Educational tool based on topology and evolution of hyperlinks in the Wikipedia

We propose a new method to support educationalexploration in the hyperlink network of the Wikipedia onlineencyclopedia. The learner is provided with alternative parallelranking lists, each one promoting hyperlinks that represent adifferent pedagogical perspective to the desired learning topic.The learner can browse the conceptual relations between thelatest versions of articles or the conceptual relations belongingto consecutive temporal versions of an article, or a mixture ofboth approaches. Based on her needs and intuition, the learnerexplores hyperlink network and meanwhile the method buildsautomatically concept maps that reflect her conceptualizationprocess and can be used for varied educational purposes.Initial experiments with a prototype tool based on the methodindicate enhancement to ordinary learning results and suggestfurther research.Peer reviewe

Personalized learning paths based on Wikipedia article statistics

We propose a new semi-automated method for generating personalized learning paths from the Wikipediaonline encyclopedia by following inter-article hyperlink chains based on various rankings that are retrieved from the statistics of the articles. Alternative perspectives for learning topics are achieved when the next hyperlink to access is selected based on hierarchy of hyperlinks, repetition of hyperlink terms, article size, viewing rate, editing rate, or user-defined weighted mixture of them all. We have implemented the method in a prototype enabling the learner to build independently concept maps following her needs and consideration. A list of related concepts is shown in a desired type of ranking to label new nodes (titles of target articles for current hyperlinks) accompanied with parsed explanation phrases from the sentences surrounding each hyperlink to label directed arcs connecting nodes. In experiments the alternative ranking schemes well supported various learning needs suggesting new pedagogical networking practices.Peer reviewe

Supplement to Lauri Lahti’s conference article "Educational concept mapping method based on high-frequency words and Wikipedia linkage"

A supplement to Lauri Lahti’s conference article in 2011 "Educational concept mapping method based on high-frequency words and Wikipedia linkage" so that this supplement was referenced to by the original publication.Not reviewe

Educational concept mapping method based on high-frequency words and Wikipedia linkage

We propose a computational method to support the learner's knowledge adoption based on conceptmapping relying on three perspectives of learning scenario represented by learning concept networks:learner’s knowledge, learning context and learning objective. Each learning concept network isgenerated based on a set of high-frequency words from a representative text sample that are connectedbased on the shortest hyperlink chains between corresponding Wikipedia articles. The learner exploresranking-based routings connecting learning concept networks by expanding a concept map in twocomplementing learning modes: assisted construction and assistive evaluation, with focused andcontextualized emphasis. Based on the method we have implemented a prototype of an educational tooland its preliminary testing indicated that the method can well support personalized knowledge adoption.Peer reviewe

Experimental evaluation of learning performance for exploring the shortest paths in hyperlink network of Wikipedia

In a 9-hour experiment we evaluated learning performance based on exploringthe shortest paths in hyperlink network of Wikipedia online encyclopedia. Relying onnetwork of 35688 unique hyperlinks in three separate learning sessions of 20 minutesstudents read series of 62 sentences built by using 22 unique hyperlinks that form theeleven shortest paths and answered pre-test and post-test multiple-choice questionnairesabout recall of sentences (tests 1-6). For experiment group (n=24) 62 sentences werechained in such an ordering that corresponds to traversing cumulatively a series ofassociative trails leading from concept Tourism in Malta to concept Euro coins of Maltaalong alternative parallel shortest paths in hyperlink network of Wikipedia categoryMalta. For control group (n=10) same sentences had randomized ordering. For bothunique hyperlinks and consecutive pairs of hyperlinks experiment group reached higherdegrees of recall than control group in tests 2-5 and the effect size in favor of experimentgroup was over 0.18 for test 2 and over 0.40 for tests 3-4. We do not know any previouswork verifying learning performance like in our approach.Peer reviewe

Semantic modeling of healthcare guidelines to support health literacy and patient engagement

Developing new methods and solutions of personalized medicine can address manycurrent sosio-economical challenges both locally and globally. The investments made to supporthealth can help people to have an independent, productive and happy life. To motivate thedevelopment of new patient support tools we illustrate the need for better health literacy and patientengagement, some common frameworks for modeling medical knowledge and some ways tosupport patients with online health queries and shared decision making. Then we provide someexperimental results we have generated by semantic analysis about healthcare guidelines offered byThe Finnish Medical Society Duodecim containing 85 055 words so that we created a conceptualnetwork of 57 679 unique conceptual links traversed with 200 000 link steps. We suggest that ourapproach to semantic modeling of medical knowledge can be modularly applied to develop variedcomputational solutions for personalized medicine and health informatics.Peer reviewe

Supporting diagnostics and decision making in healthcare by modular methods of computational linguistics

We propose a new framework for development of modular computational methods to support processes of healthcare and health education in diverse settings. Motivated by an evaluation by The National Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland the proposed framework aims to address challenges of analyzing knowledge concerning healthcare services and patient records with computational linguistics. The framework aims to promote implementing personalized care in diagnostics, decision making, patient engagement and self-care. We describe some analysis methods of computational linguistics, natural language processing, statistics, algorithms and data mining. We have built a prototype program enabling representing and modifying health-related knowledge structures for purposes of prevention, diagnosis and care. For 25 most common diagnosis names we have identified dependencies of core symptom concepts in a conceptual co-occurrence network of 57 679 unique conceptual links about healthcare guidelines.Peer reviewe

Guided generation of pedagogical concept maps from the Wikipedia

We propose a new method for guided generation of concept maps from open accessonline knowledge resources such as Wikies. Based on this method we have implemented aprototype extracting semantic relations from sentences surrounding hyperlinks in the Wikipedia’sarticles and letting a learner to create customized learning objects in real-time based oncollaborative recommendations considering her earlier knowledge. Open source modules enablepedagogically motivated exploration in Wiki spaces, corresponding to an intelligent tutoringsystem. The method extracted compact noun–verb–noun phrases, suggested for labeling arcsbetween nodes that were labeled with article titles. On average, 80 percent of these phrases wereuseful while their length was only 20 percent of the length of the original sentences. Experimentsindicate that even simple analysis algorithms can well support user-initiated information retrievaland building intuitive learning objects that follow the learner’s needs.Peer reviewe

Educational exploration based on conceptual networks generated by students and Wikipedia linkage

We propose a new educational framework for educational exploration basedon conceptual networks generated and explored by students supplied with Wikipedialinkage. In the first experimental setup we had a group of students (n=103) to createhigh-frequency lists of words and links between words, and in the second experimentalsetup we had another group of students (n=49) to explore a subsection of hyperlinknetwork of the Wikipedia corresponding to conceptual networks generated by students inthe first experimental setup. We report findings based on comparison of word lists andconceptual networks generated by students, vocabulary ranking of British NationalCorpus, hyperlink network structure of the Wikipedia and exploration paths of studentsin the hyperlink network of the Wikipedia. After traversing 20 hyperlink steps eachstudent could recall on average about 33,1 percent of unique shown concepts and onaverage 64,8 percent of unique selected concepts which seems to indicate thatexploration in hyperlink network can support adoption of new knowledge.Peer reviewe

Educational framework based on cumulative vocabularies, conceptual networks and Wikipedia linkage

We propose a new educational framework based on guidedexploration in small-world networks relying on hyperlinknetwork of the Wikipedia online encyclopedia(http://www.wikipedia.org) in which hyperlinks betweenarticles define conceptual relationships. Educationalmaterial is presented to student with cumulativeconceptual networks based on hyperlink network of theWikipedia connecting concepts of vocabulary aboutcurrent learning topic. Personalization of educationalmaterial is carried out by alternating the distribution ofenabled hyperlinks connecting concepts belonging tocurrent vocabulary according to requirements of learningobjective, learning context and learner’s knowledge.Besides developing a computational method to manageeducational material with conceptual networks and toexplore the shortest paths between concepts of vocabulary(especially highest-ranking hyperlinked concepts andstrongly rising hyperlinked concepts), we have alsoexperimentally estimated properties of conceptualnetworks generated based on hyperlink network of theWikipedia between concepts retrieved from EnglishVocabulary Profile for cumulatively growing vocabulariescorresponding to six language ability levels.Peer reviewe