ERIC Number: EJ1359098
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-1929-7750
Analyzing Students' Problem-Solving Sequences: A Human-in-the-Loop Approach
Kleinman, Erica; Shergadwala, Murtuza N.; Teng, Zhaoqing; Villareale, Jennifer; Bryant, Andy; Zhu, Jichen; Seif El-Nasr, Magy
Journal of Learning Analytics, v9 n2 p138-160 2022
Educational technology is shifting toward facilitating personalized learning. Such personalization, however, requires a detailed understanding of students' problem-solving processes. Sequence analysis (SA) is a promising approach to gaining granular insights into student problem solving; however, existing techniques are difficult to interpret because they offer little room for human input in the analysis process. Ultimately, in a learning context, a human stakeholder makes the decisions, so they should be able to drive the analysis process. In this paper, we present a human-in-the-loop approach to SA that uses visualization to allow a stakeholder to better understand both the data and the algorithm. We illustrate the method with a case study in the context of a learning game called Parallel. Results reveal six groups of students organized based on their problem-solving patterns and highlight individual differences within each group. We compare the results to a state-of-the-art method run with the same data and discuss the benefits of our method and the implications of this work.
Descriptors: Problem Solving, Learning Analytics, Decision Making, Educational Technology, Individualized Instruction, Sequential Approach, Cognitive Processes, Visual Aids, Computer Software, Case Studies, Computer Games, Individual Differences, Validity, Game Based Learning, Undergraduate Students, Computer Science Education
Society for Learning Analytics Research. 121 Pointe Marsan, Beaumont, AB T4X 0A2, Canada. Tel: +61-429-920-838; e-mail: info@solaresearch.org; Web site: https://learning-analytics.info/index.php/JLA/index
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1917855