This document provides a research report on usability testing of the educational software GCompris. The report includes an executive summary, introduction, literature review, methodology, data presentation, analysis, and conclusions. The introduction outlines the research question of how effective GCompris is for teaching basic math skills to grade 1 students. The literature review discusses previous research and initiatives related to improving math performance in Jamaican schools. The methodology section describes how 18 students were divided into groups and tested using GCompris activities over two sessions while being observed. The data presentation, analysis, and conclusions sections analyze the results and provide recommendations based on the findings.
This document describes a Computer Aided Testing System (CATS) designed to provide insight into students' reasoning patterns. CATS administers online tests and tracks students' responses, including response times and notes made on questions. It aims to emulate paper test-taking strategies. Test questions are randomly selected from pools of various difficulty levels. Student and teacher reports link performance to patterns in students' reasoning to support reflection and improve instruction.
A poster presented in teaching and learning conference, University of BirminghamMohamed El-Adawy
The study investigated the effectiveness of a computer simulation program in improving the science achievement and self-directed learning of 6th grade students in Egypt with and without learning difficulties. 66 students were assigned to either an experimental group that used the simulation or a control group that received traditional instruction. Results showed the experimental group had significantly higher achievement test scores than the control, indicating the simulation improved learning. However, there was no significant difference in self-directed learning between the groups. In conclusion, computer simulations were effective for improving science achievement but not self-directed learning. Further research on other types of computer-based learning was recommended.
The increasing need for data driven decision making recently has resulted in the application of data mining in various fields including the educational sector which is referred to as educational data mining. The need for improving the performance of data mining models has also been identified as a gap for future researcher. In Nigeria, higher educational institutions collect various students’ data, but these data are rarely used in any decision or policy making to improve the academic performance of students. This research work, attempts to improve the performance of data mining models for predicting students’ academic performance using stacking classifiers ensemble and synthetic minority over-sampling techniques. The research was conducted by adopting and evaluating the performance of J48, IBK and SMO classifiers. The individual classifiers models, standard stacking classifier ensemble model and stacking classifiers ensemble model were trained and tested on 206 students’ data set from the faculty of science federal university Dutse. Students’ specific previous academic performance records at Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, Senior Secondary Certificate Examination and first year Cumulative Grade Point Average of students are used as data inputs in WEKA 3.9.1 data mining tool to predict students’ graduation classes of degrees at undergraduate level. The result shows that application of synthetic minority over-sampling technique for class balancing improves all the various models performance with the proposed modified stacking classifiers ensemble model outperforming the various classifiers models in both performance accuracy and RSME values making it the best model.
The document outlines key concepts from a marketing research chapter, including defining marketing research, the five-step marketing research process, types of secondary and primary data, methods of data collection like observations and questionnaires, and how data is analyzed to make marketing decisions and sales forecasts. The learning objectives cover identifying reasons for marketing research, explaining the research process and data sources, discussing data collection methods, and how data analytics lead to actions.
DisCo 2013: Turgay Bas and Mukaddes Erdem - A Study on the Information Liter...8th DisCo conference 2013
Quantitatively increasing information renders it important to possess the skills necessary for reaching the required information and using the information effectively in line with the requirements. These skills are discussed in the information literacy concept and educational institutions are expected to provide individuals with these skills. Within this scope, the study was conducted with university students and the effects of their education on the information literacy were sought. The study was performed on students at two different departments which are closely related to information and information technologies for the purpose of clearly explaining the relationship between the educational processes and information literacy. The two departments included in the study are the Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology (CEIT) and the Department of Information Management (IM). The study aims to find the differences between these students regarding their levels of possessing information literacy skills. The analysis showed that, there are some significant differences in terms of information literacy skills between the students at the two different departments. The significant differences in the information literacy skills are related to synthesizing the information; or in other words, organizing the information.
The document describes a student profiling system that uses fuzzy logic and neural networks. It proposes using Fuzzy C-means clustering and Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference Systems (ANFIS) on survey data from students to understand their learning capabilities and create rules for a more personalized learning approach. A survey was conducted with 30 students which formed a dataset for the system. Fuzzy C-means clustering and ANFIS were used to analyze the data and generate inferences. The system aims to improve learning effectiveness through customizing learning based on students' cognitive states and skills.
Predicting Success : An Application of Data Mining Techniques to Student Outc...IJDKP
This project examines the effectiveness of applying machine learning techniques to the realm of college
student success, specifically with the intent of discovering and identifying those student characteristics and
factors that show the strongest predictive capability with regards to successful graduation. The student
data examined consists of first time freshmen and transfer students who matriculated at California State
University San Marcos in the period of Fall 2000 through Fall 2010 and who either graduated successfully
or discontinued their education. Operating on over 30,000 student observations, random forests are used
to determine the relative importance of the student characteristics with genetic algorithms to perform
feature selection and pruning. To improve the machine learning algorithm cross validated hyperparameter
tuning was also implemented. Overall predictive strength is relatively high as measured by the
Matthews Correlation Coefficient, and both intuitive and novel features which provide support for the
learning model are explored.
This document describes a Computer Aided Testing System (CATS) designed to provide insight into students' reasoning patterns. CATS administers online tests and tracks students' responses, including response times and notes made on questions. It aims to emulate paper test-taking strategies. Test questions are randomly selected from pools of various difficulty levels. Student and teacher reports link performance to patterns in students' reasoning to support reflection and improve instruction.
A poster presented in teaching and learning conference, University of BirminghamMohamed El-Adawy
The study investigated the effectiveness of a computer simulation program in improving the science achievement and self-directed learning of 6th grade students in Egypt with and without learning difficulties. 66 students were assigned to either an experimental group that used the simulation or a control group that received traditional instruction. Results showed the experimental group had significantly higher achievement test scores than the control, indicating the simulation improved learning. However, there was no significant difference in self-directed learning between the groups. In conclusion, computer simulations were effective for improving science achievement but not self-directed learning. Further research on other types of computer-based learning was recommended.
The increasing need for data driven decision making recently has resulted in the application of data mining in various fields including the educational sector which is referred to as educational data mining. The need for improving the performance of data mining models has also been identified as a gap for future researcher. In Nigeria, higher educational institutions collect various students’ data, but these data are rarely used in any decision or policy making to improve the academic performance of students. This research work, attempts to improve the performance of data mining models for predicting students’ academic performance using stacking classifiers ensemble and synthetic minority over-sampling techniques. The research was conducted by adopting and evaluating the performance of J48, IBK and SMO classifiers. The individual classifiers models, standard stacking classifier ensemble model and stacking classifiers ensemble model were trained and tested on 206 students’ data set from the faculty of science federal university Dutse. Students’ specific previous academic performance records at Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, Senior Secondary Certificate Examination and first year Cumulative Grade Point Average of students are used as data inputs in WEKA 3.9.1 data mining tool to predict students’ graduation classes of degrees at undergraduate level. The result shows that application of synthetic minority over-sampling technique for class balancing improves all the various models performance with the proposed modified stacking classifiers ensemble model outperforming the various classifiers models in both performance accuracy and RSME values making it the best model.
The document outlines key concepts from a marketing research chapter, including defining marketing research, the five-step marketing research process, types of secondary and primary data, methods of data collection like observations and questionnaires, and how data is analyzed to make marketing decisions and sales forecasts. The learning objectives cover identifying reasons for marketing research, explaining the research process and data sources, discussing data collection methods, and how data analytics lead to actions.
DisCo 2013: Turgay Bas and Mukaddes Erdem - A Study on the Information Liter...8th DisCo conference 2013
Quantitatively increasing information renders it important to possess the skills necessary for reaching the required information and using the information effectively in line with the requirements. These skills are discussed in the information literacy concept and educational institutions are expected to provide individuals with these skills. Within this scope, the study was conducted with university students and the effects of their education on the information literacy were sought. The study was performed on students at two different departments which are closely related to information and information technologies for the purpose of clearly explaining the relationship between the educational processes and information literacy. The two departments included in the study are the Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology (CEIT) and the Department of Information Management (IM). The study aims to find the differences between these students regarding their levels of possessing information literacy skills. The analysis showed that, there are some significant differences in terms of information literacy skills between the students at the two different departments. The significant differences in the information literacy skills are related to synthesizing the information; or in other words, organizing the information.
The document describes a student profiling system that uses fuzzy logic and neural networks. It proposes using Fuzzy C-means clustering and Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference Systems (ANFIS) on survey data from students to understand their learning capabilities and create rules for a more personalized learning approach. A survey was conducted with 30 students which formed a dataset for the system. Fuzzy C-means clustering and ANFIS were used to analyze the data and generate inferences. The system aims to improve learning effectiveness through customizing learning based on students' cognitive states and skills.
Predicting Success : An Application of Data Mining Techniques to Student Outc...IJDKP
This project examines the effectiveness of applying machine learning techniques to the realm of college
student success, specifically with the intent of discovering and identifying those student characteristics and
factors that show the strongest predictive capability with regards to successful graduation. The student
data examined consists of first time freshmen and transfer students who matriculated at California State
University San Marcos in the period of Fall 2000 through Fall 2010 and who either graduated successfully
or discontinued their education. Operating on over 30,000 student observations, random forests are used
to determine the relative importance of the student characteristics with genetic algorithms to perform
feature selection and pruning. To improve the machine learning algorithm cross validated hyperparameter
tuning was also implemented. Overall predictive strength is relatively high as measured by the
Matthews Correlation Coefficient, and both intuitive and novel features which provide support for the
learning model are explored.
This study aimed to determine the feasibility of using a staffing information system application as a learning medium for automating staffing governance in vocational schools. The study assessed the application based on feedback from material experts, media experts, and practitioners, and found it to be very feasible for use in the learning process, scoring highly at 89.2% from material experts, 95% from media experts, and 90% from practitioners. The application was determined to be a very suitable learning medium for automation subjects in vocational school fields related to automation and office management.
Dr. Kritsonis has traveled and lectured extensively throughout the United States and world-wide. Some international travels include Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Monte Carlo, England, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Poland, Germany, Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, Mexico, Switzerland, Grand Cayman, Haiti, St. Maarten, St. John, St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico, Nassau, Freeport, Jamaica, Barbados, Martinique, Canada, Curacao, Costa Rico, Aruba, Venezuela, Panama, Bora Bora, Tahiti, Latvia, Spain, Honduras, and many more. He has been invited to lecture and serve as a guest professor at many universities across the nation and abroad.
Comparative And Non Comparative Evaluation In Educational TechnologyYousuf Salim
The document summarizes two studies: a comparative study of students' perceptions of online learning components in a traditional classroom course, and a non-comparative study of whether introducing ICT strategies reduced teacher workloads. The comparative study surveyed 58% fourth-year and 39% third-year business students on their experiences with an online learning unit. It found overall student satisfaction and perceived benefits of the online units. The non-comparative study was based on surveys and interviews of school staff and found that effective use of ICT can help address workload issues if well-planned and supported, and has helped teacher efficiency.
A comparative analysis of i-Ready, IXL, and Prodigy learning software programsCristinaRyter
This document provides an abstract and introduction for a research study comparing the math learning platforms i-Ready, IXL, and Prodigy. The study aims to determine which platform has the greatest causal effect on student performance on the math portion of the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The methodology will analyze student performance data from districts using one of the three platforms and compare to control districts not using the platforms. The goal is to identify the most effective program for supporting student achievement and closing learning gaps.
Intelligent system for sTudent placementFemmy Johnson
This document describes a proposed intelligent system for student placement in Nigeria using fuzzy logic. It outlines the country's educational system and related works on student placement prediction. The proposed system would use fuzzy logic and linguistic variables to analyze student data like academic performance, psychomotor skills, and department choices. Membership functions would be assigned to variables and an inference engine would apply fuzzy rules to generate placement recommendations to either the science, arts, or repeat a class. The goal is to help schools accurately place students in a timely manner to improve performance and outcomes.
Promise 2011: "A Principled Evaluation of Ensembles of Learning Machines for ...CS, NcState
The document discusses evaluating ensembles of learning machines for software effort estimation. It aims to determine if ensemble methods improve upon single learners, which ensembles perform best, and how to select models for different datasets. The study uses several public software effort estimation datasets and evaluates multiple ensemble techniques, including bagging and negative correlation learning, against single learners like decision trees. Statistical tests are used to rigorously compare the performance of different models.
PREDICTING ACADEMIC MAJOR OF STUDENTS USING BAYESIAN NETWORKS TO THE CASE OF ...ijcax
In this study, which took place current year in the city of Maragheh in IRAN. Number of high school students in the fields of study: mathematics, Experimental Sciences, humanities, vocational, business and science were studied and compared. The purpose of this research is to predict the academic major of high school students using Bayesian networks. The effective factors have been used in academic major selection for the first time as an effective indicator of Bayesian networks. Evaluation of Impacts of indicators on each other, discretization data and processing them was performed by GeNIe. The proper course would be advised for students to continue their education.
Fuzzy Association Rule Mining based Model to Predict Students’ Performance IJECEIAES
The major intention of higher education institutions is to supply quality education to its students. One approach to get maximum level of quality in higher education system is by discovering knowledge for prediction regarding the internal assessment and end semester examination. The projected work intends to approach this objective by taking the advantage of fuzzy inference technique to classify student scores data according to the level of their performance. In this paper, student’s performance is evaluated using fuzzy association rule mining that describes Prediction of performance of the students at the end of the semester, on the basis of previous database like Attendance, Midsem Marks, Previous semester marks and Previous Academic Records were collected from the student’s previous database, to identify those students which needed individual attention to decrease fail ration and taking suitable action for the next semester examination.
The document discusses using QR (quick response) codes in higher education. It defines QR codes as two-dimensional barcodes that can link physical objects to online content. Examples provided include using QR codes for marketing, providing additional educational resources, and orienting students around campus. The document also reviews how QR codes are created and scanned, and discusses potential benefits and barriers to using them in higher education.
This document provides a list of free online educational resources including iTunes U, Khan Academy, WikiHow, YouTube, and Dummies.com. It also discusses mobile apps for education available on iPad, iPhone, and Android devices and ebook options for reading books on different devices using apps like Kindle and iBooks. Tutorial search options on Google, Siri, and specific tutorial websites are also mentioned.
This presentation examines three categories of technology for use in Higher Ed Instruction:
1) Web2.0: Slides 5 - 17
2) Cell Phones: Slides 18 - 31
3) Virtual World Learning and Second Life: Slides 33 - 56
This presentation identifies large sites that contain promising video for academic use,
bookmarking those finds, and student engagement through finding and creating video.
The document appears to be notes from Kevin Collander about nightscapes in the Short North area of an unnamed city. It includes phrases like "a short north night", names of local establishments like "Jerry's Drive Inn", and Kevin Collander's contact information.
Ar3 X0 Final Research Paper G Compris Usability Research ReportShakarah Levy
This document provides a research report on usability testing of the educational software GCompris with grade one students. The report includes an executive summary, introduction with research question and hypotheses, literature review, methodology section describing the procedure, participants, and GCompris setup. It also includes sections on data presentation, analysis, conclusions and recommendations with limitations. The research aims to determine if GCompris is effective and appropriate for teaching basic math skills to grade one students and improving their performance. Eighteen students were divided into two groups and tested with GCompris over two sessions while being observed.
This presentation was prepared for the Hong Kong Federation of Continuing Education/Tertiary Education. This presentation focuses on quality models that can inform both design and evaluation of e-learning implementations.
Creative Commons Licensed -- Attribution, NonCommercial--No Derivs License
This document discusses personal learning environments (PLEs). A PLE is a system for identifying and mapping sources that are effective for learning about a particular topic. These sources can include documents, people, formal learning courses, social media, videos, and other online resources. The document provides examples of PLE diagrams created by other learners and instructs readers to create their own PLE diagram for either general learning goals or a specific goal. It also suggests having learners share their PLEs as part of a course assignment and includes links to rubrics that could be used for assessment.
These slides were initially prepared for a presentation at Hong Kong City University in Oct. 2010. I later added a few slides defining e-learning and addressing 21st century learning.
Hablando de BigData y SmallData a gerentes de turismo corporativo y agencias de viaje, esta es la pesnetación realizada en el mi charla de “Big Data para la toma de decisiones en viajes corporativos y reuniones de negocio” en el evento ViajesCorp que se hizo el pasado 11 de abril del 2016 en Cartagena CO
This document lists landmarks in South Africa and Ohio and includes contact information for Kevin Collander. It mentions landmarks like Hill Brow Tower and Friedenskirche in Johannesburg, South Africa, Kirstenbosch in Cape Town, South Africa, and Schwartz Castle in Columbus, Ohio. It also provides Kevin Collander's email and phone number listed three times at the bottom.
Talk given at JILN University to graduate students and their faculty in vet science about serious games for learning and citizen science games. November 2014
This presentation was prepared for the E-Learning Colorado Consortium Professional Development Day in Denver, CO, on October 30, 2009.
The event title was the Web2.0 Buffet
This study aimed to determine the feasibility of using a staffing information system application as a learning medium for automating staffing governance in vocational schools. The study assessed the application based on feedback from material experts, media experts, and practitioners, and found it to be very feasible for use in the learning process, scoring highly at 89.2% from material experts, 95% from media experts, and 90% from practitioners. The application was determined to be a very suitable learning medium for automation subjects in vocational school fields related to automation and office management.
Dr. Kritsonis has traveled and lectured extensively throughout the United States and world-wide. Some international travels include Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Monte Carlo, England, Holland, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Poland, Germany, Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, Mexico, Switzerland, Grand Cayman, Haiti, St. Maarten, St. John, St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico, Nassau, Freeport, Jamaica, Barbados, Martinique, Canada, Curacao, Costa Rico, Aruba, Venezuela, Panama, Bora Bora, Tahiti, Latvia, Spain, Honduras, and many more. He has been invited to lecture and serve as a guest professor at many universities across the nation and abroad.
Comparative And Non Comparative Evaluation In Educational TechnologyYousuf Salim
The document summarizes two studies: a comparative study of students' perceptions of online learning components in a traditional classroom course, and a non-comparative study of whether introducing ICT strategies reduced teacher workloads. The comparative study surveyed 58% fourth-year and 39% third-year business students on their experiences with an online learning unit. It found overall student satisfaction and perceived benefits of the online units. The non-comparative study was based on surveys and interviews of school staff and found that effective use of ICT can help address workload issues if well-planned and supported, and has helped teacher efficiency.
A comparative analysis of i-Ready, IXL, and Prodigy learning software programsCristinaRyter
This document provides an abstract and introduction for a research study comparing the math learning platforms i-Ready, IXL, and Prodigy. The study aims to determine which platform has the greatest causal effect on student performance on the math portion of the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The methodology will analyze student performance data from districts using one of the three platforms and compare to control districts not using the platforms. The goal is to identify the most effective program for supporting student achievement and closing learning gaps.
Intelligent system for sTudent placementFemmy Johnson
This document describes a proposed intelligent system for student placement in Nigeria using fuzzy logic. It outlines the country's educational system and related works on student placement prediction. The proposed system would use fuzzy logic and linguistic variables to analyze student data like academic performance, psychomotor skills, and department choices. Membership functions would be assigned to variables and an inference engine would apply fuzzy rules to generate placement recommendations to either the science, arts, or repeat a class. The goal is to help schools accurately place students in a timely manner to improve performance and outcomes.
Promise 2011: "A Principled Evaluation of Ensembles of Learning Machines for ...CS, NcState
The document discusses evaluating ensembles of learning machines for software effort estimation. It aims to determine if ensemble methods improve upon single learners, which ensembles perform best, and how to select models for different datasets. The study uses several public software effort estimation datasets and evaluates multiple ensemble techniques, including bagging and negative correlation learning, against single learners like decision trees. Statistical tests are used to rigorously compare the performance of different models.
PREDICTING ACADEMIC MAJOR OF STUDENTS USING BAYESIAN NETWORKS TO THE CASE OF ...ijcax
In this study, which took place current year in the city of Maragheh in IRAN. Number of high school students in the fields of study: mathematics, Experimental Sciences, humanities, vocational, business and science were studied and compared. The purpose of this research is to predict the academic major of high school students using Bayesian networks. The effective factors have been used in academic major selection for the first time as an effective indicator of Bayesian networks. Evaluation of Impacts of indicators on each other, discretization data and processing them was performed by GeNIe. The proper course would be advised for students to continue their education.
Fuzzy Association Rule Mining based Model to Predict Students’ Performance IJECEIAES
The major intention of higher education institutions is to supply quality education to its students. One approach to get maximum level of quality in higher education system is by discovering knowledge for prediction regarding the internal assessment and end semester examination. The projected work intends to approach this objective by taking the advantage of fuzzy inference technique to classify student scores data according to the level of their performance. In this paper, student’s performance is evaluated using fuzzy association rule mining that describes Prediction of performance of the students at the end of the semester, on the basis of previous database like Attendance, Midsem Marks, Previous semester marks and Previous Academic Records were collected from the student’s previous database, to identify those students which needed individual attention to decrease fail ration and taking suitable action for the next semester examination.
The document discusses using QR (quick response) codes in higher education. It defines QR codes as two-dimensional barcodes that can link physical objects to online content. Examples provided include using QR codes for marketing, providing additional educational resources, and orienting students around campus. The document also reviews how QR codes are created and scanned, and discusses potential benefits and barriers to using them in higher education.
This document provides a list of free online educational resources including iTunes U, Khan Academy, WikiHow, YouTube, and Dummies.com. It also discusses mobile apps for education available on iPad, iPhone, and Android devices and ebook options for reading books on different devices using apps like Kindle and iBooks. Tutorial search options on Google, Siri, and specific tutorial websites are also mentioned.
This presentation examines three categories of technology for use in Higher Ed Instruction:
1) Web2.0: Slides 5 - 17
2) Cell Phones: Slides 18 - 31
3) Virtual World Learning and Second Life: Slides 33 - 56
This presentation identifies large sites that contain promising video for academic use,
bookmarking those finds, and student engagement through finding and creating video.
The document appears to be notes from Kevin Collander about nightscapes in the Short North area of an unnamed city. It includes phrases like "a short north night", names of local establishments like "Jerry's Drive Inn", and Kevin Collander's contact information.
Ar3 X0 Final Research Paper G Compris Usability Research ReportShakarah Levy
This document provides a research report on usability testing of the educational software GCompris with grade one students. The report includes an executive summary, introduction with research question and hypotheses, literature review, methodology section describing the procedure, participants, and GCompris setup. It also includes sections on data presentation, analysis, conclusions and recommendations with limitations. The research aims to determine if GCompris is effective and appropriate for teaching basic math skills to grade one students and improving their performance. Eighteen students were divided into two groups and tested with GCompris over two sessions while being observed.
This presentation was prepared for the Hong Kong Federation of Continuing Education/Tertiary Education. This presentation focuses on quality models that can inform both design and evaluation of e-learning implementations.
Creative Commons Licensed -- Attribution, NonCommercial--No Derivs License
This document discusses personal learning environments (PLEs). A PLE is a system for identifying and mapping sources that are effective for learning about a particular topic. These sources can include documents, people, formal learning courses, social media, videos, and other online resources. The document provides examples of PLE diagrams created by other learners and instructs readers to create their own PLE diagram for either general learning goals or a specific goal. It also suggests having learners share their PLEs as part of a course assignment and includes links to rubrics that could be used for assessment.
These slides were initially prepared for a presentation at Hong Kong City University in Oct. 2010. I later added a few slides defining e-learning and addressing 21st century learning.
Hablando de BigData y SmallData a gerentes de turismo corporativo y agencias de viaje, esta es la pesnetación realizada en el mi charla de “Big Data para la toma de decisiones en viajes corporativos y reuniones de negocio” en el evento ViajesCorp que se hizo el pasado 11 de abril del 2016 en Cartagena CO
This document lists landmarks in South Africa and Ohio and includes contact information for Kevin Collander. It mentions landmarks like Hill Brow Tower and Friedenskirche in Johannesburg, South Africa, Kirstenbosch in Cape Town, South Africa, and Schwartz Castle in Columbus, Ohio. It also provides Kevin Collander's email and phone number listed three times at the bottom.
Talk given at JILN University to graduate students and their faculty in vet science about serious games for learning and citizen science games. November 2014
This presentation was prepared for the E-Learning Colorado Consortium Professional Development Day in Denver, CO, on October 30, 2009.
The event title was the Web2.0 Buffet
Como hacer o que tener en cuanta para que un portal web de turismo sea eficiente, frente a la cantidad de sitios iguales en la región de Cusco, donde ofrecí esta conferencia en el marco del EMATURFORUM
The MOOC Panel: Survivors, Thrivers, and Skeptics
These slides provided the backdrop for our live panel. Links to MOOC sources have been saved in Delicious. The URL to the bookmarking site appears in the slides.
El documento describe 5 niveles progresivos de digitalización para agencias de viajes en 4 frentes de trabajo: sistemas y tecnología, negocio y procesos, productos y servicios, y protección y seguridad. Cada nivel implica mayores capacidades tecnológicas y operaciones más sofisticadas, desde lo básico hasta la interoperabilidad entre sistemas.
Clustering Students of Computer in Terms of Level of ProgrammingEditor IJCATR
Educational data mining (EDM) is one of the applications of data mining. In educational data mining, there are two key domains, i.e. student domain and faculty domain. Different type of research work has been done in both domains.
In existing system the faculty performance has calculated on the basis of two parameters i.e. Student feedback and the result of student in that subject. In existing system we define two approaches one is multiple classifier approach and the other is a single classifier approach and comparing them, for relative evaluation of faculty performance using data mining
Techniques. In multiple classifier approach K-nearest neighbor (KNN) is used in first step and Rule based classification is used in the second step of classification while in single classifier approach only KNN is used in both steps of classification.
But in proposed system, I will analyse the faculty performance using 4 parameters i.e., student complaint about faculty, Student review feedback for faculty, students feedback, and students result etc.
For this proposed system I will be going to use opinion mining technique for analyzing performance of faculty and calculating score of each faculty.
This document outlines a research proposal to enhance the word problem solving skills of grade 9 students through the use of group conversation on Facebook Messenger. The researcher aims to select an experimental group that will receive instruction through Facebook group chat in addition to regular modules, while a control group receives only modules. Both groups will take pre- and post-tests to measure the impact of the intervention on test scores. If successful, the approach could improve student-teacher interaction and engagement with word problems during remote learning.
A Comparative Analysis of i-Ready, IXL, and Prodigy e-learning software programsCristinaRyter
This document provides an abstract and introduction for a comparative analysis of the i-Ready, IXL, and Prodigy learning software programs. It examines these three programs and their effectiveness based on student performance on math portions of standardized assessments. The study aims to determine which program has the greatest impact on student growth and achievement. It reviews the relevant literature around the rise of educational technology and standardized testing.
The International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Research and Technology is an international online journal published Quarterly offers fast publication schedule whilst maintaining rigorous peer review. The use of recommended electronic formats for article delivery expedites the process All submitted research articles are subjected to the immediate rapid screening by editors consultation with Editorial Board or others working in the field of appropriate to ensure that they are likely to be the level of interest and importance of appropriate for the journal.
ISSN 2454-535X
International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Research and Technology aims to provide the best possible service to authors of original research articles, and the fairest system of peer review.
This document discusses using machine learning to predict student performance in online learning environments. It reviews studies that have examined online course data to predict student outcomes using machine learning techniques. The studies identified features of online courses used for prediction, outputs of prediction models, methodologies for feature extraction, evaluation metrics, and challenges. Machine learning algorithms commonly used in the studies include logistic regression, naive Bayes, decision trees, AdaBoost, k-nearest neighbor, and neural networks. The document provides an in-depth analysis of different machine learning models and their effectiveness in predicting student certificate acquisition, grades, and students at risk of failure.
The effectiveness of an enrichment program using dynamic geometry software in...Mohamed El-Demerdash
M. El-Demerdash and U. Kortenkamp, “The effectiveness of an enrichment program using dynamic geometry software in developing mathematically gifted students' geometric creativity,” in Proc. 9th International Conference on Technology in Mathematics Teaching - ICTMT9, Metz, France, 2009, pp.1-5.
Technical writing report on teacher burnout and grading solutionsCarlos
This report examines whether using grammar revision software can help reduce burnout among first-year composition instructors at UTEP by assisting with repetitive grading tasks. It performs three tasks: 1) A survey found instructors have a positive view of using such software and believe it could save time and improve consistency. 2) Research shows repetitive tasks like grading contribute to burnout. 3) An analysis found Grammarly to be the best option, as it is accurate, easy to use, and allows instructors to focus on higher-level feedback. The report recommends providing instructors or students access to Grammarly to assist with grading and self-revision.
Staying competitive in the IT field
is a challenge. The use of IT certification programs
involves a number of critical issues and implications
for higher educational institutions (HEIs), educators,
administrators, students, and the IT industry. Hence,
there is a compelling need to gather and share IT
certification program data to chart a comparative
analysis across HEIs that are using certification
programs. This study presents a summary of key
findings among the Bachelor of Science in Computer
Science (BSCS) students in the Lyceum of the
Philippines University Batangas’ performance and
satisfaction level in Computer Networking 1, the
first course in the four-course certification program.It
used the descriptive method of research. Respondents
of the study were the 71 BSCS second year students
who took the course during the Second Semester
of SY 2009-2010. Frequency distribution, Pearson R
and weighted mean were used for data analysis. The
performance and satisfactory level the students gave to learning performance in Computer Networking
1 addresses their learning experiences and was an
evidence of the pedagogical richness of the program
and the contribution of the Computer Networking 1
teacher. In conclusion, the course actively engaged the
students and a clear understanding of the subject were
achieved.
IRJET- A Conceptual Framework to Predict Academic Performance of Students usi...IRJET Journal
This document presents a conceptual framework for predicting student academic performance using classification algorithms. The framework uses factors like socioeconomic status, psychological attributes, cognitive attributes, and lifestyle to analyze student performance based on their semester GPA. The document proposes classifying student performance into three classes (first class, second class, third class) based on their first semester GPA. Various classification algorithms like Naive Bayes, random forest, and bagging are evaluated on the student data to identify the best model for predicting performance. The conceptual framework is intended to guide the development of a recommendation system that can help educational institutions identify at-risk students early and improve student outcomes.
Data mining approach to predict academic performance of studentsBOHRInternationalJou1
Powerful data mining techniques are available in a variety of educational fields. Educational research is
advancing rapidly due to the vast amount of student data that can be used to create insightful patterns
related to student learning. Educational data mining is a tool that helps universities assess and identify student
performance. Well-known classification techniques have been widely used to determine student success in
data mining. A decisive and growing exploration area in educational data mining (EDM) is predicting student
academic performance. This area uses data mining and automaton learning approaches to extract data from
education repositories. According to relevant research, there are several academic performance prediction
methods aimed at improving administrative and teaching staff in academic institutions. In the put-forwarded
approach, the collected data set is preprocessed to ensure data quality and labeled student education data
is used to apply ANN classifiers, support vector classifiers, random forests, and DT Compute and train a
classifier. The achievement of the four classifications is measured by accuracy value, receiver operating curve
(ROC), F1 score, and confusion matrix scored by each model. Finally, we found that the top three algorithmic
models had an accuracy of 86–95%, an F1 score of 85–95%, and an average area under ROC curve of
OVA of 98–99.6%
The document discusses a report analyzing math performance at two elementary schools. It notes that students historically score low on fractions on standardized tests. The report identifies key areas of weakness: performing multi-step problems, lacking prior knowledge of concepts like multiplication facts, inability to check for reasonableness of answers, and underutilization of available resources. A goal is set to improve student mastery of adding fractions with unlike denominators through targeted instruction, practice, feedback and assessment. Pre- and post-tests will evaluate whether 75% of 5th graders can accurately add fractions with unlike denominators after instruction.
The document summarizes a literature review on gamification elements used in teaching and learning from 2016 to 2018. It finds that points, leaderboards, and digital badges were the most common elements applied. Studies showed gamification had positive impacts on student engagement, achievement, and motivation at both university and school levels. However, more research is still needed to identify the most effective elements and how gamification can be applied in different contexts.
Applicability of Extreme Programming In Educational EnvironmentCSCJournals
In order to validate the results of any XP study, the experiment's environment has to be in line with XP principles and values. XP practices must fit with the environment sitting to accomplish accurate finds and observations. This paper searches the applicability of using the Extreme Programming method in the educational environments specifically in the post-secondary school. After digging in 14 XP experiments were done in different universities and institutions, we figured out that XP is applicable in the educational environment with challenges attached. In this paper, we go deeply in investigating the difficulties that students face when adopting XP in class. Also, we highlight the important factors that affect the XP adoption in education.
1) The document discusses big data and learning analytics in education, including how it has been featured in the NMC Horizon Report from 2010-2013. It describes how big data can be used for educational research purposes such as modeling student knowledge, behavior, experiences, profiling student groups, and analyzing learning components and instructional principles.
2) Examples of learning analytics in practice are provided, including Purdue University's Signals project, Saddleback Community College's personalized learning system, and analytics tools used at other universities.
3) Potential applications of learning analytics discussed include using data to provide insights into student reading habits, facilitating anonymous peer feedback and grading in writing courses, and capturing data to engage students in interactive teaching situations.
UNIVERSITY ADMISSION SYSTEMS USING DATA MINING TECHNIQUES TO PREDICT STUDENT ...IRJET Journal
This document summarizes a research study that aimed to predict student performance and support decision making for university admission systems using data mining techniques. The study analyzed data from 2,039 students at a university in Saudi Arabia to compare the predictive power of different data mining classification models (ANN, decision trees, SVM, naive Bayes). It found that a student's score on the pre-admission Scholastic Proficiency Admission Test was the best predictor of their first year GPA. Based on this, the university adjusted its admission criteria to give greater weight to this pre-admission test score. After making this change, the number of students with high GPAs increased while the number with low GPAs decreased.
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SELECTED STUDIES IN STUDENT PERFORMANCE PREDICTIONIJDKP
This document provides a summary and comparative analysis of 56 studies on predicting student performance published since the 1990s. It finds that while earlier studies used demographic and past academic performance data to predict college success, more recent studies incorporate additional data like online course activities. Most studies were conducted in undergraduate computer science and engineering courses. Prediction types have evolved from binary pass/fail outcomes to more granular predictions of specific grades. Continuous prediction of student progress is now possible using dynamic online data, whereas earlier studies only allowed one-time predictions. Overall predictors and prediction accuracy varied across studies due to different data, algorithms and disciplines, but studies using more data and parameters generally reported higher results.
An Experimental Investigation Of Drill-And-Practice Mobile Apps And Young C...Audrey Britton
An experimental study investigated the impact of two math drill-and-practice apps on 376 children aged 5-6 years old across three UK schools. Pre- and post-tests found learning gains in both the app groups and control groups, suggesting the apps were equally effective as standard math practice. However, more research is needed to better understand how app characteristics and individual child differences impact learning effectiveness.
May 6633122 Researc & Evaluation- Gamification in Education.docxMay Saeed
The document summarizes four research articles that analyze gamification in education. The articles find that introducing game elements into classrooms generally leads to increased student engagement, motivation, and academic achievement compared to traditional teaching methods. However, gamification implementation faces challenges like poor game design leaving out motivational elements. More research is still needed to determine gamification's effects across different age groups and educational levels. Overall, the studies support using gamification to improve the learning experience but also acknowledge it may not benefit all students.
Similar to Ar3 X0 Final Research Paper G Compris Usability Research Report (20)
May 6633122 Researc & Evaluation- Gamification in Education.docx
Ar3 X0 Final Research Paper G Compris Usability Research Report
1. GCompris Usability Testing 1
GCompris Usability Testing Research Report
Shakarah McCrae - 06004107
AR3X0 – Research Paper
May 15, 2009
Supervisor: David Bain
Course Moderator: Dr. Ramsay
Table of Contents
2. GCompris Usability Testing 2
Executive Summary………………………………………………………………… ...2
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………… 3
Research Question…………………………………………………………......3
Null Hypothesis………………………………………………………………..3
Background…………………………………………………………………….3
Worth of Study………………………………………………………………....6
Objectives………………………………………………………………………6
Literature Review………………………………………………………………………8
Methodology…………………………………………………………………………...11
Procedure………………………………………………………………………12
Participant Summary…………………………………………………………..13
Gcompris Set-up……………………………………………………………….14
Data Presentation………………………………………………………………………16
Analysis………………………………………………………………………………..23
Conclusions and Recommendations ………………………………………………….25
Limitations……………………………………………………………………
References……………………………………………………………………………..27
Appendices………………………………………………………………………….....29
Executive Summary
3. GCompris Usability Testing 3
This study is in line with the requirements of the University of the West Indies where a research
project has to be done. This topic was chosen in accordance with my field of study and to
discover how influential or effective this medium is in the classroom.
Gcompris was chosen because it is free and can be used as a tool for teaching basic math to
students. The research is aimed at showing how user friendly the software is and how the
students will react to using it.
Usability testing is used to measure the appropriateness of software for its user. It is aimed at
assessing the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction with which specified users can achieve
specified goals in particular environments or contexts of use.
The chosen open source software for this purpose is GCompris, which is an educational software
suite comprising of numerous activities for children, aged 2 to 10. Some of the activities are
game orientated, but nonetheless educational. More specifically, I will be looking at the extent to
which G-Compris, as a tool for teaching basic mathematics skills can improve or aid learning in
mathematics for grade one students at August Town Primary School.
Introduction
Research Question:
4. GCompris Usability Testing 4
How effective is Gcompris- an open source software- for teaching basic mathematics skills to
grade one students at August Town Primary school?
Null Hypotheses:
Gcompris as an educational tool is not beneficial in improving the performance of grade one (1)
students in school.
Background
The disappointing performance of Jamaican students in the mathematics subject area
continues to be an increasing concern to the wider Jamaican society. According to Francis
(2006):
“New statistics from the CXC show that of the 35,428 students who sat the 2006
mathematics exam, only 32 per cent managed to achieve grade one to three. This
represents a decrease over last year's 36 per cent. This figure is also three per cent below
the regional average” (para. 2).
In fact, Wesley Barrett Pro-Registrar for the Caribbean Examination Council states quot;These
results are disappointing and it is still a very worrying problem,quot; ” (Francis, 2006, para. 2). Poor
mathematics performance is not only at the Caribbean Secondary Education Level but also at the
Primary Level.
With this in mind and out of the need to stem the problem from a tender age, I have
decided to carry out a usability study of an open source software for teaching basic mathematics
skills to grade one students in Jamaican primary schools. Usability testing “is a technique for
5. GCompris Usability Testing 5
ensuring that the intended users of a system can carry out the intended tasks efficiently,
effectively and satisfactorily.” (Gaffney, 1999)
The chosen open source software for this purpose is GCompris, which is an educational
software suite comprising of numerous activities for children, aged 2 to 10. Some of the
activities are game orientated, but nonetheless educational. (http://gcompris.net/-en- )More
specifically, I will be looking at the extent to which G-Compris, as a tool for teaching basic
mathematics skills can improve or aid learning in mathematics for grade one students at August
Town Primary school.
Worth of Study
The worth of this research is multi-facet in nature. If we can identify software that can aid
and improve the performance of children from a tender age, we will not only be facilitating
improvement in the grades but also a greater appreciation and a more fun way of learning the
subject. It is of academic value because it provides information to educators and their
stakeholders as to the value of educational software to students and the implications it can have.
In addition, it provides valuable information to be taken into consideration by developers of
educational software for students.
Objectives of the study include:
1. To determine whether or not Gcompris is effective and appropriate for children six (6)
and seven (7) years of age
2. To use the findings of this research to make recommendations to Educators as to one way
of improving students performance in school
6. GCompris Usability Testing 6
3. To prove whether or not Gcompris as an educational tool is beneficial to children
4. To evaluate students learning potential based on the activities available on GCompris
5. To document findings that are as a result of the usability research done.
Dominant terms that will be used throughout this research are Usability, usability testing,
educational, multimedia, multimedia cognitive theory, activity theory and children. There is an
Independent Variable and a Dependent Variable. The independent variable is GCompris and the
dependent variable is the August Town Primary Grade one (1) students. The main theories that
will be guiding this research are the Multimedia Cognitive theory, Cognitive Load theory, The
Multimedia Principle and the activity theory.
For this testing, eighteen grade one primary student with little or no computer experience will
be chosen randomly. The eighteen students will be further divided into two groups of nine
and exposed to the software for 20 minutes on two separate occasion. The students will be
observed, recorded, and a post-test evaluation will be done.
This research report provides background, findings and recommendations of the
Gcompris Usability testing. It documents and discusses theories and methodologies of the testing
between March 17 and April 21, 2009. The report provides participant demographics, test
evaluation methods and detail additional information that is necessary for this report. Our
recommendations are based on the data-driven findings and the user-centered theory.
7. GCompris Usability Testing 7
Literature Review
According to Sashoi Green, teacher at Jamaica College (Clarke, 2009, para 6) quot;There is a
phobia of mathematics, but when students relate it to things around them, they connect more.quot; In
8. GCompris Usability Testing 8
a report in the Jamaica Gleaner, She said students develop a dislike for mathematics at an early
age. (Clarke, 2009, para. 8). This line of thought is in keeping with the train of thought that
exists. In fact, with the current low performance in mathematics within Jamaican Schools, new
policies have been designed and researches are being conducted in an effort to stem the problem.
Another perception of the cause of this low performance is provided by the Government of
Jamaica who has admitted in a statement recently by Opposition spokesman on education,
Senator Basil Waite that “Jamaican students are performing poorly in the area of mathematics
because many primary school teachers did not pass the subject at high school level.” (Douglas,
2009, para. 1)
This problem has led to developments, research and policies that have surfaced. One
example of such is the New Horizons for Primary Schools (NHP), which was implemented by
the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in 1999 and lasted until 2004.
“The objective of the program was to improve the language arts and mathematics performance of
72 of Jamaica’s poorer performing schools, through a school-based model of intervention.”
(Marlaine, Harris, Gammill, & Barrow, 2006, p.1 ). “The NHP employs a holistic, student centre
approach to improvement of instruction and learning in mathematics and reading (n.d.)
Another current example is the National Mathematics Strategy being undertaken by the
Education Transformation Team under the Ministry of Education. National Mathematics
coordinator, Tamika Benjamin, says the launch of this strategy was the “beginning of a quot;long and
difficult journeyquot;. (Anonymous, 2008, para. 9)
“Through this strategy, direction will be given to stem the continued decline in student
performance and to increase national awareness about the importance of
9. GCompris Usability Testing 9
numeracy.”(Anonymous, 2008 ,Para. 2) the establishment of a National Mathematics and
Numeracy Policy, which is aimed at improving the performance of students’ island wide.
While there are many theories that speak to learning and the use of multimedia
application to aid the learning, the theories I will be focusing on for the purpose of this research
are The Cognitive Theory of Multimedia, Cognitive Load theory, The Multimedia Principle and
the activity theory. According to Mayer & Moreno (2002) The Cognitive Theory of Multimedia
states that multimedia narration and graphical images produce verbal and visual mental
representations, which integrate with prior knowledge to construct new knowledge.(to cite).
According to Mayer and Moreno (1998) and Mayer (2003), the Cognitive
Theory of Multimedia Learning is based on several assumptions. First, working memory
includes auditory and visual channels, which are equivocal to the phonological loop and the visu
CognitiveTheory & Multimedia Instruction spatial sketch pad in Baddeley’s (1986) theory of
working memory. Second, each subsystem of working memory has a limited capacity, consistent
with Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1988, 1994). Third, humans are knowledge-constructing
processors who produce meaningful learning when they attend to relevant incoming information,
organize the information in coherent representational structures, and then integrate it with other
existing knowledge (Mayer, 1996, 1999).
Fourth, connections can be made only if corresponding visual and verbal representations are in
working memory at the same time, which is similar to Paivio’s (1986; Clark and Paivio, 1991)
Dual Coding Theory.
10. GCompris Usability Testing 10
“Cognitive Learning Theory is concerned with the way in which a learner’s cognitive resources
are focused and
used during learning and problem solving, suggesting that for instruction to be effective, care
must be taken to design instruction in a way as to not overload the mind’s capacity for
processing information.”(to cite)
Multimedia Principle
The multimedia principle states that better transfer occurs from animation/pictures and narration/
words than from words alone. When words and pictures are both presented, learners have the
chance to construct verbal and visual cognitive representations and integrate them.
Limitation to this study includes the fact that there have not been much recorded accounts of
similar studies conducted. This limits the resources available to the researcher and the
information for which to base the research on.
The Activity Theory based usability testing methodology offers evaluators an insight into the
natural context of use in an artificial laboratory setting which offers a high degree of control. (to
cite)
Methodology
For the purpose of this research, the group that I have decided to study is grade one (1) students
at the August Town Primary School. Eighteen students were randomly chosen, Nine from each
of the two grade one students classes that were present.
In an effort to effectively choose methods that would reflect the required data needed, two main
usability evaluation methods based on Preece (1993), were considered and chosen. These are
11. GCompris Usability Testing 11
observational evaluation and survey evaluation. “Observational evaluation implies collecting
data that provide information about what users do when interacting with educational software.”
Preece (1993) stated that two broad categories of data may be obtained: how users tackled the
tasks given, where the major difficulties lie and what can be done; and performance measures
like frequency of correct task completion, task timing, frequency of participant errors.
“Surveys are employed to know users' opinions or to understand their preferences about an
existing or potential product through the use of interviews or questionnaires.”
The techniques that were used include direct observation, video recording, software logging,
verbal protocols and Questionnaire administered by interviews.
The Gcompris usability evaluation was conducted as monitored test sessions. Eighteen (18)
students were tested. While this number is not representative of the general grade one population
in Jamaica for a true experimental design, a minimum of 10 to 12 participants per condition must
be used (Spyridakis, 1992). On the other hand, new research has shown that four to five
participants can reveal up to 80% of usability insufficiencies in products, which often times tend
to be most of the major problems (Virzi, 1990).
The test sessions were held in a computer lab on the computer science department of the
University of the West Indies, Mona campus.
Procedure
The eighteen students were divided into two groups of nine and the tests carried out in four
sessions, each group being exposed to two. Each testing lasted for twenty minutes per session.
From henceforth on, the two groups will be referred to as Group A and Group B.
For the first session, Group A had three persons monitoring the test and Group B had five
persons. This was due to the availability of persons to participate as monitors. The students were
12. GCompris Usability Testing 12
transported from their school to the lab. On arrival, the participants were lead to the computer lab
where there were each placed in front of a computer which had the software on screen. The
students were then given one minute without instructions to see if they would know what to do.
After the initial minute, the participants were first introduced to the computer keyboard aspect of
the software where they were allowed to do one (1) activity of falling letters to allow them to
familiarize themselves with the keyboard. After the basic introduction with the computer, the
students were then exposed to basic addition and subtraction mathematics activities. All 9
students were exposed to the mouse where they were allowed to do an activity that required them
using the mouse to click the correct answer.
Two activities were chosen for this.
1. where they were allowed to connect the numbers to draw an object. This not only aided
their mouse using skill but also tested their skills in counting.
2. Others were tested based on their ability to read and identify objects where they were
shown different objects and they were required to click the letter that was missing.
This first session was used as an introductory session. The students were monitored and
comments and expressions were monitored.
The second session however was of a different format, as the students were first exposed to
mathematics addition activities for the first 10 minutes then subtraction activities for the other
ten minutes. Their individual score was documented, after which a simple questionnaire was
administered to the participants individually.
13. GCompris Usability Testing 13
Participant Summary
Eighteen participants participated in the Gcompris usability study. Participants were randomly
selected based on their availability to participate in the study from the two grade one classes at
August Town Primary. The selected participants were mixed in their performance in
mathematics. That means some participants were exceptional performers, some needed extra
help and the others were rather slow. The participants were each given permission letters to give
to their parents/guardians, which were signed and returned to the researcher.
Participant Age Group Sex Previous Computer Used other Previous
Usage(1-Expert, 5- educational Gcompris
Novice) software Usage
1 6 1 F 5 None None
2 6 1 M 5 None None
3 6 1 M 5 None None
4 7 1 F 5 None None
5 7 1 F 5 None None
6 6 1 F 5 None None
7 7 1 M 4 None None
8 7 1 M 5 None None
9 6 1 F 4 None None
10 7 2 F 5 None None
11 7 2 M 5 None None
12 6 2 M 4 None None
13 7 2 M 3 None None
14 6 2 M 5 None None
15 7 2 M 5 None None
16 6 2 F 5 None None
14. GCompris Usability Testing 14
17 6 2 F 5 None None
18 6 2 F 5 None None
Gcompris Set-up
Gcompris was pre-installed for each participant on the linux operating system at the computer
science computer lab. During the pretesting familiarizing section of the test, the participants were
introduced to the welcome screen where no instruction was given at first.
The participatory observation as an instrument of data collection is more appropriate in this case
than other instruments that exist. In that , while dealing with the children it is much better to be
able to interact with them while observation their reaction and behavior towards the software.
Furthermore, this is best suited as a usability study consists of and generally involves measuring
how well test subjects respond in four areas: efficiency, accuracy, recall, and emotional response,
which will be useful in what we are trying to achieve.
The aim of the evaluation was to validate the usability of the activities specifically the addition
and subtraction mathematical activities which, are features of Gcompris. The testers were given
activities to complete and their effectiveness, efficiency, reaction and satisfaction of the software
were noted.
15. GCompris Usability Testing 15
Data Presentation
Of the eighteen participant respondents, nine were female and the remaining nine male. Giving a
fifty-fifty percentage. However, group one had five females and four males while group two had
four females and five females. The respondents are all between the age of six and seven. In fact
of the ten of the participants are six years of age while the remaining eight are seven years of
age.
Usability Problems Number of
Participants affected
Time given for 18
activities
Needs Supervision 14
16. GCompris Usability Testing 16
Navigation 14
Participants were 18
unsure what to do
Figure 1: Major Usability Problems and participants affected.
Figure one shows the major usability problems and the number of participants affected by it.
The Time given to complete the activities is at the top because it is the greatest concern among
the participants. However, with time and with practice, the respondents will be allowed to
complete the activities within the given time.
Participant Age Group Average Activity Average Activity Score- Subtraction
Score- Addition
1 6 1 8/10 7/10
2 6 1 5/10 3/10
3 6 1 7/10 8/10
4 7 1 3/10 3/10
5 7 1 6/10 5/10
6 6 1 5/10 6/10
7 7 1 9/10 8/10
8 7 1 10/10 9/10
9 6 1 7/10 5/10
10 7 2 3/10 1/10
11 7 2 2/10 2/10
12 6 2 4/10 3/10
13 7 2 3/10 2/10
17. GCompris Usability Testing 17
14 6 2 8/10 7/10
15 7 2 6/10 5/10
16 6 2 4/10 3/10
17 6 2 5/10 5/10
18 6 2 6/10 6/10
Figure 2: Table showing average performance by the participants in the mathematics activities.
Group one had a stronger set of participants when compared to the average score of group two.
Although, there were a few strong participants in group two, majority of the participants required
extra attention and was much slower in their performance.
The list below represents some findings based on our participant responses to the feedback
survey:
• Of our 18 participants, 14 indicated that they had no previous computer exposure.
18. GCompris Usability Testing 18
• Two of the four with previous experience said they had access to a computer at home.
.
• Of the 18 participants, none had previous exposure to Gcompris prior to the testing
19. GCompris Usability Testing 19
10 out of the 18 participants suggested they would only use the software again if they had
someone to help them as these students stated that the math activities were too hard. These 10
students happen to be the ones that scored the lowest on the activities. When asked why they
would not want to use the software again, the most prominent answer was because they did not
know how to do the math. However, some said they would use it again if they were supervised.
Other Important Findings that came out of the Research
1. Participant 11 Boy is confused when it comes it comes to math, you have to completely
break it down for him or work with him. He is easily distracted and works better on other
activities
2. Participant #12 is unable to do basic addition, she is very slow and loses focus easily
when she gets the answers incorrect. She s unable to recognize basic mathematics signs
on her own.
20. GCompris Usability Testing 20
3. Participant number 10 is very fast, she uses her fingers to assist her in solving problems.
She works off her own initiative and is twice as fast as the others
4. Participant #1 likes math
Likes to do it on the computer
Likes the “thing” that she is using to do the math
5. Participant #7 likes subtraction
-father encourages him to do math
-likes the software
-the math was too hard
-wanted someone to help him because he did not know what to do
-would not use it again because it was too hard.
6. Participant #5 – likes it because its nice
Likes the game with the fish
It was too hard because he can not do the math
He would use it again if he had somebody to help him
7. Participant # 3 it was fun
Fish game is her favourite
21. GCompris Usability Testing 21
The math was not hard
Yes would use it again
Has a computer at home.
8. Participant #2 thought some of the math were hard, wanted someone to help with the
ones that were hard, could do the math
When asked if they would like the teacher to use it in class 90% said yes
Activities the children liked
1. Letters that fall from the sky - 2
2. One participant response was her stomach hurts her when she does not know what to do.
3. Another one likes the addition
Disapproval
- The time was too short
- They were not familiar with the layout of the computer keyboard
It is also important to note that the age group used for this exercise was 6-7 so one might
say that the level of work is very easy, but the ability of the students was mixed and so there
were those who were performing at a lower level and those who were excelling. Nevertheless,
the students of both mental capacities were able to use the software with relative ease and
explanation at times.
22. GCompris Usability Testing 22
Analysis
From the test conducted and from general observations and posttest evaluation, various
findings from which generalizations can be made were found. With reference to the effectiveness
of the GCompris it was found out that although the majority of the participants enjoyed playing
the other activities they did not like the math activities that were available for more than one
reasons, time availability and their ability perform well at the activities. Although the math
questions being asked in the activities were appropriate, 80% of the participants felt that they
23. GCompris Usability Testing 23
needed to be guided when participating in the activities. This is due to their ability to calculate
and function on their own as these participants were not as academically inclined as the others.
While 50% of the participants did not have a problem with the mathematical activities,
the time issues was of a major concern to these participants as they used their fingers to help
them calculate. However based on the researcher’s observations, the participants will eventually
perform better once they are exposed to the software and general computer usage skills on a
weekly basis.
Twenty percent of the participants managed the mathematical program very well because
they were able to apply the skills taught in basic computation to those that were being tested on
the software. For example, one student was given a computation of 10-6=___, immediately she
held up her ten fingers and subtracted 6 and was able to reel the answer (4) in seconds. Another
option was the reading skills which asked them to fill in the missing letters. This was done with
ease as well because the students already had a grasp of the words and so identifying the missing
letters was pretty easy. Owing to the fact that they were using the computers for the first time the
difficulty came when they had to identify the keys on the keyboard in order to get the right
answer.
It is also important to note that the age group used for this exercise was 6-7 so one might
say that the level of work is very easy, but the ability of the students was mixed and so there
were those who were performing at a lower level and those who were excelling. Nevertheless,
the students of both mental capacities were able to use the software with relative ease and
explanation at times.
24. GCompris Usability Testing 24
Overall, the participants were enthusiastic about the software and the activities available on the
software. They enjoyed playing the various games.
Conclusions and Recommendations
From this usability testing research on the extent to which G-Compris, as a tool for teaching
basic mathematics skills can improve or aid learning in mathematics for grade one students at
August Town Primary school, numerous recommendations can be made. Some of these
recommendations have been put forward by monitors and participants themselves and the others
will be put forward by the researcher based on the process and findings of the research.
Recommendations put forward by the monitors/evaluators/participants include
25. GCompris Usability Testing 25
o The length of the time on the software needs to be slower which will seek to
accommodate students that have learning disabilities and are not so quick.
o Students on initial exposure to the software have to be closely monitored in order to fully
utilise and captivate the benefits that can be had from the software.
Recommendations put forward by the researcher include:
• A comparative study to be done between a preparatory and a primary school.
• More recorded research including that of usability testing should be done in the
Caribbean so that Caribbean researchers including students may have readily available
literature to them when conducting research of this nature and others.
• The developers of children software needs to take into consideration children who are not
tech-savvy hence the researcher is recommending that the developers of GCompris allot
more time to the completion of the initial activities in order to allow users to get familiar
and comfortable with the product.
• A computer lab should be made available to the students with academic software such as
Gcompris installed so as to exposure them to alternative methods of learning which will
be beneficial to the teachers and students alike.
• The Ministry of Education should re-visit the syllabus
In conclusion, the researcher discovered that while GCompris can indeed improve or aid the
performance of students in mathematics, the timing available for completion of the activities
needs to be revisited for students that are not that academically inclined and needs more time to
work on the activities. The fact that the most of the participants who were all unfamiliar with
GCompris could learn to use it fairly with just two exposures suggests that GCompris is
generally usable for the intended target population. However the developers of the software
26. GCompris Usability Testing 26
needs to look in lengthening the time given for completion of each activity as this present timing
is not conducive or receptive of slow learners.
27. GCompris Usability Testing 27
References
Clarke, O (2009, April 18) Curing the math phobia - Math competition shows problem solving to
be a good tool. Retrieved January 27, 2009 from
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090418/lead/lead4.html
Douglas, L (2009, April 5) 'WE HAVE A MATH PROBLEM'. Retrieved January 27, 2009 from
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/Career/html/20090404T220000-0500_1488
20_OBS__WE_HAVE_A_MATH_PROBLEM__.asp
Francis, P (2006, September 15) Poor CXC results - Jamaican students lag behind region in
Maths, English. Retrieved January 26, 2009 from
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20060915/lead/lead1.html
Gaffney, G (1999) Information & Design: Usability Testing Series. Retrieved January 26, 2009
from http://www.infodesign.com.au/ftp/UsabilityTesting.pdf
Marlaine, L., Harris, A, Gammill, P & Barrow, K (2006) IMPACT OF NEW HORIZONS FOR
PRIMARY SCHOOLS ON LITERACY AND NUMERACY IN JAMAICA 1999-2004.
Retrieved on February 5, 2008 From
http://www.equip123.net/JEID/articles/2/NewHorizons.pdf
Preece, J. (1993). A Guide to Usability: human factors in computing. Addison Wesley, the Open
University.
28. GCompris Usability Testing 28
Rubin, Jeffrey. (1994). Handbook of Usability Testing: How to Plan, Design and Conduct
Effective Tests. New York: Wileyl
Spyridakis, J. H. (1992). Conducting Research in Technical Communication: the application of
true experimental designs. Technical Communications, Fourth Quarter, 607-624.
Virzi, R. A. (1990). Streamling in the Design Process: Running Fewer Subjects. Proceedings of
the Human Factors Society, 291-294.
Educators count on new maths strategy (2008, June 4) Retrieved on January 27, 2009 from
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080604/news/news3.htmlv
Mayer, R. E. (1996). Learning strategies for making sense out of expository text: The
SOI model for guiding three cognitive processes in knowledge construction. Educational
Psychology Review, 8, 357-371.
Multimedia in Jamaican Schools retrieved on January 31, 2009 from
http://www.iicd.org/articles/IICDnews.import42/
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/36/25/e2.
pdf
http://expanding-educational-horizons.com/Numeracy/NumeracyPolicy.pdf
29. GCompris Usability Testing 29
Appendices
Caribbean Institute of MEDIA and COMMUNICATION
The University of the West Indies
3 Sherlock Drive, Mona Campus
Kingston 7
Jamaica, W.I
Tel. (876) 927-1481, 977-2111, 977-0898,
977-1398, 977-9990, 702-3353,
Fax (876) 977-1597
E-mail carimac@uwimona.edu.jm
Caribbean Institute of MEDIA and COMMUNICATION
Web www.mona.uwi.edu/carimac
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Re: Permission for your Child/Ward to participate in a computer study
This letter seeks permission for your child/ward to participate in a multimedia computer study to
be conducted at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus. Although we would have
preferred to conduct the study on the premises of the school, the computer lab is currently
unavailable for use, hence the need for the study to be done on UWI’s campus. The project will
run for 2 to 3 weeks commencing on Tuesday March 17, 2009. It will require that your child
visits the UWI computer lab on two occasions within one of the following sessions (Tuesdays
and Thursdays 9:00 am – 10:30 am) during duration of the study.
Shakarah McCrae, a final year student at the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication
(CARIMAC), will conduct the study, which is intended to fulfil her research requirement to
investigate multimedia software and children in the classroom.
Your child will be required to use a computer with Mathematics learning software for a period of
20 to 30 minutes.
Sincerely,
----------------------------------------
30. GCompris Usability Testing 30
David Bain
Multimedia Co-ordinator CARIMAC, UWI Mona
-----------------------------------------
Shakarah McCrae
Final Year Student CARIMAC UWI Mona
-----------------------------------------
Morlton Wilson
Principal, August Town Primary School
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
I ____________________________________ have given permission for
Parent/Guardian
__________________________ my child/ward to participate in the multimedia computer
study to be held between March 17, 2009 and March 26, 2009 at the UWI campus.