennerlein Sebastian, Kravcik Milos, Kunzmann Christine, Laanpere Mart, Pata Kai, Purma Jukka, Sandars John, Santos Patricia, Schmidt Andreas
2013
While several technological advances have been suggested to scale learning at the workplace, none has been successful to scale informal learning. We review three theoretical discourses and suggest an integrated systems model of scaffolding informal workplace learning that has been created to tackle this challenge. We derive research questions that emerge from this model and illustrate these with an in-depth analysis of two workplace learning domains.
Dennerlein Sebastian, Moskaliuk Johannes , Ley Tobias, Kump Barbara
2013
The co-evolution model of collaborative knowledge building by Cress & Kimmerle (2008)assumes that cognitive and social processes interact when users build knowledge with shareddigital artifacts. While these assumptions have been tested in various lab experiments, a testunder natural field conditions in educational settings has not been conducted. Here, wepresent a field experiment where we triggered knowledge co-evolution in an accommodationand an assimilation condition, and measured effects on student knowledge building outsidethe laboratory in the context of two university courses. Therefore, 48 students receiveddifferent kinds of prompts that triggered external accommodation and assimilation whilewriting a wiki text. Knowledge building was measured with a content analysis of the students‟texts and comments (externalization), and with concept maps and association tests(internalization). The findings reveal that (a) different modes of externalization(accommodation and assimilation) could be triggered with prompts, (b) across bothconditions, this externalization co-occurred with internalization (student learning), and (c)there is some evidence that external assimilation and accommodation had differential effectson internal assimilation and accommodation. Thus, the field experiment supports theassumptions of the co-evolution model in a realistic course setting. On a more general note,the study provides an example of how wikis can be used successfully for collaborativeknowledge building within educational contexts.