Deriving Semantics of Learning Mediation

Abstract

The web is seen as a promising platform for designing scalable educational practices across large populations. Many of the efforts in this space use the web primarily as an amplifier over existing models of learning that are based on the classroom. In this paper, we propose a pedagogic model called mediated learning where the web acts as a platform for nurturing a learning community by continuously mediating between knowledge need and expertise. Mediated learning has the potential to invert the learning pyramid by interfacing the learner with several experts as part of a single learning experience. For supporting mediated learning, an approach is needed that is data-intensive and driven by social semantics. This paper outlines the proposed pedagogic model, which comprises two primary components: a user-end navigator component that provides a rich interface enabling users to independently navigate through a learning space; and a back-end community component, that performs meaningful mediations between participants in the logical learning space.