Many tangible computational construction platforms are designed with new technologies and children's learning theories to assist children in learning computational concepts. This thesis explores how children learn computational concepts through these platforms, by focusing on three categories of tangible computational platforms: tangible programming systems, computational toolkits for crafts making, and computational interfaces for story creation. Our rationale for choosing these three categories is motivated by the hands-on learning theories argued by three influential educators: Montessori, Froebel and Vygotsky. Given this motivation, we design three dimensions of case studies: abstract thinking through functional blocks construction, creativity through crafts making and expression through stories creation, for analysis of children's learning of computational concepts vertically through three main categories of computational construction kits respectively. Each dimension of empirical studies obtains qualitative and quantitative results, and the results indicate that children have positive learning experience on each category of computational construction kits in different aspects. For the study in building functionality, we use a tangible programming system to study how children understand the abstract concepts by building functional blocks to simulate functions of smart clothing and flows of story, as well as computational concepts such as looping and branching. To study creativity through crafts making, three kinds of computational craft platforms are adopted as case studies. These are the Lilypad Arduino with TeeBoard platform, i*CATch apparel platform and i*CATch robotic platform. The focus is on crafts making in robotic and apparel domains, integrating traditional materials such as paper and cloth with the electronic devices. Through these three different design approaches of the computational craft platforms, we gain a deeper understanding of how children use

The research in applying data mining to education became very intensive, and web-based education continuously proliferated. Between learners and the information content, the interaction adaptation is the focus of a lot of studies, and then the framework of personalized e-learning is introduced and used in various application domains as a generic term. Many models of e-learning personalization are developed to collect the experiences generated in the learning process and analyze the characteristics based on the combined information of learners. Experiments are conducted by using statistical methods, data mining and semantic web mining to analyze LMS data, and the results prove the effectiveness in real-world practice. The concepts of learner profile and learning objects content are introduced for better utilizing any technologies methods to do the modeling. The network and repository of learning objects are designed to center the learner and monitor all interactions. At last, personalized services are adapted with optimal operations, content and sequence according to the well- modeled profile. This paper proposes a personalized e-learning system model which integrates data and text mining techniques for educational services personalization into the popular LMS software called Moodle. A number of mature technologies and methods are used with some customizations to provide the necessary functionalities and solve the integration problem of system. The model is implemented by developing plug-in and background programs of data collection, processing, data mining algorithms, and web user interfaces. At last, the solution system with real and simulated data is tested, and an assessment of student classification is conducted.

Internet technology evolution enables the collaboration of Higher Education and Internet technology by increasing the knowledge coverage volume and the speed of information transmission. Higher Education, as a social phenomenon, interacts and communicates with the society in many ways and is regard as a vital force in today's society. E-Learning, as an advanced teaching and learning method of Higher Education, is gathering more and more attention. The evaluation of E-Learning, especially its contribution to Higher Education, thus, is of great importance. This report tries to evaluate the contribution of E-Learning to the Higher Education system, based on a novel and constructive model of Higher Education system by connecting motive, process and performance together in terms of Competence Development. After the Evaluation, analyses have been carried out with each stage of the model, hidden problems are invested, and constructive recommendations are given at the end of the report. Firstly, the importance of competence-development-oriented Higher Education system is addressed and the irresistible trend of E-Learning is introduced; based on the theories of Higher Education motivation, the rules of human development, and the generic models referring to the competence development, a refined model of Higher Education system is established for further research. Secondly, questionnaire survey is distributed in order to obtain correlation and regression among factors being considered, the weight of each factor is calculated as well; stages in the model are illustrated separately by doing specified case studies (investigation, observation, content analysis) in terms of the basic E-Learning activities in the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong (HK PolyU). Thirdly, by analyzing the findings and results, we find that E-Learning, which allows individualized, adaptive and collaborative learning, also reflects some myths and problems. Constructive recommendations have also given afterwards