Title: The case for an open science in technology enhanced learning

Authors: Peter Kraker; Derick Leony; Wolfgang Reinhardt; Günter Beham

Addresses: Know-Center, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 21a, 8010 Graz, Austria. ' Department of Telematic Engineering, Carlos III University of Madrid, Av. Universidad, 30, Edif. Torres Quevedo, E-28911 Leganés, Madrid, Spain. ' Department of Computer Science, University of Paderborn, Fürstenallee 11, 3102 Paderborn, Germany. ' Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 21a, 8010 Graz, Austria

Abstract: In this paper, we make the case for an open science in technology enhanced learning (TEL). Open science means opening up the research process by making all of its outcomes, and the way in which these outcomes were achieved, publicly available on the World Wide Web. In our vision, the adoption of open science instruments provides a set of solid and sustainable ways to connect the disjoint communities in TEL. Furthermore, we envision that researchers in TEL would be able to reproduce the results from any paper using the instruments of open science. Therefore, we introduce the concept of open methodology, which stands for sharing the methodological details of the evaluation provided, and the tools used for data collection and analysis. We discuss the potential benefits, but also the issues of an open science, and conclude with a set of recommendations for implementing open science in TEL.

Keywords: reproducible research; comparability; open methodologies; open access; open data; open source; research papers; barriers; research processes; research outcomes; internet; world wide web; disjoint communities; community connection; researchers; open science instruments; methodological details; data collection; data analysis; ground-breaking ideas; technology enhanced learning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTEL.2011.045454

International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning, 2011 Vol.3 No.6, pp.643 - 654

Received: 05 May 2011
Accepted: 04 Nov 2011
Published online: 26 Feb 2015 *

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