Our task model offers visual facilities related to temporal and spatiotemporal relationships. The first one is inspired on temporal operators of CTT. In our Mb-ISDE, task models are indispensable models in order to achieve quality characteristics, since the task model allows for the specification of the tasks to be performed though the user interface.
Normally, a learning process incorporates the following functionality: (1) establishing the objectives for the learning process, (2) finding and revising instructional material, (3) assessing student’s level of knowledge, (4) assigning appropriate material to students, (5) review students’ progress and intervening when necessary and (6) write reports of the results of the learning process. We organize these functionalities into three sets of mechanisms: communication, for instance, contact with the teacher, discussion group, debate or interest group, coordination; for instance, agenda, news, exam or work, and cooperation; for instance, slides, recorded presentation, bibliography, demonstration, or co-authorship. In order to specify our task models we identified different kinds of tasks and modifiers. These tasks are depicted in Table 15.1, these tasks types, temporal constraints, have taken inspiration from the CTT task model notations. And at Figure 15.2 where some these tasks can be done asynchronous while some others are synchronous. There are different examples of the modifiers that we consider when a task model is specified.
Task |
Description |
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Abstract tasks which require complex activities whose performance cannot be univocally allocated, for example, a learning process. |
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User tasks which are performed by the user, for instance, thinking or reasoning by the learner. |
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Application tasks which are completely executed by the software product, for instance showing learning objects or a lesson. |
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Interaction tasks. These tasks are performed by the user interacting with a computer, for instance, seeing a presentation, hearing a recorded presentation or reading bibliography. |
Task |
Description |
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Group tasks which are performed by several users with different roles without technology support. For instance a debate, discussion or tutorial activities. |
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Cooperation tasks. Tasks executed by several users interacting between them with technology support synchronous or asynchronously. In these tasks we can know who did what and how. This can be especially interesting when a task is done by a group of learners. |
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Collaboration tasks which are tasks performed by several users. These users work together and it is not important to know who does what. A focus group, brainstorming sessions or a class session is examples of this kind of tasks. |
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