Ambient e-Learning: A metacognitive approach

In the last years, the importance of context-aware software applications able to provide personalized and adaptive services has been growing. Moreover, new innovative technologies make it possible to embed context-aware applications into everyday life objects in order to implement seamless user experiences. The research in the field of Ambient Intelligence is focused on these technologies. In particular, Ambient Learning denotes the presence of new ICTs embedded into the environment which leads to advanced e-Learning scenarios. The literature provides a set of requirements, which characterize the Ambient Learning processes that are required to be permanent, goal-directed, interactive, embedded in dayly life situations, personalized and context-aware. Both frameworks and technological mappings are provided to drive the definition of ambient e-Learning systems, nevertheless Self Regulated Learning is partially addressed, and it is not clear how these frameworks can enable Self Regulatory Processes to foster life-long learning. The goal of the present work is to address the aforementioned criticisms, providing a new framework for Ambient Learning that may also leverage on collective knowledge and objective-driven learning aspects to be exploited in synergy with the pillars of existing approaches. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.