Solearn: A Social Learning Network

Abstract

We have assisted the development of a significant number of e-learning systems, which have achieved great success in distance teaching and education, but most of these systems present some limitations and some disadvantages. Most of them are closed where learning resources are fixed and the adaptability, the flexibility, and social relations are ignored and in most cases are not taken into account at all, actors of such systems tend to have a minimal collaborative navigation, awareness features and social relations analysis and they often find themselves isolated without sensing what the rest of learning community is doing. Significantly, new technologies had recently emerged: the social concepts and the social awareness features leading significant change to collaboration and learning. These emerging technologies are increasingly being adopted to improve remote education and providing better enhancement for learning. These improvements are offered to students who, regardless of their computer systems, can collaborate to improve their cognitive and social skills. In this article, we present the concepts of a new learning paradigm: CSSL (Computer Supported Social Learning) and we have implemented a first prototype called SoLearn that groups some of those concepts. SoLearn (A Social Learning Network) aims to provide its users with a new learning experience based on social networks and enhanced with social awareness concepts.