Project u-Mentor (iLIME: Learning, Interaction, Mentoring, Evaluation)

u-Mentor (iLIME: Learning, Interaction, Mentoring, Evaluation)

The main purpose of the project u-Mentor (originally, iLIME) is to elaborate and implement an automatized itinerary-recommendation system aiming at helping teachers to make personalized recommendations to its students.   The LIME eLearning model has been designed for personalized learning, with special focus on the combination of formal and informal settings in a combined paradigm. In doing so, it copes with the artificial difference between Learning Management Systems and specific, restricted social networks which complement the user formal activity with informal interaction.

The project’s main objectives:

  • To implement an independent itinerary recommendation system for teachers
  • To integrate this recommendation system in a large number of LMS (Learning Management System) and in other type of learning systems
  • To present an intuitive, clean and ready to use configuration screen by the expert/teacher/group manager.
  • To generate recommendations and to harmonize them with the selected learning management system

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The LIME model:

LIME characterizes and ponders the following aspects of the learning process in a particular educational scenario:

  • Inputs or situations, actions and activities (performed by students) which are somehow measurable and which can be assigned a specific contribution to the total assessment, grade or mark.
  • Balance between the weight given to the aforementioned learning, interaction and mentoring vectors.  Level of formality of each input: formal – informal.
  • And finally: evaluation and results of formal exercises.

From this screen, teachers can sensitively build and design recommendation rules based on their own personal experience and on the balance of categories, formality and evaluation of each input. By applying these rules, personalized recommendations are generated for each student. These recommendations can be as varied as the rule designer wants them to be, ranging from just the suggestion of learning materials to a more detailed deepening in the learning path the student should follow.

iLIME refers to the implementation of the LIME model in practice, or in other words, the integration of the model in software.

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Proyecto

Sources of funding

UNIR funding

Project Objectives

Up to now, the iLIME model was implemented and validated successfully in the module of “Master in e-Learning and Social networks” at UNIR, and in the near future, the iLIME model will be integrated completely in all graduate and postgraduate courses of UNIR’s Engineering and Information Technology School, such as:

  • Master in eLearning and Social Networks
  • Master in Information Security
  • Master in Design and Management of technological projects
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering (starting date: October 2013)

The project outcomes were also reflected in the article “L.I.M.E. A recommendation model for informal and formal learning, engaged. Daniel Burgos. International Jorunal of Interactive Multimedia and Artificial Intelligence 01/2013; 2:79-86” published last June in IJIMAI (International Journal of Interactive Multimedia and Artificial Intelligence). (Más información)