“TOWARDS PREDICTIVE MODELS FOR E-LEARNING”
Maria Alexandra Rentroia Bonito,
Departamento de Engenharia Informática –
Abstract:
The doctoral work outlined in this document is part of an ongoing research program conducted at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) by GELO (Group for E-Learning in Organizations). Its main objective is to analyse the relationship between motivation-tolearn, usability of learning systems, and learning outcomes by using an integrated usability evaluation framework. The main research question is: Do e-learning programs, designed taking into account usability and motivation-to-elearn aspects, positively enhance learning outcomes? If so, what design variables are more relevant to motivate what groups to engage in e-learning? We propose a conceptual framework and its embodiment in an e-learning system. To assess its effectiveness, we developed an usability evaluation method to drive empirical tests. This evaluation method combines quantitative and qualitative measures and fosters design-oriented user feedback along the learning process. The characteristics of the proposed holistic evaluation method address some identified weaknesses in usability evaluation studies, such as the lack of: (a) an integrated conceptual approach to evaluate e-learning systems’ usability in the context of use, and (b) a design tool to bridge the designer-user communication gap in a cost-effective manner.
Preliminary results, garnered over the course of the last two years, with a small subject population, suggested that the proposed evaluation method allows an structured and design-oriented assessment on usability of e-learning systems taking into account learners’ motivation to e-learn. The proposed research work will test and validate these results by using a larger population, to yield a workable approach to predict e-learning outcomes. The main expected contribution of this research work is an empirically tested usability evaluation method that allows development teams to anticipate the impact of learners’ motivation and usability of e-learning systems on outcomes. This will contribute to support development teams’ decision-making process when designing e-learning experiences, focusing their effort on online learners’ valued items in specific learning situations.
Date: 2006-May-25 Time: 14:30:00 Room: Sala de Reuniões do DEI
For more information:
- susana.costa@inesc.pt
- 213100338
Upcoming Events
INESC Brussels HUB Winter Meeting 2023

This edition of the HUB Winter Meeting will be co-organised with Science Business and will take place on the 30 and 31 January, in Lisbon, at Instituto Superior Técnico, Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
Please see below a summary of the agenda, this will be updated on the INESC Brussels HUB website regularly (confirmed speakers and other relevant info). Places for onsite participation are limited so registration is mandatory. Online participants will be sent a ZOOM link for each specific session on the 27th January.
INESC Brussels HUB website: https://hub.inesc.pt/
Monday, 30 January
a) Digital Europe Programme & Chips Act: state of play and possibilities for INESC.
9h to 10h30 GMT
(Exclusive for INESC researchers and administrators).
b) Science Business: how can INESC tap into Science Business network, activities and communications tools.
(Exclusive for INESC researchers and administrators).
c) Networking Lunch (for all onsite participants).
d) Roundtable: From rhetoric to reality – Embedding international strategy in the DNA of research organisations.
(Closed-door, roundtable workshop, Chatham House rules, open to INESC researchers and administrators, external participants by invitation only).
e) Networking Dinner
(By invitation only – INESC researchers participating onsite in the event are elegible to join).
Tuesday, 31 January
f) Workshop: How they did it? Strategic positioning for structural success in Horizon Europe: a discussion of best practices.
(Exclusive for INESC researchers, administrators and international invited speakers).
g) The public consultation on European R&I Programmes: Towards FP10.
(Closed-door, roundtable workshop, Chatham House rules, open to INESC researchers and administrators, external participants by invitation only).
h) Networking Lunch (for all onsite participants).
i) Management Committee meeting (Directors and POB members)
The HUB Winter Meeting aims at bringing together researchers and administrators from the 5 INESC institutes, affiliated higher education institutions in Portugal and abroad, with key European and global players, to:
– Discuss key research and innovation issues at EU level.
– Inform institutional policy and strategy.
– Exchange best-practices about R&I management, career development and policy positioning.
– Promote, discuss and deliver vision, visibility, networking and impactful communication.
– Create, identify and deepen partnerships and collaboration opportunities for collaborative R&I.