Monitoring virtual classroom: Visualization techniques to observe student activities in an e-learning system Laure France 1,2 , Jean-Mathias Heraud 1,2 , Jean-Charles Marty 2 , Thibault Carron 2 , Joseph Heili 1 1 Graduate Business School of Chambery, 12 av. d’Annecy, 73181 Le Bourget du Lac - France {jm_heraud, l_france , j_heili}@esc-chambery.fr 2 SYSCOM - Université de Savoie, Campus Scientifique, 73376 Le Bourget du Lac - France {Laure.France|Jean-Mathias.Heraud|Jean-Charles.Marty|Thibault.Carron}@univ-savoie.fr Abstract In this paper, we propose an approach based on visualization to support the teacher to observe the students’ activities. After comparing the teaching in classical rooms and in e-learning systems, we present some visualization techniques used in various domains. The paper then focuses on visualization techniques in order to help the teacher to better interpret what happens during the learning session. Keywords. Visualization tools, e-learning systems. 1. Introduction Most teachers would agree that teaching in traditional classrooms and via e-learning systems is not the same job. Usages are modified or even new ones are induced in the latter, for instance, some virtual communities can be created, or the observation of the students’ behaviour is restricted. Hence, the perception of what happens and of relationships between users has to be totally reconsidered. To face these new usages, various supports may help the teacher. During an experiment we performed in 2004 at the Graduate Business School of Chambéry in France, we envisaged several supports to observe student behavior within a Web-based learning system. A first support was provided by trace annotation to better interpret the students’ traces recorded during the session [1]. A second support was proposed thanks to the preparation of an observed experiment by selecting and structuring the relevant observable factors [2]. Finally, a third support was proposed via different visualizations to compare data representing the learners’ activity against a recommended learning scenario, in order to help the interpretation of the learners’ behavior [3]. These supports help the teacher to interpret the students’ behaviors, but can also furnish a feedback on the session, feedback helpful for further teaching scenario improvement. Beyond the teaching scenarios’ aspect, we have to deal with a framework where a certain number of activities have to be achieved. Learning platforms present the advantage of allowing students to evolve in the class at their own speed. Therefore, there is a real possibility of flexibility for the teacher who can constitute with leisure groups of levels (as many as necessary) which is not the case in a “true life” class. This richness related to flexibility must go along with a need for awareness of what occurs: need for observation but with immediate graphic translation thanks to visual artefacts easy to interpret. We propose in this paper a subset of these graphic artefacts. Within the framework of this paper, we present the way a teacher can observe in a classical classroom and in an e-learning system. We then describe some visualization techniques. The main part of this paper focuses on the visualization system we propose to help the teacher to follow the students’ activities. Finally, we discuss our approach and draw conclusions. 2. How to watch like a teacher In this section, we want to capture how a teacher uses her/his vision in a traditional classroom in order to find out which metaphors can be adapted to an e- learning system. 2.1 From reactivity in traditional classrooms… How does it work in a traditional classroom? The teacher is continuously aware to make her/his own analysis of the classroom: s/he has a global perception of the classroom and according to some signs, s/he adapts the lesson. For instance, while the teacher is observing the classroom, s/he can notice a student in difficulties and then decide to approach her/him. During the learning session, the teacher must be particularly vigilant to the following situations: When a student calls for help; when a student is too slow; when a student gets angry; when a student spends too much time doing the same thing; when a student does