Integrated semantic math I/O in ActiveMath: an evaluation

The ActiveMath system is a web-based learning environment that integrates static mathematical content and interactive exercises with evaluated mathematical input from learners. Mathematical formulæ in ActiveMath are encoded in OpenMath and presented with regional notations. Users can input formulæ using the same notations via a formula editor or using plain-text input. Input to the editor is assisted by allowing users to copy formulæ from other parts of ActiveMath. In this paper we will describe how all these components are integrated and work within the system. We will then discuss recent evaluations of the formulæ input methods run within the LeActiveMath project in Malaga and Edinburgh. The results indicate that, even though the assisted input methods provided by the Formula Editor and copy-andpaste are appreciated by users the most popular input method remains the plain text input fields. Proposals are made for how direct input of text can be facilitated and assisted in future formulæ input systems

An Analysis of Interactive Learning Environments for Arithmetic and Algebra Through an Integrative Perspective

International audienceThe analysis presented in this article tries to obtain a global view of the field of interactive learning environments (ILE) dedicated to arithmetic and algebra. As preliminaries, a brief overview of evaluation methods focusing on educational software is given and a short description of ten ILEs concerned by the study is provided as a kind of a state-of-the-art. Then the methodology of ILEs analysis developed in the TELMA project is explained consisting in the design and the refinement of an analysis grid and its use on the ten ILEs is mentioned. Next, a first level analysis of results leading to a compiled, analytic and synthetic view of the ILEs available and/or missing functionalities is given. A second level of the analysis is also proposed, with two concise representations of the ILEs, composed of graphical representations of the previous results, leading to a 3D map of ILEs dedicated to arithmetic and algebra. This map provides, as promised, a global view of the field and permits to define five sorts of ILEs according to two criteria: the first one is teacher-oriented and concerns usages enabled by the ILE; the second one is student-oriented and concerns control provided by the ILE to accomplish such usages

Methodologies for the Automation of Web-Based Interactive Courseware for Mathematics

In this paper, we describe the newest version of our mathematical e-learning material generation system, e-Math Interaction Agent 2. Its key feature is the simplicity of its solution plans and presentation definitions. The presentation layers are completely separated from the pure mathematical solution processes, significantly increasing the reusability of the definitions

An Analysis of Interactive Learning Environments for Arithmetic and Algebra Through an Integrative Perspective

International audienceThe analysis presented in this article tries to obtain a global view of the field of interactive learning environments (ILE) dedicated to arithmetic and algebra. As preliminaries, a brief overview of evaluation methods focusing on educational software is given and a short description of ten ILEs concerned by the study is provided as a kind of a state-of-the-art. Then the methodology of ILEs analysis developed in the TELMA project is explained consisting in the design and the refinement of an analysis grid and its use on the ten ILEs is mentioned. Next, a first level analysis of results leading to a compiled, analytic and synthetic view of the ILEs available and/or missing functionalities is given. A second level of the analysis is also proposed, with two concise representations of the ILEs, composed of graphical representations of the previous results, leading to a 3D map of ILEs dedicated to arithmetic and algebra. This map provides, as promised, a global view of the field and permits to define five sorts of ILEs according to two criteria: the first one is teacher-oriented and concerns usages enabled by the ILE; the second one is student-oriented and concerns control provided by the ILE to accomplish such usages

Integrated Semantic Math I/O in ActiveMath: an Evaluation

The ActiveMath system is a web-based learning environment that integrates static mathematical content and interactive exercises with evaluated mathematical input from learners. Mathematical formulæ in ActiveMath are encoded in OpenMath and presented with regional notations. Users can input formulæ using the same notations via a formula editor or using plain-text input. Input to the editor is assisted by allowing users to copy formulæ from other parts of ActiveMath. In this paper we will describe how all these components are integrated and work within the system. We will then discuss recent evaluations of the formulæ input methods run within the LeActiveMath project in Malaga and Edinburgh. The results indicate that, even though the assisted input methods provided by the Formula Editor and copy-andpaste are appreciated by users the most popular input method remains the plain text input fields. Proposals are made for how direct input of text can be facilitated and assisted in future formulæ input systems

Analyse d'EIAH en arithmétique et en algèbre : Conception, utilisation et exploitation d'un questionnaire d'analyse d'EIAH en mathématiques à la recherche d'une classification du domaine

International audienceUne méthodologie de conception, d'utilisation et d'analyse synthétique des résultats obtenus après enquête sur des EIAH en arithmétique et algèbre est exposée dans cet article. Issu d'un effort interne et disciplinaire d'un ensemble d'équipes de recherche appartenant à un même projet européen, ce travail a renouvelé les genres " état de l'art " et " analyse " en introduisant des grilles d'observation concertées et structurées permettant une collecte des informations collaborative. Suite à un travail de lecture croisée, de fusion de publication et de communication de ces documents, la base d'informations obtenue a rendu possible une action d'analyse et la mise en place d'outils de synthèse qui ont finalement abouti à la constitution d'un panorama 3D des EIAH en arithmétique et en algèbre, peuplé des EIAH étudiés, menant à une classification possible des EIAH de mathématiques potentiellement applicable aux EIAH en général

Motivational Social Visualizations for Personalized E-Learning

A large number of educational resources is now available on the Web to support both regular classroom learning and online learning. However, the abundance of available content produces at least two problems: how to help students find the most appropriate resources, and how to engage them into using these resources and benefiting from them. Personalized and social learning have been suggested as potential methods for addressing these problems. Our work presented in this paper attempts to combine the ideas of personalized and social learning. We introduce Progressor + , an innovative Web-based interface that helps students find the most relevant resources in a large collection of self-assessment questions and programming examples. We also present the results of a classroom study of the Progressor +  in an undergraduate class. The data revealed the motivational impact of the personalized social guidance provided by the system in the target context. The interface encouraged students to explore more educational resources and motivated them to do some work ahead of the course schedule. The increase in diversity of explored content resulted in improving students’ problem solving success. A deeper analysis of the social guidance mechanism revealed that it is based on the leading behavior of the strong students, who discovered the most relevant resources and created trails for weaker students to follow. The study results also demonstrate that students were more engaged with the system: they spent more time in working with self-assessment questions and annotated examples, attempted more questions, and achieved higher success rates in answering them

Course generation as a hierarchical task network planning problem

This thesis presents course generation based on Hierarchical Task Network planning (HTN planning). This course generation framework enables the formalization and application of complex and realistic pedagogical knowledge. Compared to previous course generation, this approach generates structured courses that are adapted to a variety of different learning goals and to the learners\u27; competencies. The thesis describes basic techniques for course generation, which are used to formalize seven different types of courses (for instance introducing the learner to previously unknown concepts and supporting him during rehearsal) and several elementary learning goals (e. g., selecting an appropriate example or exercise). The course generator developed in this thesis is service-oriented thus allowing the integration of learning supporting services into the generated course in a generic and pedagogically sensible way. Furthermore, learning environments can access the functionality of the course generator using a Web-service interface. Repositories are treated as services that can register at the course generator and make their content available for course generation. The registration is based on an ontology of instructional objects. Its classes allow categorizing learning objects according to their pedagogical purpose in a more precise way than existing metadata specifications; hence it can be used for intelligent pedagogical functionalities other than course generation. Course generation based on HTN planning is implemented in Paigos and was evaluated by technical, formative and summative evaluations. The technical evaluation primarily investigated the performance to Paigos; the formative and summative evaluations targeted the users\u27; acceptance of Paigos and of the generated courses.Diese Arbeit stellt Kursgenerierung vor, die auf Hierarchical Task Network Planung (HTN Planung) basiert. Der gewählte Rahmen erlaubt die Formalisierung von komplexem und realistischem pädagogischem Wissen und ermöglicht im Vergleich zu bisherigen Techniken die Generierung von strukturierten Kursen, die an eine Vielzahl von Lernzielen angepasst sind. Aufbauend auf allgemeinen Techniken zur Kursgenerierung wird das pädagogische Wissen für sieben verschiedene Kurstypen und für eine Reihe von elementaren Lernzielen formalisiert. Die in dieser Arbeit vorgestellte Kursgenerierung ist service-orientiert. Dadurch steht ein generischer Rahmen zu Verfügung, in dem externe Lernsysteme in die generierten Kurse eingebunden werden und dem Lernenden zur Verfügung gestellt werden können, wenn es pädagogisch sinnvoll ist. Weiterhin können andere Lernsysteme über eine Web-Service Schnittstelle auf die Funktionalitäten des Kursgenerators zugreifen: Datenbanken werden als Services betrachtet, die an dem Kursgenerator registriert werden können, und auf die während der Kurserstellung zugegriffen wird. Die Registrierung verwendet eine Ontologie, die verschiedene instruktionale Typen von Lernobjekten repräsentiert und es erlaubt, Lernobjekte nach ihrem pädagogischen Verwendungszweck zu klassifizieren. Sie geht dabei über existierende Metadatenspezifikationen hinaus und ermöglicht pädagogische komplexe Funktionalitäten, so wie beispielsweise Kursgenerierung und weitere. Die vorgestellte Kursgenerierung ist implementiert in Paigos und wurde durch technische, formative und summative Evaluationen untersucht. Die technische Evaluation analysierte in erster Linie die Performanz von Paigos; die formative und summative Evaluationen widmeten sich der Frage der Akzeptanz und Verständlichkeit der von Paigos erzeugten Kurse aus Benutzersicht