Eu-Tu: A proposal for an adaptive and

collaborative teaching and learning process

based on Frequently Ask Questions
George Alex Fernandes Gomes

Keywords: complexity theory ; interactions-based learning; learning and teaching

styles mediation ; FAQ.

The process of teaching and learning is complex and adaptive. No longer can consider
that it occurs only by the types and amounts of information already consolidated, but
also by actions that are established between the facts and the individuals involved in the
process (contextual knowledge).

The possibilities of teaching and learning are then expanded as teachers and students
come to be seen also as a source of innovative knowledge. In this new condition,
students want to explore the knowledge interactively and in accordance with their
preferences. Teachers should take advantage of these changes and, more than before,
assume their roles as a designer of learning, providing intentional educational activities.

The aim of our work is to examine how mediate teaching styles and learning,
considering a process of teaching and learning focused on the interactions.

For this, we considered two premises. First, the required characteristics of the new roles
of teachers and students depend on the ability to ask effectively. Second, when a
question is asked, both students and teachers put all their selves in that question,
including their preferences for learning and teaching.

Our initial proposal is to conduct an exploratory study to construct a collaborative and

adaptive learning system, using a FAQ, on a course on educational assessment.

In this sense, to identify the learning styles of students, we made a preliminary survey
with the Index of Learning Style and also analyzed the messages exchanged by them in

a discussion forum on the subject studied. Another survey was done to measure the
level of students perception about what is an evaluation and what it is for.

We will also perform a correlational study to investigate the association between

learning styles and types of questions asked by students in the FAQ, for example,
sensing students tend to make convergent questions, whose answers involve approaches
previously learned. To deepen the results achieved, we will perform a factorial
multivariate analysis to identify existing commonalities, such as students level of
awareness, training and gender.

In a second phase, we will make a cluster analysis to group students according to the
commonalities of styles. Groups built on learning styles (questioners) will exercise the
role of learners asking questions that will be answered by groups built on teaching
styles (tutors). Each tutor group will choose the issues they prefer to answer, among the
ones in the collection produced by questioners groups.

Our hypothesis is that, in analyzing the questions asked and the issues chosen to be
answered by groups, associations will be identified with the style typified for each
group.

Based on the results achieved, we will apply techniques of adaptive hypermedia and
collective intelligence, specifically, social recommendation, to form learning partners.

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