José Ángel Vadillo

Calibration of an item bank for the assessment of Basque language knowledge

The main requisite for a functional computerized adaptive testing system is the need of a calibrated item bank. This text presents the tasks carried out during the calibration of an item bank for assessing knowledge of Basque language. It has been done in terms of the 3-parameter logistic model provided by the item response theory. Besides, this work focuses on the most important decisions taken and the algorithms followed during the process. Actually, the most significant novelties introduced to the traditional calibration procedure deal with the adaptation of the algorithm and the putting into practice of both supervised and non-supervised web-based subtest administrations. Once the item bank had been calibrated, it was added to the generator of computerized adaptive admission tests that is expected to be operative in the new version of Hezinet, a multimedia Basque language e-learning management system that is being used since 2000 in more than 60 Basque-adult schools.

Some Innovations for Keeping an E-Learning System Alive

Keeping an e-learning system alive consists not only in developing and installing it, but also in maintaining the system updated, improving its features and adding new ones. Hezinet is a commercial e-learning system for Basque language learning that is being used since 2000 in more than 60 Basque-adult schools. In this period, although the good results achieved, authors have realized the necessity of some improvements and new features. This paper introduces three new components of Hezinet as a way to present some key issues in the development of a successful e-learning tool: a computer adaptive admission test generator, an on-line calibration supporting component, and an item/test authoring tool.

Guiding the User

When developing intelligent tutoring systems, we design plan modules to establish which order the concepts are to be presented to the student. This option is feasible because these systems retain the control over navigation through the sea of contents. In hypermedia systems the student has the control. They decide which contents they want to visit next. In this paper we present a way of adapting those didactic planning modules of intelligent tutoring systems into help elements for those students with problems in adaptive hypermedia systems for education. Our main objective is to preserve constructive characteristics of the system.

Pedagogical Strategies With Hypermedia

Creators of hypermedia documents for interactive learning hyperenvironments for instruction frequently need to establish certain restrictions on the navigation in hyperspace. They are normally influenced by a specific learning strategy. For example, they may not want a student to visit nodes on multiplication before visiting nodes related to addition. In traditional systems those restrictions are established by limiting the existence of the elements that make the relationship between concepts effective: links. In this paper we propose a simple way of limiting access, by avoiding the creation of incorrect mental maps of hyperspace by the student.