UNIR implements a software application to enhance the learner progress tracking

UNIR Research’s project A4Learning (http://bit.ly/A4LearningEN), became the first innovation and knowledge transfer project at the institution. The software application has been developed under the Research Support Strategy funded by UNIR Research (//research.unir.net).

The A4Learning project has developed a software application based on data mining and visualization of information. It gathers students behavior data and compares it with the obtained from past editions stablishing use patterns. Following this information teachers can improve their group assessment. They can visualize better the whole picture thanks to the A4Learning powerful tool.

A4Learning (Alumni-Alike Activity Analitics) combines data mining techniques and information visualization to help students and teachers to reflect about their performance

According to Daniel Burgos, project leader, “after two years of design and development we now deploy this tool for UNIR’s professors and tutors. It will be implemented at the School of Engineering and Technology, for the postgraduate degrees under the Sakai LMS”.

“The objective is to provide a comprehensive vision of the classroom in order to analyze better the students’ development and to increase their motivation”, explained Luis de la Fuente, recently appointed as co-director of the project.

Data mining and visualization of information

De la Fuente said that, according to the pilot tests, A4Learning tool “provides a very useful information for the teacher to follow the learning process”. After the data mining, the tool is capable of present the information in a helpful way, “it is easier for the teachers to draw conclusions, and, at the same time, they keep his resolving capability”.

A4 Learning is the first innovation and knowledge transfer project at Universidad Internacional de la Rioja (UNIR)

A4Learning aggregates and compares information divided by group and individuals. In this way, if a student is fulfilling his tasks and activities following the same pattern of another group, the teacher will know if he is following a successful pattern or not.

The following steps for the project, according to Burgos, will be “to broaden the objectives about user behavior and analytics, and to design a methodological and pedagogical assessment, along 2015-2016”.

In addition to Daniel Burgos and Luis de la Fuente, the team also counts Lissete García, Rubén González, and (in an initial conceptualization support) Abelardo Pardo, Lecturer at the University of Sidney.

For further information:

 UNIR Research

Science Dissemination Unit

Research.ucc@unir.net //research.unir.net/

Carlos Fernández-Alameda 91 567 43 91 (Ext. 2384)

Twitter: @UNIRResearch_En