Juha Leino
email: juha.leino@uta.fi

Erika Tanhua-Piiroinen
email: erika.tanhua-piiroinen@uta.fi

Johanna Sommers-Piiroinen
email: johanna.sommers-piiroinen@uta.fi

Learning with Social Technologies: Workplace Learner Experiences of Wiki and Blog and Perceptions of PLE

Keywords: E-learning, wiki, blog, PLE, workplace, social learning

As social technology use is increasing in e-learning, so is the need to complement theoretical work with studies of learner experiences of the new dynamics of e-learning to guide this development. We studied how 15 learners experienced social media tools in a long continuous professional development (CPD) pilot training tailored for a large insurance company. While the training included some contact lectures, it was mainly conducted through blog, wiki, chat, and discussion forum tools. As we have already discussed forum and chat use in another paper on a shorter CPD training (with 40 learners) and this study confirmed the results, we focus here on learner experiences of wiki and blog. While the wiki process was widely misunderstood, wiki and blog experiences organically led learners to consider their uses as a personal learning environment. As to blog, the learners who saw it as a tool for self-reflection perceived it positively while others did not, underlining that the benefits and goals of using social tools need to be explicated. Furthermore, social learning process needs to be designed and maintained, as busy workplace learners tend to focus on fulfilling requirements. Simply adding social technology does not necessarily lead to social e-learning.

Introduction

Web 2.0 models and technologies have become enablers of learner-centered online learning, or social/collaborative e-learning [START_REF] Cole | Using Wiki Technology to Support Student Engagement: Lessons from the Trenches[END_REF]. Social media features, e.g. wikis, blogs, and chats, are increasingly part of e-learning in formal education and are also making inroads in continuous professional development (CPD) [START_REF] Dohn | Teaching with Wikis and Blogs: Potentials and Pitfalls[END_REF], [START_REF] Judd | Using Wikis for Collaborative Learning: Assessing Collaboration through Contribution[END_REF]. Learning by constructing knowledge through social interactions instead of memorization is widely seen as having a great potential for enhancing learning [START_REF] Cole | Using Wiki Technology to Support Student Engagement: Lessons from the Trenches[END_REF], [START_REF] Judd | Using Wikis for Collaborative Learning: Assessing Collaboration through Contribution[END_REF]. At the same time, however, many case studies have been less than successful (e.g. [START_REF] Cole | Using Wiki Technology to Support Student Engagement: Lessons from the Trenches[END_REF] and [START_REF] Choy | Implementing Wiki Software for Supplementing Online Learning[END_REF]) and there is an "ongoing debate about why and under what conditions cooperative peer-based learning is effective" [START_REF] Judd | Using Wikis for Collaborative Learning: Assessing Collaboration through Contribution[END_REF]. In effect, the prevailing unsubstantiated evangelizing means that we urgently need case studies to uncover the actual dynamics of using social tools in learning context [START_REF] Daneshgar | E-learning in Workplaces[END_REF][START_REF] Dohn | Teaching with Wikis and Blogs: Potentials and Pitfalls[END_REF]. This need is even more pronounced in the field of continuous professional development (CPD) where the ramification of using social media have been studied even to lesser degree [START_REF] Daneshgar | E-learning in Workplaces[END_REF].

In this paper, we discuss experiences and perceptions of fifteen workplace learners who took part in an over one-year long pilot training that used wiki, blog, chat, and discussion forum for learning. While we contrast this long expert-development training (LT=long training) with a similar but shorter and more intensive training (ST=short training) for workplace trainers where relevant, we do not otherwise discuss the results from ST here, as they were reported in [START_REF] Leino | Learner experiences and perceptions of using social media tools in formal workplace learning[END_REF].

Both LT and ST were tailored for large Finnish insurance companies (two trainings; two companies) by a professional training organization, Financial and Insurance Institute FINVA. These pilot courses were part of FINVA's drive to develop their trainings by adding social media features to them, and as such were not designed or conducted for research purposes, thus representing the organization's actual efforts. Prior to this drive to incorporate social media, electronic systems used in trainings had offered few social aspects and had basically been used to allow learners to submit assignments and to download materials.

The largely qualitative data provides us with an in-depth look at the actual dynamics of using social media tools in CPD trainings. Since the learner experiences of chat and discussion forum in LT and ST were practically the same, we focus here on learner perceptions of wiki (DokuWiki) and blog (B2Evolution). The learners who understood blog's potential for introspection viewed it positively while those who did not see this aspect viewed it negatively. Wiki failed to engender social learning process online; learners ended up doing the assignment face-to-face and simply putting the results in the wiki. Overall, learners widely felt that social media tools had no real purpose in the training.

Simultaneously, however, blog and wiki use experiences organically led users to envision their uses as a personal learning environment (PLE). Although this study did not focus on PLE related factors per se, assisting workplace learners in developing PLE is a central research theme in our overall project (F-Shape1 ). Consequently, we were interested in what kinds of PLE related concepts had emerged organically from using social media tools in the training.

We first briefly review literature on PLE and e-learning uses of wiki and blog, and then describe our study method and the two trainings in more detail. After looking in detail at wiki and blog use in the training, we turn to discussing motivational and moderation-related factors and how to engender interactive learning process.

2

Background: Blogs, wikis, and PLE

The way social media tools will be used in e-learning context will be different from their uses in other contexts [START_REF] Mcloughlin | Social Software and Participatory Learning: Pedagogical Choices with Technology Affordances in the Web 2.0 Era[END_REF]. Consequently, adding social media to e-learning is not so much about tools and technology but rather about "concepts, practices and attitudes" that guide incorporating social tools to be a part of e-learning [START_REF] Mcloughlin | Social Software and Participatory Learning: Pedagogical Choices with Technology Affordances in the Web 2.0 Era[END_REF] While blog use is proliferating in e-learning, the number of in-depth studies of its use is still inadequate [START_REF] Ladyshewsky | Peer Assisted Learning and Blogging: A Strategy to Promote Reflective Practice during Clinical Fieldwork[END_REF]. Used typically as a shared learning journal/diary, blog is seen as having potential to encourage reflective thinking [START_REF] Ladyshewsky | Peer Assisted Learning and Blogging: A Strategy to Promote Reflective Practice during Clinical Fieldwork[END_REF], [START_REF] Robertson | The Educational Affordances of Blogs for Self-directed Learning[END_REF]. Feedback from peers and trainers is seen as integral to the experience, as interactivity allows for coproducing knowledge [START_REF] Ladyshewsky | Peer Assisted Learning and Blogging: A Strategy to Promote Reflective Practice during Clinical Fieldwork[END_REF]. In using blogs, it is important to keep the number of contributions learners are expected to read and comment reasonable to maintain (inter) activity without overwhelming learners [START_REF] Ladyshewsky | Peer Assisted Learning and Blogging: A Strategy to Promote Reflective Practice during Clinical Fieldwork[END_REF][START_REF] Leino | Learner experiences and perceptions of using social media tools in formal workplace learning[END_REF]. While some case studies have been successful (e.g. [START_REF] Ladyshewsky | Peer Assisted Learning and Blogging: A Strategy to Promote Reflective Practice during Clinical Fieldwork[END_REF]), some have been less so [START_REF] Robertson | The Educational Affordances of Blogs for Self-directed Learning[END_REF]. Experiences from these studies underline the importance of suitable group size, providing detailed guidelines, and explaining benefits [START_REF] Ladyshewsky | Peer Assisted Learning and Blogging: A Strategy to Promote Reflective Practice during Clinical Fieldwork[END_REF], [START_REF] Robertson | The Educational Affordances of Blogs for Self-directed Learning[END_REF].

While blog centers on the individual, wiki is a collaboration tool designed to promote group interaction, a place where knowledge is iteratively co-constructed rather than absorbed or reproduced [START_REF] Ruth | The Wiki Way of Learning[END_REF][START_REF] Zenios | Knowledge Creation in Networked Learning: Combined Tools and Affordances[END_REF]. In effect, wiki provides educational affordances for both constructivist and collaborative learning approaches [START_REF] Cole | Using Wiki Technology to Support Student Engagement: Lessons from the Trenches[END_REF]. Still, as with blogs, research into using wikis in e-learning is "in its infancy" [START_REF] Ruth | The Wiki Way of Learning[END_REF] and many attempts of using it have been less than successful [START_REF] Choy | Implementing Wiki Software for Supplementing Online Learning[END_REF][START_REF] Cole | Using Wiki Technology to Support Student Engagement: Lessons from the Trenches[END_REF]. Besides proficiency issues [START_REF] Cole | Using Wiki Technology to Support Student Engagement: Lessons from the Trenches[END_REF]-even learners with IT background and initial training have had technical proficiency problems [START_REF] Choy | Implementing Wiki Software for Supplementing Online Learning[END_REF]-learners have had motivational problems [START_REF] Choy | Implementing Wiki Software for Supplementing Online Learning[END_REF][START_REF] Cole | Using Wiki Technology to Support Student Engagement: Lessons from the Trenches[END_REF], [START_REF] Ruth | The Wiki Way of Learning[END_REF]. Learners focus on activities that provide "the greatest perceived benefit" [START_REF] Cole | Using Wiki Technology to Support Student Engagement: Lessons from the Trenches[END_REF]. As currently only visible individual efforts are rewarded, promoting wiki use requires new approaches to assessment [START_REF] Cole | Using Wiki Technology to Support Student Engagement: Lessons from the Trenches[END_REF], [START_REF] Judd | Using Wikis for Collaborative Learning: Assessing Collaboration through Contribution[END_REF]. Also, course contents need to be designed around wiki use to avoid an add-on perception of wiki [START_REF] Choy | Implementing Wiki Software for Supplementing Online Learning[END_REF][START_REF] Cole | Using Wiki Technology to Support Student Engagement: Lessons from the Trenches[END_REF]. Finally, learners need to be made aware of their role in the process and the benefits of using wiki-valid pedagogical reasons for engagement-need to be pointed out [START_REF] Choy | Implementing Wiki Software for Supplementing Online Learning[END_REF][START_REF] Cole | Using Wiki Technology to Support Student Engagement: Lessons from the Trenches[END_REF], [START_REF] Ruth | The Wiki Way of Learning[END_REF].

Zenios and Holmes [START_REF] Zenios | Knowledge Creation in Networked Learning: Combined Tools and Affordances[END_REF] furthermore suggest that wikis should not be seen as standalone collaboration tools but rather as "repository spaces for storing and sustaining shared information and collaboratively created knowledge." Their study suggests that learners do not use wiki for communication, as social dialogue necessary for knowledge co-creation needs a more direct communication tool, e.g. Skype.

Personal Learning Environment (PLE) is a concept over which there is no consensus [START_REF] Attwell | The Personal Learning Environments -the Future of eLearning? eLearning Papers[END_REF], [START_REF] Fiedler | Personal Learning Environments: Concept or Technology?[END_REF]. While some researchers see it as a technological system, even as a standalone application, many others consider it more of a concept or an approach [START_REF] Attwell | The Personal Learning Environments -the Future of eLearning? eLearning Papers[END_REF], [START_REF] Fiedler | Personal Learning Environments: Concept or Technology?[END_REF]. PLE is a learner-centric "counter-concept" to institutionally owned and controlled learning landscapes [START_REF] Fiedler | Personal Learning Environments: Concept or Technology?[END_REF] that rejects the idea of one size fitting all and focuses on learner's individual needs [START_REF] Downes | Learning Networks in Practice[END_REF]. PLE is also a recognition of the continuous nature of learning, bringing both formal and informal learning together [START_REF] Attwell | The Personal Learning Environments -the Future of eLearning? eLearning Papers[END_REF]. While e.g. Downes [START_REF] Downes | Learning Networks in Practice[END_REF] sees PLE as consisting of "a set of related concepts, each associated with the technologies and applications of Web 2.0," Fiedler and Väljataga [START_REF] Fiedler | Personal Learning Environments: Concept or Technology?[END_REF] warn against the concept being reduced to a snapshot of digital artifacts available today.

Method, data, and participants

The long training (LT) lasted about one year and three months (Nov. 2010-Jan. 2012). Besides start-off and ending days, there were six 7-8 hour contact teaching days with lectures. Majority of the training, however, was carried out with social media tools: Blog (learning diary; no. of postings required not specified), discussion forum (two one-month discussions on given topics; the 1st had two threads with altogether 15 learners postings and the 2nd had three threads with altogether 5 learner and 3 trainer postings), chat (one session in small groups of 4-5), and wiki (one assignment in groups of 2-3 learners: describe customer-centricity at your unit/section).

The shorter training (ST) wi th forty participants, in contrast, lasted about three months and utilized chat (3 sessions), discussion forum (2 assignments), voice conferencing (2 sessions), and blog (3 assignments with one deadline). The only contact teaching days were the start-off and endings day. For details on ST research, see [START_REF] Leino | Learner experiences and perceptions of using social media tools in formal workplace learning[END_REF]. As social media tools in workplace e-learning represents a new field of study, studying it requires a qualitative case study approach to allow investigating complex social phenomena [START_REF] Lockyer | Integrating Social Networking Technologies in Education: A Case Study of a Formal Learning Environment[END_REF]. As a result, we collected learner input through interviews and questionnaires and observed online interactions as they took place (e.g. chats) in addition to using log data about interactions (e.g. wiki activity) and online artifacts (e.g. blog postings) as data sources. Data was collected throughout the training.

In LT, the semi-structured interviews were conducted after the training activities had ended as group interviews: Six learners (out of 15) were interviewed in two groups (G1 and G2), both consisting of three learners. The interviewed learners provide a rather comprehensive learner viewpoint of the training, as at least one of them was present as a member in every small group in the training except for one wiki group (out of the seven wiki groups) (see Table 1). The interview themes were selected to allow comparing the experiences in this training to other trainings we had already studied (including ST) and to plumb the wiki use and related experiences, as this is the only training we studied that used wiki. For studying PLE related factors-both not to lead learners and because the concept of PLE had not been introduced to learners-we asked open-ended questions that led learners to consider tool uses and their experiences of them in learning more widely.

Furthermore, learners were asked to blog about their perceptions of the training in the last blog posting, which thirteen learners (87%) did, thus proving us with further insight into learner experiences and perceptions of the training and the tools.

The learners' prior familiarity with social media varied. While some were very experienced chatters and had used Facebook for a long time, some others were not in Facebook and had no prior experience of chatting. Because of using Wikipedia and other wikis as information sources in everyday work, most were familiar with wikis as users. The tool training provided failed to level the skill differences; e.g. nonexperienced chatters experienced the chat as too fast-paced and disjointed while experienced ones felt that chatting became something akin to exchanging group emails.

We used a typical data coding approach to analyze the qualitative data. After transcribing non-text materials, we coded them into interview themes. These themes were further coded into subcategories based on themes emerging from the material.

While other pilots that we have studied, e.g. ST [START_REF] Leino | Learner experiences and perceptions of using social media tools in formal workplace learning[END_REF], offer supporting evidence to many findings, case studies of actual use represent a certain set of circumstances by nature and are thus subject to contextual influences. For instance, the behavior of instructors can influence learner behavior and experience [START_REF] Leino | Adding Social Media Features to Work-related Adult Learning: Educator Views, Expectations and Experiences[END_REF], as can the usability of the particular tools used; e.g. here the low usability of the wiki tool clearly influenced learner perception. Therefore, we need to exercise care in generalizing the results.

Blog: Perceptions and experiences

In ST, forty people submitted each three blogs (topics selected from ten given by trainers) to a common blog, resulting in a "gray mass" of text that "flooded" in close to the one deadline, effectively "numbing" the learners who made practically no comments (non-compulsory). The blog ended up a system of submitting assignments.

In contrast, in LT, blogs were used more like blogs in recreational use. Learners were instructed to use them as learning diaries and consequently saw them as such. With 15 learners and no one big deadline, the number of blogs remained sensible at 61 blog postings. Although learners felt that blogs did not provide much interactivity, 22 postings (36%) still received altogether 36 comments (1-3 per posting): 19 comments (53%) were by trainers, 8 (22%) by the poster, and 9 (25%) by peer learners.

The opinions over blogs' usefulness were clearly divided between G1 and G2. G1 considered blog the best tool in the training because it caused them to "analyze what I have learned for real," something that they felt would otherwise not have taken place. In contrast, G2 felt that "there was no function, no need for writing a blog." G2 in fact felt that none of the social media tools contributed much to the training and considered them to have been "glued on top" rather artificially. G1 also felt much the same way about all the other tools but blog. The significant difference is that G1 felt blog to have a clear purpose and that it had contributed to their learning.

In effect, workplace learners are busy and have no extra time for something the function of which they do not see. Learners need to understand the benefit that using the tool brings to be motivated to use it: "Somehow the understanding of what I benefit from this should've been communicated at the beginning-what do I benefit from writing this blog." Consequently, explicating the purpose and benefit of a tool can clearly spell the difference between a success and failure.

Learners felt that interactivity was "almost entirely missing" from blogs. With not enough comments, "…discussion or exchanging of ideas didn't take place," and "it stayed a bit diary-like." Learners did miss interactivity-"it would have been nice to read comments from others and then it might've led to you commenting that"-and were aware of blog's potential for sociality: "…it has all these features available." They saw continuous, active use-"that people would read and comment"-as a prerequisite for interactive process and felt that some compulsoriness could have helped: "It could be that if you had to go there, you might end up getting excited…" However, learners at the same time felt that there was little encouragement for reading postings.

Learners felt that there was no culture of interactivity in their organization. Interestingly, part of the reason may be that the organization management did have a blog. Learners felt that it was "tasteless and odorless," more akin to "politically correct" bulletin. The heavy style of informing rather than questioning or asking for opinions did not seem to invite discussion. Moreover, learners felt that since the content came from the management, "people don't dare to go there and comment."

Besides self-reflection, G1 also saw other benefits in blogging. They felt that blogs offered a way to get ideas and viewpoints from others: "…somebody who wrote about a contact day had remembered different things than I did and it was nice to read it … it allowed exchanging benefit, you know, that's a brilliant observation, I could use it, too, or at least remember that and that theory that I could put into use at work."

G1 members felt that the information that ended in the blogs was different from the information that is exchanged face-to-face, partially because of the type of information and partially because in face-to-face conversation, discussion moves on and if there was no suitable opportunity to say what was on their mind, it was forgotten. Also, writing things down gave them a chance to check facts and organize their thoughts better, allowing clearer communication and, again, introspection. They also emphasized that this way of writing deepened their learning: "…writing a blog makes you think about the subject matter and analyze it and organize what you are about to write, and that's cerebration and improves learning."

Both groups felt that knowing others will read the text affected their writing-style and the care put into writing: "You do it more carefully when you remember that many will read it, and so in a way you consider more carefully your conclusions…" This made blogging different from simply writing a learning diary on paper: "…it was quite nice that it wasn't just a learning diary but you also wrote it for others, you took that into consideration, thought about what would be nice to read."

Finally, G1 expressed displeasure that some had not contributed at all or had written their blogs at very superficial level, simply fulfilling the requirement: "…many blog postings… you didn't get inside the thoughts of the author based on them, what they had learned or what kinds of feeling at all they had about the contact days."

Wiki: Perceptions and experiences

Wiki assignment asked learners to "form a community understanding of how customer-centricity is realized in the [organization's name] structure." Learners were divided into small groups of 2-3 to describe this at unit/department level; one unit, one wiki page. Depending on their job description, learners were involved in generating 1-4 wiki pages. Learners uniformly saw wiki as a "chore" and as the worst social media tool in the training. Learners felt unmotivated to use wiki because trainers did not point out any function for it and presented it as something to try for the sake of trying. The problem was compounded by the fact that learners saw the wiki assignment as replication of a part of their intranet. Consequently, they felt their work would not be used for anything: "…I don't know if the results are used for anything since we have better descriptions in the intra…" It is important to have assignments that make sense to learners, that they see the benefit and purpose in what they do.

However, learner dislike of wiki here was not based on disliking or misunderstanding wiki or its purpose per se: "…wiki is a fabulous tool. Plenty of great examples on the Internet…" In fact, they constantly used various online wikis at work. Also, they were clear on the use logic: "…anybody can go there and [fix it] if they know better."

Learners did not see wiki as inherently interactive: "…if somebody does a wiki, the point is not to have a big yes-no tug-of-war happening; it's meant to be a writing that contains information." Also, many groups completed their wikis close to the deadline, leaving little time for interactivity even if learners had been motivated for it. Learners did feel, however, that ideally they would have read more wiki entries by others and expanded or corrected them but did not do it in this training because they felt that it was not wanted: "…there was such a possibility and we never used it, but I don't think we were meant to, either." They felt that they were not even encouraged to read the contributions of others, never mind expanding or correcting them. Still, they felt that this would have made wikis more interactive and using them more meaningful.

Interestingly, small groups made their wiki contributions by getting physically together by one computer and did most of the content as group work at one sitting. The possibility of collaborating through the features offered by the wiki was not emphasized in instructions and groups ended up treating wiki as a place where to put the end-result while complaining that "it was horribly hard for us to find common time."

PLE: Blog and wiki as one-stop information storage

When asked to think uses for social media tools for themselves, learners came up with ideas that strongly resembled the concept of PLE organically, i.e. without being introduced to the concept. Learners felt that blog could allow them to "collect their thoughts to one place and others could then read it, too" in addition to enabling themselves to "follow what I have done and when." However, it was wiki in particular that was seen as a good tool for PLE because "you can build out of wiki quite smartly" a place for "training contents… with links and everything else and so all the information would be [in one place]." Learners said that all lecture etc. notes could be entered there directly without first writing them on paper. Wiki was also seen as offering easy building blocks: "I'd have templates there and I'd simply have built it there." Sharing and interactivity were seen as part of PLE. Learners envisioned that sharing and allowing editing for others could result in a common place for solving problems as a group and for recording the solutions.

7

Motivation, moderation, and activity-cum-interactivity

Although the organization allowed learners to use working time for the training, learners had difficulties doing so, as finding time from work was challenging and learners prioritized work over study: "My boss said that you can use working time but [studying] took the last place because work matters were more important." The typical time for doing assignments at work was "Friday afternoon" "when even easy things began to feel complicated … when you no longer can focus but can't go home, either…" Also, learners typically left things close to the deadlines.

Consequently, motivating learners is very important. Now learners felt that social media tools were largely "glued on top" of the training without them having any real function or purpose. Learners felt this clearly reducing their motivation, and when asked what should be done differently, immediately emphasized giving a purpose for using social media tools: "Well, the first thing is to consider the function, purpose, reason why … that we are just testing is not very motivating."

Activity at the learning environment was seen as an important motivator. Learners felt that trainers should have actively made sure that all contribute and that way started a virtuous circle of more postings and more comments, resulting in interactivity. Without activity, "it simply dies." Learners felt that to engender more activity and interaction, consuming (e.g. reading) content should be encouraged and compulsoriness should be employed to keep learners returning: "You'd have a little compulsoriness, nothing more or less, a weekly assignment to go there and have a look" A community has to have "a critical mass" of activity to engender enough contributions to make going there "worthwhile." Moreover, when activity was not continuous, learners had to break inertia every time they did log in: "When you go there rarely, threshold of starting is always as high."

In effect, now learners described moderation as "vague" and felt that trainers should have been more active and direct in soliciting contributions. Learners wanted to have "encouragement and prompting," signs of monitoring-"tell us right from the scratch that 'we will be watching how you are doing there'"-to show that contributing was important, even if they knew that making contributions was ultimately up to them. Learners wanted clear rules instead of vague, infrequent pleas: "…clear dates and if I haven't written by then, something to prompt, some kind of sanction or maybe carrot to start it up." Learners appeared to want to be shown that what they did mattered instead of feeling that any nominal, low-quality contribution was enough.

Besides stick, learners also saw need for carrot, e.g. making high-quality contributions to stand out somehow. Besides showing that contributions are read and are important, this would also have given examples of what was expected. Now some learners mentioned first looking at the content by others to understand how to approach e.g. writing wiki content. In addition, learners hoped to have indicators of how they are doing, e.g. a traffic light signal of red (not nearly enough), orange (almost there), and green (good level of contribution) to encourage contributing. Furthermore, it is important that trainers themselves behave exemplarily; now learners felt that e.g. trainer blog with six postings (avg. 108 words; max 158 words) with one comment (by a trainer) was inactive and as such not a good example.

Without moderation engendering activity and e.g. wiki and forum activity condensing close to the deadline, learners saw the periods between contact days as "empty." Social media failed to engender a feeling of continuity in the training and learners felt that they had to tune in to the training again and again: "It didn't become a coherent package during which you could've seen an evolving whole..." Consequently, social media tools did not integrate into the training-"they popped up from somewhere and then went back to hiding"-and using them became a "chore."

As a solution, learners felt that instead of big deadlines, assignment should be divided into smaller deliverables with clear deadlines to engender activity, and reasonable compulsoriness should be used to engender interactivity around them. In addition, learners felt that when social media tools are to be used, learners should be preselected so that only learners "who're really ready to use the tools" would be selected and those "for whom it's absolutely new and foreign" and who have no enthusiasm for them would be offered more traditional trainings. Now the interviewed learners felt that some resisted the idea of social media which "encumbered the whole group."

Conclusion

Social e-learning, learning together with peers that is facilitated with social media tools and, in case of formal CPD, moderated by trainers, is not about tools per se. It is about a learning process that needs to be designed and maintained to foster social interaction, and as such, represents a paradigm shift both for learners and trainers. In this training, social process did not emerge: "We did it as individuals, not together-we didn't put social media into use in that sense." Learners did not understand their role or the role of the social media tools in the training, leading to lack of motivation. Consequently, as posited in [START_REF] Robertson | The Educational Affordances of Blogs for Self-directed Learning[END_REF][START_REF] Ruth | The Wiki Way of Learning[END_REF], explicating benefits of using social media tools and approaches is essential; learners need to understand why the tools are used and how to use them to engender the value-bringing social process. Now those learners who saw introspective point in blogging liked the tool but others saw it as pointless. Moreover, especially with asynchronous tools, e.g. wiki and blog, the process has to be designed to be continuous rather than condensing around big deadline(s) and leaving the social space otherwise dead. Furthermore, the process needs to be maintained with moderation to make sure that everybody makes quality contributions. Like Cole [START_REF] Cole | Using Wiki Technology to Support Student Engagement: Lessons from the Trenches[END_REF], learners in this training suggested breaking big assignments into smaller deliverables so that there would be new posting coming continuously and using judicious compulsoriness to engender interaction-commenting, correcting, and expanding-on those deliverables. This way the training/learning process could have continued between the contact days rather than learners having to re-orient to the training repeatedly.

Finally, learners organically envisioned PLE-like uses for wiki and blog. With guidance from trainers, it appears plausible that learners would be ready to start using suitable social media tools as shareable information storages where information could also be edited collaboratively, benefitting both themselves and other learners. In

Table 1 .

 1 Activity by interviewed and non-interviewed learners (*number of postings instead of learners as in others)

http://fshape.wordpress.com/f-shape-2010-2011/in-english/

summary, we need to move in our thinking further away from tool-centricity to learning process centricity, and see social media tools as means to the learning process rather than as an end onto themselves. Different tools offer different learning affordances, and while they represent an ever-changing and ever-evolving toolbox for fostering social e-learning process, they are not the process.


Sirpa Syvänen
email: sirpa.syvanen@uta.fi

Kati Tikkamäki
email: kati.tikkamaki@uta.fi

Dialogic Leadership and ICT-intensive Workplaces: How to Enhance Learning Potential

Keywords: learning potential in work contexts, dialogic leadership, application of technologies, participatory action research, cooperative and dialogic development

Work organisations face demanding challenges, such as expectations to be creative, innovative, agile, competitive, efficient and adept at using employees' knowledge while understanding and taking care of employees' wellbeing. Organisations are actively implementing new ICT systems and environments because they seem to increase the effectiveness of interaction and collaboration, workplace learning and work performance. Employees are expected to learn and to innovate continuously. Thus, managers often need to be social acrobats, combining basic tasks, managing projects and creating and meeting innovative goals. Work units may be potential and versatile learning and development spaces, but at the same time, existing routines, traditions and power relations in organisations create different kinds of boundaries and conflicts. Dialogic leadership might be one of the key factors in successful modern organisations. Dialogic leadership is a prerequisite to meeting the challenges mentioned above. In this paper, we examine the potential and challenges of dialogic leadership and learning when adopting and using e-Calendar (eC) in one of the Dinno programme's professional case organisations.

Introduction

Background: dialogic leadership and ICT in the Dinno programme

Modern work organisations face demanding challenges, such as expectations to be creative, innovative, agile, competitive, efficient and adept at using employees' knowledge while taking care of employees' wellbeing. Work has become more knowledge-, professional-, network-and virtual-based in many professions. As a result of this trend, employees and managers are continuously facing new learning challenges. Managers need to be social acrobats in order to combine basic tasks, manage projects and set innovative goals [START_REF] Ruohonen | Changing Leadership Cultures In: E-Commerce Service Industry[END_REF]. They also need to be social architects in order to foster learning and innovation [START_REF] Barrett | Creating Appreciative Learning Cultures[END_REF]. We suggest that dialogic leadership is the crucial factor in handling these contradictory challenges.

This paper is based on the Dialogic leadership promoting innovativeness research programme (Dinno project 2012-2014, www.dinno.fi) funded by Tekes (the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation). The Dinno project is a multidisciplinary programme, combining theories of creativity, innovativeness, learning, motivation and leadership [START_REF] Syvänen | Dialoginen johtaminen innovatiivisuuden tekijänä[END_REF]. Tekes funds working life development and research projects having significant novelty and research with applicable results, bringing together different research branches of science. The organisations subscribing to the programme represent both the private and public sectors. These organisations range from local government (educational, social and health sectors, municipalities) and state (professional expert organisations) organisations to private enterprises (service and professional organisations).

The research task of the programme is to determine how dialogic leadership can enhance the creativity and innovativeness of organisations. The programme strives to promote innovativeness, sustainability of working life, productivity and competitiveness by combining various multidisciplinary scientific and theoretical viewpoints. The main themes include: 1) dialogic leadership, power and responsibility, especially in terms of organisational restructuring, 2) dialogic and innovative learning spaces, especially in technology-intensive work environments, 3) dialogic skills of leaders, especially in challenging situations, 4) dialogic career management, especially downshifting and 5) dialogic development methods as sources of creativity and innovativeness.

Work processes in many sectors depend heavily on technical mediation. Technology has changed working methods, communication and knowledge management in different types of work and service units. Organisations are actively implementing new ICT (information, communication and technology) systems and environments because they believe they will increase the effectiveness of interaction and collaboration, workplace learning and work performance [START_REF] Korpelainen | Information and Communication Technology Adoption at Work[END_REF]. At the same time, routines, traditions and power relations in organisations create different kinds of boundaries and conflicts [START_REF] Syvänen | Evil Eleven Syndrome. Dark Side of Workplaces. Pressures at Work and Costs of Non-interference[END_REF][START_REF] Hodson | Disorganized, Unilateral and Participative Organizations: new insights from the ethnographical literature[END_REF] between various actors. This trend also challenges traditional leadership and management. In this paper, the focus is on theme two of the Dinno project. The research task is to determine what kind of prerequisites and preconditions ICT-intensive work organisations create for dialogic leadership and innovative learning spaces. Particular attention is paid to the challenges related to employees' skills and attitudes toward using a new application and organising work processes using that application.

Theoretical frameworks: dialogical leadership and learning

Employee participation and workplace innovations have a key role in efforts to achieve a more sustainable working life, improved performance and competitiveness for organisations. Innovativeness can be increased by wider employee participation, the sharing of knowledge and motivation [e.g. [START_REF] Amabile | A Model of Creativity and Innovation in Organizations[END_REF][START_REF] Whitney | Appreciative Leadership. Focus on What Works to Drive Winning Performance and Build Thriving Organization[END_REF].

The Dinno project is based on theories of creativity, innovativeness, learning, motivation and leadership [e.g. [START_REF] Amabile | A Model of Creativity and Innovation in Organizations[END_REF][START_REF] Whitney | Appreciative Leadership. Focus on What Works to Drive Winning Performance and Build Thriving Organization[END_REF][START_REF] Bass | Transformational Leadership[END_REF][START_REF] Deci | Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development and well-being[END_REF][START_REF] Isaacs | Dialogue and the Art of Thinking. A Pioneering approach to Communication in Business and in Life[END_REF][START_REF] Wenger | Communities of Practice. Learning, Meaning and Identity[END_REF][START_REF] Yankelovich | The Magic of Dialogue: Transforming Conflict into Cooperation[END_REF]. The programme creates a multidisciplinary theoretical framework of dialogic leadership to be used in promoting workplace innovation. In addition, Dinno project combines societal, organisational, workplace and individual perspectives. The theoretical framework can be used to identify the preconditions, obstacles and catalysts of organisational creativity and innovativeness.

Dialogic leadership provides an opportunity to reconcile the needs of organisations and their employees. Its central principles are appreciative interaction, listening and the equal participation of different groups of employees in the development of activities [START_REF] Isaacs | Dialogue and the Art of Thinking. A Pioneering approach to Communication in Business and in Life[END_REF][START_REF] Yankelovich | The Magic of Dialogue: Transforming Conflict into Cooperation[END_REF]. Dialogic leadership increases organisations' capacities for renewal and innovativeness, and simultaneously offers the necessary preconditions for employee wellbeing, skill development and enhancing work capability.

According to the theoretical framework, organisations are examined as potential but contradictory learning spaces [START_REF] Tikkamäki | Työn ja organisaation muutoksissa oppiminen -etnografinen löytöretki työssä oppimiseen[END_REF][START_REF] Syvänen | Development Organizations and Dialogues among Services for Elderly[END_REF]. The main modes of organisational learning are participation, knowing, social interaction and supporting and reflecting [START_REF] Wenger | Communities of Practice. Learning, Meaning and Identity[END_REF][START_REF] Tikkamäki | Työn ja organisaation muutoksissa oppiminen -etnografinen löytöretki työssä oppimiseen[END_REF][START_REF] Blacker | Knowledge, Knowledge Work and Organizations: An Overview and Interpretation[END_REF]. All these modes take place in individual, communal and organisational contexts. Figure 1 summarises the modes of learning potential and dialogic leadership in ICTintensive work contexts. When implementing and using new technologies, the challenge is to recognise, coordinate and develop these modes of learning potentials. Dialogic leadership is one of the key factors in successfully meeting this challenge. The critical questions from the point of view of dialogic leadership and ICT-mediated work processes are:

 Are the management and organisational cultures promoting participation or withdrawal?

 What are the possibilities and forums for participation, learning and development?  How is the knowing constructed, developed and shared?  What are the forms of social interaction and is there enough support?  Are there possibilities for reflection?

Implementing and using ICT systems takes place through participation. It is essential to coordinate the operations, interpretations and meanings in an effective way. The crucial issues are: 1) whether ICT systems promote or inhibit participation and 2) determining what kind of participation they allow. Employees can be active or passive participants, social interaction can take the form of participation or withdrawal and the organisational culture might be permissive or compulsive [START_REF] Tikkamäki | Työn ja organisaation muutoksissa oppiminen -etnografinen löytöretki työssä oppimiseen[END_REF]. We believe that through dialogic leadership, it is possible to promote active participation and a permissive culture. However, we wonder whether ICT systems and technological applications promote active and meaningful participation.

In the current global economy, the generation and assimilation of knowledge would appear to be indispensable to the success of any organisation. According to Blackler [START_REF] Blacker | Knowledge, Knowledge Work and Organizations: An Overview and Interpretation[END_REF], knowledge in organisations takes the form of knowing, which refers to the situated, mediated, temporary, pragmatic and contested nature of knowledge. Today, knowing is heavily ICT-mediated. Technical applications and programmes have speeded up the exchange of information, created easier access to information and allowed many people to access information simultaneously [START_REF] Korpelainen | Information and Communication Technology Adoption at Work[END_REF]. The challenge for organisations and managers is to create relevant forums and spaces for the generating, interpreting, combining and sharing of knowing.

Social interaction and collective learning processes play an important role in organisational learning [e.g. [START_REF] Syvänen | Evil Eleven Syndrome. Dark Side of Workplaces. Pressures at Work and Costs of Non-interference[END_REF][START_REF] Tikkamäki | Työn ja organisaation muutoksissa oppiminen -etnografinen löytöretki työssä oppimiseen[END_REF][START_REF] Syvänen | Development Organizations and Dialogues among Services for Elderly[END_REF][START_REF] Illeris | Three Dimensions of Learning: Contemporary learning theory in the tension field between the cognitive, the emotional and the social[END_REF][START_REF] Wenger | Communities of Practice and Social Learning Systems[END_REF]. It has also been found that employees choose to learn how to use ICT systems in informal learning situations by asking peers and solving problems together with colleagues while working [START_REF] Korpelainen | Information and Communication Technology Adoption at Work[END_REF]. Individual and collective meanings are negotiated and developed during social interaction. This negotiation process might also create negative rationales for conventions and routines [START_REF] Syvänen | Evil Eleven Syndrome. Dark Side of Workplaces. Pressures at Work and Costs of Non-interference[END_REF]. Supporting is one critical factor in meaningful interaction and learning. It includes peer support and encouragement to participate. The organisational culture may be competitive or cooperative [see cooperation strategies 5]. Dialogic leadership plays a crucial role in promoting cooperation and in supporting organisational cultures [START_REF] Isaacs | Dialogue and the Art of Thinking. A Pioneering approach to Communication in Business and in Life[END_REF].

Reflective processes are key factors in learning. Reflections should take place in individual, collective and organisational contexts [START_REF] Tikkamäki | Työn ja organisaation muutoksissa oppiminen -etnografinen löytöretki työssä oppimiseen[END_REF][START_REF] Syvänen | Development Organizations and Dialogues among Services for Elderly[END_REF][START_REF] Raelin | Public Reflection as the Basis of Learning[END_REF][START_REF] Vince | Organizing Reflection[END_REF]. Reflection means evaluating participation, which may take the form of breaking assumptions, questioning or inquiring. It is crucial to create forums and spaces for reflection, as well as to make reflection an integral part of work and development processes [START_REF] Syvänen | Evil Eleven Syndrome. Dark Side of Workplaces. Pressures at Work and Costs of Non-interference[END_REF][START_REF] Tikkamäki | Työn ja organisaation muutoksissa oppiminen -etnografinen löytöretki työssä oppimiseen[END_REF][START_REF] Syvänen | Development Organizations and Dialogues among Services for Elderly[END_REF]. Reflection is crucial when applying and using new technical solutions. However, do ICT systems promote or inhibit reflective processes?

In this paper, we will examine the crucial modes of organisational learning and the principles of dialogic leadership, focusing on implementing and using a new ICT application in one of the Dinno project's case organisations. The focus is particularly on the challenges related to employees' attitudes and skills in using e-Calendar (henceforth eC) and on how eC enables the organising of work processes, mutual schedules and services. We will present a short case study example where the modes of participating, knowing, interacting and reflecting are challenged by a new technological application -the eC.

Methodological framework: participatory action research and case study

The research data for Dinno project is generated using both quantitative and qualitative methods, such as participatory action research and case studies, an innovativeness questionnaire, thematic seminars and workshops, individual and group interviews, letters and diaries and reflective conversation [START_REF] Syvänen | Dialoginen johtaminen innovatiivisuuden tekijänä[END_REF].

Alongside the actual research programme activities, a number of more practically oriented participatory action research projects are carried out, with a special focus on dialogic leadership, participatory and creative development methods, performance and quality of working life. The data consists of the personnel's descriptions of everyday life and activities, work and interaction in work communities. The case study discussed in this article is one of the professional case organisations in the practically oriented participatory action research project.

The case study tells about a new professional organisation that was established during one of the Dinno programme's action research project at the beginning of 2011. Arguments about the restructuring process were based on economics; a lack of resources forced five independent service units from various municipalities to join together to establish a new organisation. There had been various organisational changes during the dialogic development project. For instance, the professional organisation was divided into two functional areas, the southern and the northern areas. Two responsible managers were assigned to those geographical areas.

As is typical for action research processes, this development project was centred on the collaborative development of the practices of work communities, with the purpose of finding solutions to problems brought up by the local actors. The most important development forums and spaces for dialogue (concerning eC) have been the organisation's development group, the managers' meetings, the meetings of the southern and northern areas, the meetings of the teams and the development discussions between managers and employees.

Results: challenges related to applying e-Calendar

In this new organisation, there was an absence of mutual forums or systems to plan and schedule services, and actions. There was also a lack of co-operation between managers and employees, both on an individual and a team level. The main challenges were focused on the great geographical distances between five service units. The organising of work processes and management could not depend on faceto-face interaction anymore. New working and communication environments necessitated the use of electronic systems to communicate and schedule mutual actions and work processes.

Two service units had previously used an eC. The challenge was to integrate the eC into a new organisation as a modern way of working and co-operating. The main challenges of the application and development processes appear in the figure below:

Attitudes, emotions, routines

"No one wants to use the new system. There is a fear of losing control and losing independence."

Skills and support

"I am sure that we will find internal trainers among our own staff. We must take care that they have enough time to do their jobs and support each other."

System problems

"There are many difficulties in using the new systemproblems with equipment, computers, programmes and mobile phones."

Motivation

"It was noticedthe lack of internal motivation to learn a new system. Not everyone uses it."

Principles, commitment

"There are different ways and principles of using the eC system." "Not everyone puts all the relevant information in eC on time; it affects the other people badly."

These problematic issues concerning eC were discussed in several dialogical learning arenas and forums. Managers experienced very important to create collective principles to eC. They wanted to stress the importance of the commitment to the eC system and wanted to investigate the personnel's support needs. Managers took the problems related to the eC seriously and wanted to solve them. Based on the principles of dialogic leadership and learning, all personnel were given an opportunity to share their experiences of applying the eC. Supportive discussions occurred twice in the development group, twice in the service unit staff and once in employeemanager development discussions.

The reflections were very important because many problems emerged. The quantity of problems decreased, but the major problems remained: some of the employees did not want to use the eC system, some major mistakes had been made because of a lack of knowing and negative attitudes and a lack of commitment was reported. Some employees hid their lack of their knowledge about eC from managers and colleagues. This was the main reason they did not want to use the system. Because of this, some clients were negatively affected. For example, some appointments relating to specific services and clients vanished from the system. Some users even cancelled their own appointments. Because of these problems, people believed the whole system to be unreliable. After these reflections, agreements were made between managers supporting personnel. Each one emphasised the employer's obligation to use eC and to act according to the mutual principles. Managers stressed the commitment to eC.

From the point of view of dialogic leadership and learning, participation is not even possible if the solution, programmes, connections or devices do not work, or if the employees do not have the relevant skills, instructions and equipment to use them. A crucial aim is to map out and break the barriers to participation, which may be related to attitudes, motivation, a lack of skills, a lack of leadership or rigid organisational structures. It is important to notice what kind of knowing the participants have or should have when implementing a new technical solution. Employees also need to know the arguments for a new application. It is important to create spaces for generating and sharing knowing as well as to recognise the knowledge gaps. In our example, the employees who used the eC earlier had valuable knowledge that was used as a collective learning resource during the development process. It is also important to facilitate forums for social interaction, support and dialogue. Knowing, creation, learning processes and social support take place during social interactions. Shared meanings and understanding are crucial when developing collective work processes and operations. In the case example, the participatory action research project created a dialogic forum for different professionals and new workmates. The prerequisites for adopting new technological applications and learning new skills are the capability and possibility for reflection. Time and space are needed for individuals and communities to question, consider and evaluate work processes, behaviour models and habits and judgments.

When employees are expected to adopt new work tools and change their ways of thinking and acting, managers need dialogic leadership skills. They should listen to the employees, respect employees' experiences and viewpoints, suspend the selfevident ways of thinking and routines as well as voicing all the members of work community [START_REF] Isaacs | Dialogue and the Art of Thinking. A Pioneering approach to Communication in Business and in Life[END_REF].

Conclusions

The benefits of ICT systems include speeding up the exchange of information, ensuring easy access to information, allowing many people to access information simultaneously and making it easier to reach people. However, the implementation of new ICT applications often results in problems and failures as the applications do not always work as planned [START_REF] Korpelainen | Information and Communication Technology Adoption at Work[END_REF].

The case study illuminated the learning and dialogical leadership challenges related to implementing a new technological application-the eC. ICT systems have huge potential when developing work processes and managing knowledge. However, there are also many challenges to be aware of. Based on the preliminary data and the analysis of the case example, when implementing new technical applications, the focus should be on meaningful participation, possibilities for generating and sharing knowledge, supportive interactions and spaces for reflection. Referring to Isaacs [START_REF] Isaacs | Dialogue and the Art of Thinking. A Pioneering approach to Communication in Business and in Life[END_REF], dialogic leadership is carried out by listening, respecting, voicing and suspending. The development project presented in the case example is based on these principles. Participating, knowing, interacting and reflecting create potentials for learning and these potentials for learning can be achieved through dialogic leadership.

The research task for theme two is to discover the possibilities and attempt to solve the problems ICT-intensive work contexts create for dialogic leadership and dialogic learning spaces. We are at the beginning of our research journey. The next step is to generate more data via the innovativeness questionnaire to discover more about the relationship among ICT systems, dialogic leadership and learning.

Fig. 1 .

 1 Fig. 1. Modes of learning potential and dialogic leadership [11] in ICT-intensive work contexts [modified from 14].

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. This research is funded by National Funding Agency of Technology and Innovation (Tekes Finland) and supported by grants of The Finnish Work Environment Fund (TSR) and Finnish Information Processing Association (FIBA)


I-Chin Wu

Wen-Shan Chen

Evaluating the Practices in the E-Learning Platform from the Perspective of Knowledge Management

Keywords: Analytic hierarchy process, E-learning platform, Knowledge management practices, Learning analytics and modelling

A growing number of higher education institutions have adopted asynchronous and synchronous Web-based learning platforms to improve students' learning efficiency and increase learning satisfaction. To understand how students use e-learning platforms and what the implications are, we conducted an empirical study of the iCAN e-learning platform, which has been widely used in Fu-Jen Catholic University. We use the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multi-criteria evaluation approach, to compare five practices of the teaching platform. We designed a questionnaire to measure learners' perception of the e-learning platform based on the theory of knowledge transforming process in knowledge management. Accordingly, the model considers functioning and objectivity in terms of the following three dimensions of learning effectiveness: individual learning, group sharing and learning performance. Twelve criteria with twelve evaluation items were used to investigate the effectiveness of the five practices. We also evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of the functions based on the types of courses in the iCan platform. We expect that the empirical evaluation results will provide teachers with suggestions and guidelines for using the e-learning platform effectively to facilitate their teaching activities and promote students' learning efficiency and satisfaction.

Introduction

The development of computer technology and the Internet has affected the most basic form of education, i.e., the traditional face-to-face teaching; therefore, leading the way of education has been influenced significantly [START_REF] Kinshuk | Cyber Schooling Framework: Improving Mobility and Situated Learning[END_REF]. Chen, Kinshuk & Wang (2005) [START_REF] Kinshuk | Cyber Schooling Framework: Improving Mobility and Situated Learning[END_REF] advanced a cyber-schooling framework that uses the familiar traditional school structure as its basis and attempts to enhance it through the use of technology to overcome the shortcomings of traditional education and study without the time and space restrictions. The traditional teaching model is based on learning in a fixed location such as a classroom, which lacks of mobility [START_REF] Norris | Log on Education: Examining 25 Years of Technology in U.S. Education[END_REF]. Apart from fixed locations that restrict various teaching activities, the traditional teaching model has other limitations, e.g., the tuition times are inflexible [START_REF] Riffell | Student Perceptions of a Hybrid Learning Format: Can Online Exercises Replace Traditional Lectures[END_REF].

Unlike traditional learning methods, e-learning platforms allow teachers to communicate with students and discuss course content anytime or anywhere. Thus, it is a very important that we determine how to combine technology and education to facilitate knowledge exchange across national boundaries without time constraints. In this study, we measured "learners' perception of the e-learning platform" based on the theory of knowledge transforming process in knowledge management (KM). KM is a cycle, sometimes repeated process, which generally includes creation, management and sharing activities [START_REF] Davenport | Working Knowledge-How Organizations Manage What They Know[END_REF]. [START_REF] Gray | Integrating Knowledge Management Practices Through a Problem Solving Framework[END_REF] [START_REF] Gray | Integrating Knowledge Management Practices Through a Problem Solving Framework[END_REF] advance a KM framework that seeks to categorize and integrate the creation, storage and propagation of knowledge into a single model on the view that the problem-solving process is a vehicle for connecting knowledge and performance. Knowledge can generate the value when it is used to solve problems, explore opportunities and make decisions. Therefore, many organizations adopt learning platforms to promote the inner communication of knowledge. Also, schools adopt learning platforms to enhance students' learning quality. Thus, teaching platforms are becoming important and useful tools for supporting students' learning activities.

In order to enhance the learning quality of students and encourage communication between students and teachers, many schools incorporated various kinds of teaching platforms and then counseled teachers and students on how to use them. The development of the e-learning platform paid more attention to the technology aspects than the user-centered design issues [START_REF] Granić | Usability Testing and Expert Inspections Complemented by Educational Evaluation: A Case Study of an e-Learning Platform[END_REF]. In this work, we aim to evaluate the elearning platform from the aspect of the user's experiences. Furthermore, the evaluation of learning platforms is a multiple decision problem. A learning platform has many different functions that need to be completely considered. Therefore, we adopt the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multi-criteria evaluation approach [START_REF] Saaty | A Scaling Method for Priorities in Hierarchical Structure[END_REF], to evaluate users' perceptions after using the learning platform. We adopted the AHP in this work because the approach was superior to traditional questionnaire methods in representing human perceptions [START_REF] Sato | Questionnaire Design for Survey Research: Employing Weighting Method[END_REF]. The AHP not only gets the most important alternative but also ranks the results by conducting pair-wise comparisons for all estimated alternatives. We selected iCan as our research target, the main elearning platform used by Fu-Jen Catholic University since 2005. To summarize, the objectives of the research are as follows:  We adopted brainstorming approach to design a questionnaire based on the theory of knowledge transforming process. Three dimensions are considered in the questionnaire. They are individual learning, group sharing, and learning performance.  We aim to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of different kinds of functions offered in the e-learning platform. There are five types of practices (functions) in the iCan are investigated in our questionnaire. They are homework, discussion board, material download, chat room, and learning index.  To understand the functionalities of different practices offered in the iCan platform for types of courses, we will analyze and explain the empirical evaluation results based on the course types which are technology, and management courses.

Basic Concepts

Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)

The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a well-known approach to resolving the decision-making problem about multiple criteria [START_REF] Saaty | A Scaling Method for Priorities in Hierarchical Structure[END_REF]. This method is an effective and practical approach that considers complex and unstructured decisions. The AHP systemically structures complex problems into a hierarchy and uses quantitative methods to evaluate alternatives that would help decision-makers choose the most appropriate solution. There are mainly three steps for considering decision problems through the AHP: constructing hierarchies, comparative judgment and synthesis of priorities. The first step is structuring the complicated problem into a hierarchy descends from an overall objective to various criteria, sub-criteria, and so on until the lowest level. The next step is determining the priorities of the elements at each level and developing the comparison matrix. The last step is synthesizing priorities from the second level down by multiplying local priorities by the priority of their corresponding criterion in the level above and adding them for each element in a level according to the criteria it effects [START_REF] Saaty | A Scaling Method for Priorities in Hierarchical Structure[END_REF].

Model Perception by Fuzzy Linguistic Approach

It is hard to assess qualitative problems by using precise values, leading to the use of the fuzzy linguistic approach [START_REF] Sato | Questionnaire Design for Survey Research: Employing Weighting Method[END_REF]. The fuzzy linguistic approach is an approximating technique that could model human perception and help human decision-making. The fuzzy number plays a fundamental role in formulating the semantic meaning of the linguistic term, which represents the approximate value of each linguistic term. For assessing the relevance degree between objects (e.g., document, criteria etc.), the variable Relevance is defined and the corresponding terms-very low, low, normal, high, very high, perfect-are defined to express the context of Relevance. Notably, each linguistic variable is characterized by a quintuple (S, E(S), U, G, M) as defined in Definition I, and each linguistic term is modeled by a triangular fuzzy number (TFN) as defined in Definition II. Definition I [START_REF] Zadeh | The Concept of a Linguistic Variable and Its Application to Approximate Reasoning[END_REF]) [START_REF] Sato | Questionnaire Design for Survey Research: Employing Weighting Method[END_REF]: A linguistic variable is expressed as a quintuple (S, E(S), U, G, M) where S is the name of the variable; E(S) is the linguistic terms of S, that is the set of its linguistic values range over universe of discourse U; G is a syntactic rule (a grammar) that generates linguistic term set in E(S); and M is a semantic rule that assigns meaning, m(e), to each linguistic term e in E with a fuzzy set on U. Definition II [START_REF] Dubis | Operations on Fuzzy Numbers[END_REF] [5]: A fuzzy number Z is a "normal" and "convex" fuzzy set defined on the set R , and Z is a closed interval for every (0,1].

The membership function f z (x) of the triangular fuzzy number (TFN) Z=(l, m, r) is given below.

( ) /( ) ( ) ( ) /( ) 0 Z x l m l l x m f x r x r m m x r otherwise               (1)
This work adopts the center of area (COA) method to calculate fuzzy numbers, owing to its simplicity and practicability. The COA method calculates the fuzzy mean under uniform probability distribution assumption [85], [START_REF] Liu | Task-based K-Support System: Disseminating and Sharing Task-relevant Knowledge[END_REF]. If the fuzzy number Ũ is triangular, where Ũ=(l, m, r) the crisp rating can be derived by the equation:

CV(Ũ)=[(r-l)+(m-l)]/3+l 3
The Framework

We designed three directions from the perspective of the knowledge management system. Each dimension has its own associated criteria, as shown in Table 1. We explain each dimension briefly as follows. In addition, due to the page limitation, the statements of the criterion of each dimension are summarized in Table 1.

Individual Learning: Individual learning is defined as students who can build knowledge and experience personal growth through individual reflection and through their interactions with the others and the environment [START_REF] Forcheri | ICT Driven Individual Learning: New Opportunities and Perspectives[END_REF]. In this work, we focused on how students employ the e-learning platform to achieve individual learning. For example, students can download and review the materials, deliver homework, or do the quizzes on the learning platform. Specifically, we use four criteria to evaluate the dimension of individual learning, as listed in Table 1.

Table 2. Statements of the criterion

Course types Dimensions Criteria Statement

Technology and Management courses

Individual learning

Independent learning

Obtaining the ability to acquire the knowledge of courses by themselves successfully.

Information use

Gaining the capability to apply knowledge learned from the platform.

Finding the answers to questions

Obtaining the ability to discover answers of existing questions.

Exploring new issue

Exploring new issues from the learning process at the learning platform.

Group sharing

Learning support

Gaining the teaching support by communicating with instructors on the learning platform.

Knowledge sharing

Sharing information and knowledge within the learning group in the platform. The learning contents and processes can be enriched.

Enhancing learning attitude

Enhancing learning attitudes and enriching the learning contents by group learning processes.

Collaboration

Improving the participation in team project.

Learning performance

Efficiency

Increasing the efficiency because of the ease of finding the information from the platform.

Learning achievement

Increasing the testing score and evaluation grade.

Completeness of learning

Achieving the completeness of learning process more easily.

process

Sense of accomplishment

Obtaining a sense of achievement by resolving the problems from the learning platform.

Group Sharing: Group sharing is defined as students working in a group to complete a specific task, make decisions or solve problems. The e-learning platform is a good technology for education to facilitate communication and collaboration for better knowledge sharing [START_REF] Beckman | Collaborative Learning: Preparation for the Workplace and Democracy[END_REF] [START_REF] Johnson | Cooperative Learning: Increasing College Faculty Instructional Productivity[END_REF]. The difference between traditional learning and elearning is that students can talk face-to-face in traditional learning. It is synchronic. On the other hand, with e-learning, students can share their thinking via the functions in the platform; sometimes it is synchronous and other times it is asynchronous. For example, a chat room is a function that allows students to discuss to each other synchronously, while a message board helps students discuss issues asynchronously. We use four criteria to evaluate the dimension of group sharing, as listed in Table 1.

Learning Performance: Learning performance may be measured by quantitative factors such as course grades or the time to search required data, or qualitative factors such as a sense of accomplishment or achievement [START_REF] Patterson | A New Way To Evaluate Learning and Training?[END_REF]. It is an essential part of learning, and it is quite important for students and teachers to evaluate the learning and teaching results. In this paper, we use four criteria to evaluate the dimension of learning performance. They are efficiency, learning achievement, completeness of learning process and sense of accomplishment.

Evaluation Setup

We adopted the AHP approach to develop the framework used to evaluate the effectiveness of functions in the iCan e-learning platform. We talked with two professors and several graduate students to design the questionnaires. We will briefly describe each investigation issue from the results of the questionnaire.

Data collection

First, we selected the courses offered in Fu-Jen Catholic University's College of Management as the investigation target. In addition, the lecturers who are the top 50 login users of the iCan platform are another criteria used to select the target courses for evaluation. Finally, we selected courses offered in 2011 that belong to one of two types of courses-technology or management courses. In technology courses, we chose Java 1 and Java 2 as our investigative objects. In management courses, we chose "Special Topic on MIS" and "Knowledge Management" as our investigative objects. We adopted some rules to select the two types of courses. For technology courses, we selected programming-based courses because they are more individualistic in nature. For management courses, we selected the courses that had team work, which can stimulate knowledge sharing and collaborative activities. The number of returned questionnaires, effective questionnaires and related information for two types of courses are shown in Table 2.

Determining evaluation dimensions, criteria, and ranking practices

We asked the participants to make pair-wise comparison estimation that compares the importance of every criterion. The questionnaire sample is shown in Figure 1.The participants check the boxes by importance. After we retrieved the completed questionnaires, we constructed a pair-wise comparison matrix and obtained the consistence index to ensure the consistency of the questionnaires. The data will show the importance of each dimension and criterion, i.e., weight; the greater the weight, the more important the dimension or criterion. We chose five practices of iCan (homework, discussion board, material download, chat room and learning index) and adopted the fuzzy linguistic approach introduced in Section 2.2 to obtain the estimative score of each practice. The score represents the degree of each practice supporting each criterion. The five practices and statements were shown in Table 3. Based on the result of the previous questionnaire, we can get the score of each criterion, and understand participants' viewpoints of every criterion.

AHP Questionnaire Sample

1. Please rank the importance of the three dimensions at first.

Please make pair-wise comparisons

Material download

Students can download the course material.

Chat room

Students can communicate just-in-time in chat room.

Learning index

It shows the learning history on the platform, including the log-in times, the summary of discussion and material download and the situation of the homework delivering.

5

Evaluation Results

Determining Evaluation Criteria Weight: Results and Discussions

The following section will show and describe the evaluation results. Discussion of Evaluation the Weight of Dimensions: We used the data collected to calculate the weight of the three dimensions of evaluation the effectiveness of the platform, as shown in Table 4. For technology courses, the most important dimension is individual learning (C 1 ). That is, they think obtaining the ability and learning by themselves from the iCan learning platform is the most important dimension in technology courses. For management courses, the most important dimension is group sharing (C 2 ). Thus, they emphasize the knowledge or skill sharing in team work and expect that the learning contents and processes can be enriched by group sharing from the platform.

Discussion of Evaluation the Weight of Criterions: Table 5 shows the criteria with the associated weights of the two types of courses. For technology courses, information use (C 12 ) and independent learning (C 11 ) are the most two important criteria. The results show that users expect to gain the ability to apply the knowledge learned from the platform, and to acquire that knowledge successfully by themselves. In addition, they think enhancing learning attitude (C 23 ), and collaboration (C 24 ) are not very important in technology courses. For management courses, knowledge sharing (C 22 ) and learning support (C 21 ) are the most important criteria. Users expect they can share information and knowledge within the learning group in the platform, and gain the ability to apply the knowledge learned from the platform. In addition, they think obtaining a sense of achievement (C 34 ) by resolving problems from the learning platform and improving participation (C 22 ) in team projects are not very important criteria in management courses. Interestingly, users regard collaboration is not an important criteria for two types of courses. It indicates it is not effective to improve the participation in team project via the e-learning platform.

Rank practices in E-learning Platforms by Fuzzy Scores

Herein, we combined the crisp rating of each dimension or criterion (i.e., perception of usage experiences) with the associated weight (i.e., perception of importance) to calculate the fuzzy score for ranking practices in E-learning platforms. The crisp rating is derived from the fuzzy linguistic rating according to the COA method in Section 2.2. Technology courses. Based on the previous results, information use (C 12 ) and independent learning (C 11 ) are the most two important criteria for technology courses. Table 6 shows that the practices of downloading materials and homework support these two criteria. Notably, homework, discussion boards, and downloading materials are practices that all enhance learning support (C 21 ). On average, downloading materials performed best in each category. Moreover, we found that the scores of the chat room and learning index practices were not high, which might be the case because students seldom use them in technology courses. Interestingly, the criteria of finding the answers to questions (C 13 ) and learning achievement (C 32 ) were not ranked in the top 3 criteria supporting each practice. This indicates that the platform lacks a function to help participants discover answers to existing questions.

Management courses. Knowledge sharing (C 22 ) and learning support (C 21 ) are the most two important criteria for management courses. Table 6 shows that the practices of downloading materials and using discussion boards support these two criteria. On average, downloading materials performed best in each category. Notably, we found that the score of the chat room practice is lower than other practices. According to our preliminary observations, users seldom use the function; this may due to its low quality. Finally, only the criterion finding the answers to questions (C 13 ) was not ranked in the top 3 criteria supporting each practice.

Fig. 6 .Table 4 .

 64 Fig. 6. The AHP questionnaire sample

Table 3 .

 3 The information of the participants in technology and management courses.

	Return	Effective	Effective		User Information
	Questionnaire	Questionnaire	Return Rate	Sex		Experience
	Technology courses
	50	36	72%	Male Female	18 18	Less than 1 year 1-2 years 2-3 years More than 3 years	31 3 2 0
	Management courses
	26	24	92%	Male Female	17 7	Less than 1 year 1-2 years 2-3 years More than 3 years	2 16 0 8

Table 5 .

 5 The weight of each dimension of four courses for the evaluating e-learning platform

		Dimensions	Technology courses	Management courses
	C1	Individual learning	0.46(1)	0.35(2)
	C2	Group sharing	0.20(3)	0.36(1)
	C3	Learning performance	0.34(2)	0.29(3)

Table 6 .

 6 The weight of each criterion of four courses for evaluating e-learning platform

		Criteria	Technology courses	Management courses
	C11	Independent learning	0.144(2)	0.088(7)
	C12	Information use	0.145(1)	0.110(3)
	C13	Finding the answers to questions	0.115(4)	0.091(5)
	C14	Exploring new issues	0.055(9)	0.063(8)
	C21	Learning support	0.084(5)	0.113(2)
	C22	Knowledge sharing	0.051(10)	0.121(1)
	C23	Enhancing learning attitude	0.029(12)	0.045(10)
	C24	Collaboration	0.038(11)	0.080(11)
	C31	Efficiency	0.126(3)	0.098(4)
	C32	Learning achievement	0.068(7)	0.089(6)
	C33	Completeness of learning process	0.077(6)	0.052(9)
	C34	Sense of accomplishment	0.068(7)	0.050(12)

Note: * The numbers in ( ) mean the order of each course.

Conclusion and the Future Work

We have several interesting findings and their implications from the survey results of this research. Basically, different types of courses need different kinds of practices to achieve the goals of the course. For example, for technology-based courses, learning performance is the most important dimension, and group sharing is the most important dimension for management courses. In addition, our preliminary results show that the iCan platform cannot satisfy the needs of the type of management course. Furthermore, students think information use is very important in technology courses. Thus, teachers should refer the results to refine the courses and to help students achieve the object of information usage much easier by using the e-learning platform. We expect that our empirical evaluation results will provide teachers with suggestions and guidelines for using the e-learning platform effectively to facilitate their teaching activities, and promote students' learning efficiency and satisfaction. Ćukušić et al. (2010) [START_REF] Ćukušić | E-Learning Process Management and the e-Learning Performance: Results of a European Empirical Study[END_REF] pointed out that a clear link exists between planning and controlling of the e-learning process and its learning outcomes. Accordingly, we will consider how to refine the usage condition of each function in the e-learning platform to help teachers achieve their teaching goals and assist students to attain the learning outcomes they expect. In the future, we expect to extend the types of courses to understand of the effectiveness of the practices in the e-learning platform for different kinds of courses. We also continue using an auxiliary questionnaire to understand the users' using experiences of the e-learning platform to assist us have a further investigation.