Title: Leveraging AI, big data and educational technology to promote collaborative learning and improve cyberlearning courses: synopsis and linked presentations of the workshop at Orlando, Florida, 4-6 June 2019, and the online workshop, 13-14 August 2020

Authors: Hong Liu; Xiaoqing Gu

Addresses: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL 32114, USA ' East China Normal University, 3663 Zhongshan Road North, Shanghai, China

Abstract: This article presents a synopsis and the summaries of a series of presentations delivered in two workshops that we organised in 2019 and 2020. The purpose of the two workshops is to find practical solutions to the emerged peer learning problems in a distributed learning (DL or cyberlearning) environment, which becomes popular under and after the COVID-19 pandemic. A DL environment not only consists of personal or virtual instructors, online courseware, communicational technologies, but also peer learners. Collaborative learning between peers in a distributed learning environment is inadequately addressed in research literature and paid insufficient attention in practices. In an active and constructive learning environment (Chi and Wylie, 2014) such as team projects and research experiences for undergraduates (REU), learning from peers is as helpful as learning from the instructors. However, collaborative learning from remote peers is much more challenging than face-to-face teamwork. This synopsis can serve as a road map for readers to find your interested topics starting at the broad view of the peer-learning problem in a DL environment and practical solutions as first-hand experiences of 20 speakers. The summaries of the topics, the linked videos, PowerPoint slides, and the references will guide the readers to explore such a hardly treaded territory at a flexible pace, breadth, and depth.

Keywords: distributed learning; learning space; collaborative learning; learning analytics; educational technology; artificial intelligence.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMARTTL.2023.129609

International Journal of Smart Technology and Learning, 2023 Vol.3 No.2, pp.118 - 137

Received: 22 Feb 2021
Accepted: 03 Aug 2021
Published online: 17 Mar 2023 *