GVIS: A Facility for Adaptively Mashing Up and Representing Open Learner Models Luca Mazzola and Riccardo Mazza University of Lugano, Faculty of Communication Sciences Institute for Communication Technology Via Buffi 13, CH-6904 Lugano, Switzerland Phone: +41 58 666 4760 - Fax: +41 58 666 4647 {luca.mazzola,riccardo.mazza}@usi.ch Abstract. In this article we present an infrastructure for creating mash up and visual representations of the user profile that combine data from different sources. We explored this approach in the context of Life Long Learning, where different platforms or services are often used to support the learning process. The system is highly configurable: data sources, data aggregations, and visualizations can be configured on the fly without changing any part of the software and have an adaptive behavior based on user’s or system’s characteristics. The visual profiles produced can have different graphical formats and can be bound to different data, au- tomatically adapting to personal preferences, knowledge, and contexts. A first evaluation, conducted through a questionnaire, seems to be promis- ing thanks to the perceived usefulness and the interest in the tool. Keywords: Technology Enhanced Learning, Human Computer Interac- tion, Adaptive Presentations, Data Mashup, Open Learner Model. 1 Introduction One of the key issues for making TEL an effective instrument for didactics is to increase the level of engagement of students with the online learning expe- rience [1]. This is particularly important in the context of Life Long Learning (LLL), where the online learning is becoming more and more prevalent. To in- crease the level of engagement of learners, adaptive learning systems aim to guide learners, automatically adapting to personal preferences, prior knowledge, skills and competences, learning goals, and the personal or social context in which the experience takes place. One of the most important components of adaptive learning systems is the student model, which is in charge of keeping track of the student’s knowledge and skills acquired during the learning process. In the LLL context, quite rarely learners use a single support tool, but very often compa- nies and schools make use of different learning environments for some reasons (such as different LMS maintained by different suppliers of courses, intranet websites, custom applications). Consequently, all user information is not stored only into a specific student model system, but it is often distributed in a num- ber of platforms used for different purposes. For this reason, there is a need to M. Wolpers et al. (Eds.): EC-TEL 2010, LNCS 6383, pp. 554–559, 2010. c  Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010 P20. Mazzola Luca, Mazza Riccardo. GVIS: A Facility for Adaptively Mashing Up and Representing Open Learner Models. In: . Sustaining TEL: From Innovation to Learning and Practice. 5th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning, EC-TEL 2010, Barcelona, Spain, September 28 - October 1, 2010. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. LNCS 6383, 2010. pp. 554-559. ISBN: 3-642-16019-0