Julio Guerra

Mastery grids: an open-source social educational progress visualization

Many pieces of educational software are underused by students. Open learning model and social visualization are two approaches which have been helpful in ameliorating that low usage problem. This article introduces a fusion of these two ideas in a form of social progress visualization. A classroom evaluation indicates that this combination may be effective in engaging students, guiding them to suitable content, and enabling faster content access.

An Intelligent Interface for Learning Content: Combining an Open Learner Model and Social Comparison to Support Self-Regulated Learning and Engagement

We present the Mastery Grids system, an intelligent interface for online learning content that combines open learner modeling (OLM) and social comparison features. We grounded the design of Mastery Grids in self-regulated learning and learning motivation theories, as well as in our past work in social comparison, OLM, and adaptive navigation support. The force behind the interface is the combination of adaptive navigation functionality with the mastery-oriented aspects of OLM and the performance-oriented aspects of social comparison. We examined different configurations of Mastery Grids in two classroom studies and report the results of analysis of log data and survey responses. The results show how Mastery Grids interacts with different factors, like gender and achievement-goal orientation, and ultimately, its impact on student engagement, performance, and motivation.

Mastery Grids: An Open Source Social Educational Progress Visualization

While many pieces of educational software used in the classroom have been found to positively affect learning, they often are underused by students. Open learning model and social visualization are two approaches which have been helpful in ameliorating that low usage problem. This article introduces a fusion of these two ideas in a form of social progress visualization. A classroom evaluation indicates that this combination may be effective in engaging students, guiding them to suitable content, and enabling faster content access.

Open Social Student Modeling for Personalized Learning

Open student modeling (OSM) is an approach to technology-based learning, which makes student models available to the learners for exploration. OSM is known for its ability to increase student engagement, motivation, and knowledge reflection. A recent extension of OSM known as open social student modeling (OSSM) complements cognitive aspects of OSM with social aspects by allowing students to explore models of peer students and/or an aggregated class model. In this paper, we introduce an OSSM interface, MasteryGrids, and report the results of a large-scale classroom study, which explored the impact of the social dimension of OSSM. Students in a database management course accessed nonrequired learning materials (examples and problems) via the MasteryGrids interface using either OSM or OSSM. The results revealed that OSSM-enhanced learning, especially for students with lower prior knowledge, compared with OSM. It also enhanced user attitude and engagement. Amount of student usage, efficiency of student usage, and student attitude varied depending on the combination of interface condition (OSM/OSSM), gender, and student social comparison orientation.

The Value of Social: Comparing Open Student Modeling and Open Social Student Modeling

Open Student Modeling (OSM) is a popular technology that makes traditionally hidden student models available to the learners for exploration. OSM is known for its ability to increase student engagement, motivation, and knowledge reflection. A recent extension of OSM known as Open Social Student Modeling (OSSM) attempts to enhance cognitive aspects of OSM with social aspects by allowing students to explore models of peer students or the whole class. In this paper, we introduce MasteryGrids, a scalable OSSM interface and report the results of a large-scale classroom study that explored the value of adding social dimension to OSM. The results of the study reveal a remarkable engaging potential of OSSM as well as its impact on learning effectiveness and user attitude.

What Should I Do Next? Adaptive Sequencing in the Context of Open Social Student Modeling

One of the original goals of intelligent educational systems was to guide each student to the most appropriate educational content. In previous studies, we explored both knowledge-based and social guidance approaches and learned that each has a weak side. In the present work, we have explored the idea of combining social guidance with more traditional knowledge-based guidance systems in hopes of supporting more optimal content navigation. We propose a greedy sequencing approach aimed at maximizing each student’s level of knowledge and implemented it in the context of an open social student modeling interface. We performed a classroom study to examine the impact of this combined guidance approach. The results of our classroom study show that a greedy guidance approach positively affected students’ navigation, increased the speed of learning for strong students, and improved the overall performance of students, both within the system and through end-of-course assessments.

When One Textbook Is Not Enough: Linking Multiple Textbooks Using Probabilistic Topic Models

The Web-revolution in publishing and reading is rapidly increasing the volume of online textbooks. Nowadays, for most of the subjects, a selection of online textbooks is available. Such an abundance leads to an interesting opportunity: if a student does not like how a primary textbook presents a particular topic s/he can always access its alternative e.g. more detailed or advanced presentation elsewhere. Modern e-learning environments could better support access to different versions of instructional material by generating intelligent links between the textbooks sections that present similar topics and concepts. This paper reports an attempt to investigate the problem of fine-grained intelligent linking of online textbooks based on the probabilistic topic modeling technology. Using collections of textbooks in two domains Elementary Algebra and Information Retrieval, we have demonstrated that intelligent linking based on probabilistic topic models produces a much better modeling quality than traditional term-based approaches.

Fuzziness in LGBT non-profit ICT use

This note reports on the use of ICTs by a small nonprofit organization that serves LGBT youth. Our work centers on a reflective evaluation of the use of online communities for LGBT community through qualitative interviews with the organization. Perceived issues around ICT use in the organization were shaped by the blurred lines between professional and personal interactions online, the small size of the community and ubiquity of social media use, and ambivalence of members toward online communication. The project models one way for researchers in ICT4D to work within communities to develop an understanding of self-identified issues in vulnerable populations.

KnowledgeZoom for Java: A Concept-Based Exam Study Tool with a Zoomable Open Student Model

This paper presents our attempt to develop a personalized exam preparation tool for Java/OOP classes based on a fine-grained concept model of Java knowledge. Our goal was to explore two most popular student model-based approaches: open student modeling and problem sequencing. The result of our work is a Java exam preparation tool, Knowledge Zoom. The tool combines an open concept-level student model component, Knowledge Explorer and a concept-based sequencing component, Knowledge Maximizer into a single interface. This paper presents both components of Knowledge Zoom, reports results of its evaluation, and discusses lessons learned.

La experiencia Kelluwen: Tres años de desarrollo y puesta en práctica de una propuesta de innovación didáctica con uso de TIC

Kelluwen validated a holistic didactical strategy incorporating the use of ICT in classroom curricula aiming to improve socio-communicative skills in students from 12 to 16 years old. The didactical strategy is based on the socio-constructivist approach and it is deployed in three axes: the validation of 17 Collaborative Didactical Designs, the development of the Kelluwen Web Platform, and the development of an integral evaluation strategy. The experience in 167 classrooms in schools of southern Chile showed promising results. In the quantitative scope, the analysis of the Cloze test from a sample of 3 classrooms showed a significant Estudios Pedagogicos XXXIX, Numero Especial 1: 111-131, 2013 LA EXPERIENCIA KELLUWEN: TRES ANOS DE DESARROLLO Y PUESTA EN PRACTICA DE UNA PROPUESTA DE INNOVACION DIDACTICA CON USO DE TIC 122 improvement of the literacy skills in 63% of the students compared to 45% in the control classroom. In the qualitative scope, the students assessed the learning activities as positive, and the results showed an association with the increase in their levels of ownership, leadership and motivation in the learning process.