Semantic Spiral Timelines Used as Support for e-Learning

This article presents Semantic Spiral Timelines (SST) as an interactive visual tool aimed at the exploration and analysis of additional academic information stored in current e-learning platforms. Despite the development of contents specifically for these platforms, and in spite of the various features they provide, knowledge of the actual use made by individual participants is emerging as an unavoidable necessity, so as to ensure proper operation and effective use of e-learning platforms. SST supports the discovery of temporal patterns by incorporating an innovative highly interactive visual representation, which can be explored at various levels. This tool makes it possible to assess, at first glance, the use of the e-learning platform during the development of courses; one can also perceive how it is used by class participants. Then, through different interaction mechanisms, it is possible for students and professors to uncover specific details about courses, which would otherwise remain hidden.