Understanding the Learners' Actions when using Mathematics Learning Tools
Abstract:
The use of computer-based mathematics tools is widespread in learning.
Depending on the way that these tools assess the learner’s so- lution
paths, one can distinguish between automatic assessment tools and
semi-automatic assessment tools. Automatic assessment tools directly
provide all feedback necessary to the learners, while semi-automatic as-
sessment tools involve the teachers as part the assessment process. They
are provided with as much information as possible on the learners’
inter- actions with the tool.
How can the teachers know how the learning tools were used and which
intermediate steps led to a solution? How can the teachers respond to a
learner’s question that arises while using a computer tool? Little is
available to answer this beyond interacting directly with the computer
and performing a few manipulations to understand the tools’ state. This
paper presents SMALA, a web-based logging architecture that ad- dresses
these problems by recording, analyzing and representing user actions.
While respecting the learner’s privacy, the SMALA architecture supports
the teachers by offering fine-grained representations of the lear- ners’
activities as well as overviews of the progress of a classroom.
Published:
Intelligent Computer Mathematics, Proceedings of CICM 2012, Bremen, Germany, July 8-13, 2012,
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 7362,
Jeuring, J.; Campbell, J.; Carette, J.; Dos Reis, G.; Sojka, P.; Wenzel, M.; Sorge, V. (Eds.)
, 2012-07