Interactions for Learning as Expressed in an IMS LD Runtime Environment

The way pedagogical aspects are expressed in the user interface of virtual learning environments greatly impacts the learning process, in particular the interactions between students and other human or non-human actors in the learning environment. This paper presents an evaluation of how the interactions for learning are expressed in the user interface of an IMS Learning Design (LD) runtime environment. Specifically, we selected Reigeluth and Moore´s set of interactions for learning and tested how these are visually expressed and supported in the user interface of the SLeD Player. The findings show that there are several drawbacks in the current way of visualizing units of learning during runtime: the synchronization of participants in corresponding learning and support activities is not clearly expressed, the current role remains unclear in multi-role settings, and the nested display of unit of learning contents impedes navigation. Drawing from these findings, we provide indications regarding future development of IMS LD runtime user interfaces.