The Zone of Proximal Development between Adaptive Learning and Reputation-based Group Activities

Vygotskij’s educational concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) calls for an adaptation of learning activities to the present state of learner’s knowledge and abilities. At the same time, Vygotskij’s educational model includes a strong bent towards social and collaborative learning. In practice, a tight integration between personalized and collaborative learning is called for. Along this line, we exploit two previously implemented prototypes of systems for web-based e-learning, to investigate the integration of adaptive e-learning with social learning activities, both at individual and group level. LECOMPS is a web-based e-learning environment for the automated construction of adaptive learning paths. SOCIALX is a web-based system for shared e-learning activities, which implements a reputation system to provide feedback to its participants. We propose a two-way tunneling strategy to integrate the above prototypes: the LECOMPS student model is used to select the set of social activities (met in SOCIALX) according to the present individual learner state of knowledge; on the other hand, the solution of exercises, and the associated reputation gained in SOCIALX, are used to update the LECOMPS student model. Under the social perspective induced by the integration, we present a mapping between the student model and the definition of Vygotskij’s Autonomous Problem Solving and Proximal Development regions, with the aim to provide the learner with better guidance, especially in the selection of available social learning activities.