=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-1596/paper4
|storemode=property
|title=Uncertainty in Open Learner Models: Visualising Inconsistencies in the Underlying Data
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1596/paper4.pdf
|volume=Vol-1596
|authors=Lamiya Al-Shanfari,Carrie Demmans Epp,Susan Bull
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/lak/Al-ShanfariEB16
}}
==Uncertainty in Open Learner Models: Visualising Inconsistencies in the Underlying Data==
Uncertainty in Open Learner Models: Visualising Inconsistencies in the Underlying Data Lamiya Al-Shanfari Carrie Demmans Epp Susan Bull University of Birmingham, UK University of Pittsburgh, USA University College London, UK lsa339@bham.ac.uk cdemmans@pitt.edu s.bull@ucl.ac.uk ABSTRACT different parts of the tree. The level of understanding for each topic is This paper suggests different methods for visualising uncertainty in open indicated by the size of the corresponding rectangle. The topics in the learner models (OLM). In order to visualise the uncertainty in OLMs, word cloud at the bottom of Figure 1 are separated into two boxes: strong two factors need to be measured, namely the source of the uncertainty in and weak topics. In the weak box, larger words indicate weaker skills, the data and the level of uncertainty in the learner model. This paper whereas those that are larger in the strong box are stronger skills. proposes a method to detect the source of uncertainty within a learner The data in the learner model can come from the same system, as has model: outlier analysis is employed to identify inconsistencies in the traditionally been the case (e.g., [3,5,9,10,14,19,20,22,26]) or a variety data set from which the OLM is built. The level of uncertainty that is of external sources (e.g., [4,6,25,28]). For example, in Next-TELL’s present in the model is determined by summing the influence weights of the learner model data that was identified as being inconsistent. Differ- ent approaches to visualising this uncertainty within OLMs are pro- posed; and benefits for OLMs that visualise uncertainty in learner mod- els that can be jointly maintained by student and system, are argued. Keywords Uncertainty, open learner models, visualisation 1. INTRODUCTION Learner models represent what a teaching system believes about the learner’s knowledge, beliefs, competencies, or other learning-relevant constructs; the information contained in these models is usually used to drive the adaptivity in intelligent teaching systems [17]. In most adaptive systems, the learner model is hidden from the learner. However, open learner models (OLM) allow the learner to view the information that is contained within the system’s model of the learner [8]. Making the learner model open to or allowing it to be viewed by the learner may increase learners’ metacognitive skills, e.g. promote learner reflection, and help them to plan and monitor their learning [7]. OLMs allow learners to access learner model information through one or more visualisations, such as the very common skill meters [4,5,6,11,15,26], concept maps [15,22,30], hierarchal tree structures [15,19,21,22], networks [4,6], tree maps [3,4,6,21] word clouds [4,6], and radar plots [4,6,21]. Figure 1 shows some of the visualisations of the learner model from the Next-TELL [4] and LEA’s Box OLMs [6]. Skill meters, at the top of Figure 1, indicate the level of knowledge by filling in the bar, and can be useful with a low number of topics. If the learner model has a larger number of topics, the user would need to scroll down to view all the topics. In contrast, the network visualisation that is below the skill meters in Figure 1, shows a larger number of topics in the same screen space, but it can be difficult to read if many nodes become very close together. The network uses different variables, such as size and colour, to indicate the level of understanding of the learner. (The larger and brighter the colour, the higher the level of understanding.) The radar plot that is below the network on the right of Figure 1 can also show the relative weaknesses or strengths of learner knowledge for different top- ics in a smaller space than the skill meters, but does not allow the domain structure to be shown. The tree map that is to the left of the radar plot can be useful when a large number of topics need to be shown because Figure 1: Examples of open learner model visualisations from Next- learner understanding of sub-topics can be explored by clicking on the TELL OLM [4] and LEA’s Box OLM [6] parent topic. However, this means that users cannot compare topics from Copyright © 2016 for the individual papers by the papers' authors. Copying permitted only for private and academic purposes. This volume is published and copyrighted by its editors. LAL 2016 workshop at LAK '16, April 26, 2016, Edinburgh, Scotland. OLM, data can come from different automated sources (e.g., quizzes, manipulates different visual elements that include colour, size, proxim- problems, virtual world activities) or manually entered sources (e.g., ity, line thickness and animation to show changes in the node at different self-assessments, peer-assessments, or teacher assessments of the time intervals and from different data sources. The student’s and the sys- learner’s skills) [4]. Using different data sources can allow different ac- tem/teachers’ beliefs are taken into account in the visualisation of the tivities to be taken into account during the inference process that creates student model to indicate uncertainty that results from having these two the learner model, much like portfolio assessment and e-portfolios use a sets of beliefs. Each belief is represented with a separate node using col- variety of evidence when assessing learners [31,33]. However, using our and size to indicate the strength of the level of understanding. The varied data sources may increase the likelihood of model uncertainty be- overall level of understanding of both beliefs are visualised as another cause of the variability in the data that is included. node using the average of the two beliefs (the student and the system’s Researchers whose focus is on managing uncertainty have recognised beliefs about the student’s understanding). The colour of the combined the problem of uncertainty within the learner modelling process [18]. node comes from the belief (from either the system or student) that most Model uncertainty in general is based on the quality of the data that is influences the modelled level of student understanding. influenced by different key components such as error, accuracy, con- Fuzzy logic is another way of dealing with uncertainty in OLMs. For sistency, completeness and precision [12]. To address these and other example, the LOZ open learner model [27] uses vague linguistic values types of uncertainty, numerical techniques that account for uncertainty (strong, medium and weak) to represent the learner’s level of within the learner model have occasionally been used. These methods knowledge. The learner model is used to select multiple choice ques- include Bayesian networks and fuzzy logic [18]. tions, which are classified into three levels of difficulty (high, moderate In this paper, we focus on uncertainty visualisation in open learner mod- and low), to learners based on their level of knowledge. When a student els in terms of inconsistency in the data over which the model reasons. with a weak level of knowledge correctly answers an assessment task For instance, a student may receive a low score on one quiz and score from the difficult level, the system indicates that there is uncertainty due highly on all of the other quizzes; or there may be inconsistencies be- to inconsistency between the two sources (level of knowledge and level tween automatically inferred data and self-assessments. Visualising un- of difficulty), so the system provides another question to avoid having a certainty in the learner model can reveal these inconsistencies. Uncer- lucky guess or a slip unduly influence the learner model. tainty in the learner model data can be indicated using different aspects While these approaches provide information about uncertainty in the un- of the visualisation (i.e., visual variables [13]). The use of well-selected derlying model, learners and teachers could still benefit from viewing visual variables can permit users to automatically identify the pattern additional information about model uncertainty. However, this infor- depicted by those visual variables without having to focus their attention mation can only be displayed once it has been measured, and to date on this task [23]. Different methods of visually representing uncertainty little effort has been expended on quantifying or representing student within OLMs, using visual variables such as blur, opacity and arrange- model uncertainty with a view to visualising this information to the user. ment have been proposed [13]. We here extend that work to measure the As indicated above, visual variables can be used to represent uncertainty uncertainty, which is a precursor to visualising uncertainty in the learner and communicate it to the user [24]. Figure 2 shows some visual varia- model. Measuring uncertainty in our current research is based on identi- bles that can be used in the context of this paper, with three levels of fying inconsistencies within the data set. uncertainty indicated from left to right (low, medium and high) [24]. The This paper is organised as follows. Section 2 presents work related to uncertainty levels represented in Figure 2 can be applied to different uncertainty in OLMs and Section 3 discusses uncertainty visualisation. types of OLM visualisations, for example, those presented in Figure 1. Section 4 proposes how a teaching system can identify the uncertainty that is caused by inconsistency within a data set. Following this, Section Arrangement is used to indicate uncertainty, where messier arrange- 5 suggests the further benefit of uncertainty visualisation in OLMs that ments show higher uncertainty [29]. Opacity can be used to show uncer- are jointly maintained by student and system. tainty by increasing the transparency of uncertain data [23] and blur can be used to represent uncertainty by increasing the fuzziness of the visual element with the uncertainty that is present in that element’s underlying 2. UNCERTAINTY IN OLMs data [23]. The size or thickness of a dashed outline can indicate uncer- The visualisation community has recently become increasingly aware of tainty: the thicker the dashed line, the higher the uncertainty [1]. the importance of visualising the uncertainty that is present in data [2]. Understanding uncertainty in the data is important to allow users to make better decisions based on the information given in the OLM ([13]). Unreliable data evidence can be obtained by students correctly guessing or accidentally making a mistake, both of which affect the state of the learner model [32]. Student modelling has sometimes bypassed the issue of model uncertainty, or handled it by using simple techniques, such as fuzzy logic; or complex techniques, such as Bayesian reasoning [18]. Fuzzy logic uses simple variables to represent the level of understanding for a learner, with imprecise values from within a range assigned to a variable to make it easier to understand and modify; Bayesian Networks, which are more complex, assign probability values to each node in the learner model representing the possibilities of different paths in a cause and effect relationship [18]. Different methods can be used to visualise the level of knowledge and the beliefs represented in the learner model. For example, the VisMod Bayesian Belief Network [37] is a learner model visualised as a concept map with nodes that relate to the level of understanding and links that Figure 2: levels of uncertainty for visual variables. indicate the learning sequences. The level of understanding is con- structed based on the probability value within a particular node including the previous knowledge and the current data evidence. VisMod [37] uses different data sources to construct the learner model (self-assessment, teacher-assessment and evidence provided by the system). VisMod then 3. EXAMPLES OF UNCERTAINTY VISUALISATION FOR OLMS To take a step towards providing the learner with information about model uncertainty, we first demonstrate two uncertainty visualisations that have been integrated into the OLM of an existing teaching system: OLMlets [5]. OLMlets constructs a learner model using numerical weightings of student responses to multiple choice questions, with the learner model based on the last five questions that the learner has at- Figure 4: Uncertainty visualisation using two skill meters. tempted in each topic. The age of the evidence affects its weight or in- fluence on the model, with newer evidence being weighted more heav- ily. The learner model visualisation uses green to indicate correct knowledge and grey to indicate difficulty. OLMlets has been extended to allow student self-assessments to be en- tered after their response to each multiple choice question (Figure 3). This additional source of learner model evidence complements the sys- Figure 5: Uncertainty visualisation using opacity in skill meters. tem’s assessment of learner knowledge. Students viewing the two skill meters are given an indirect representa- tion of model uncertainty that can be seen by comparing their beliefs to the system’s beliefs about their level of knowledge (Figure. 4). Placing these models side by side should enable students to see the discrepancy between these two measures of their knowledge and enable them to rec- ognise any inconsistency that is present. In the second approach to visu- alising uncertainty within an OLM (Figure 5), the opacity of the fill col- our in the skill meter should similarly draw the learner’s attention to top- ics where the data is inconsistent. This version indicates different uncer- tainty levels by increasing or decreasing skill meter opacity: database management is the least opaque topic and most uncertain, whereas the evidence used to infer the learner’s knowledge of programming lan- guages (system inference and student confidence ratings) is highly con- sistent which is why the skill meter is opaque. To illustrate other visual variables (see Figure 2) for showing learner model uncertainty, we present OLM designs based on the Next-TELL [4] and LEA’s Box [6] OLMs, shown in Figure 1. Figure 6 shows how arrangement could be applied in skill meters, where Figure 3: Question and self-assessment options. an untidy arrangement in the skill meter fill (structure in Figure 6) indi- cates high uncertainty. Figure 6 also shows the hierarchy levels of topics OLMlets uses five visualisations to show the learner model [5]. In this and sub-topics within the underlying learner model (not present in the paper, we focus on using the skill meters (similar to those in Figure 1) previous example of skill meters from OLMlets). to visualise uncertainty because skill meters are commonly used in OLMs [8], and they are often popular when multiple visualisations are available (e.g. [4,5,15]). The first of our new OLM visualisations (Figure 4) shows skill meters placed side by side to represent the two models: the system’s assessment of the learner and the student’s self-assessment, with the skill meter fill (green) indicating level of understanding, and the remaining area of the skill meter (grey) showing the proportion of the topic in which the learner has difficulties. In this case, uncertainty (var- iability) can be seen in the discrepancy between the two models. The second approach (Figure 5) uses skill meters that combine the model that is based on the automatically inferred values (system model) with the model that is based on the student’s self-assessments (student model) into a single set of skill meters. This version uses opacity (see Figure 2) to indicate where the two data sources conflict: the higher the transpar- ency of a topic’s green colour, the more inconsistent the data. Like in other work that used confidence ratings [10, 20], the student model in the two visualisations is based in part on system inference, and in part on students selecting their level of confidence from a scale of ‘very sure’, ‘sure’, ‘unsure’, and ‘very unsure’ (see Figure 3). If the stu- dent selects ‘very sure’ or ‘very unsure’, this is interpreted to mean that the student is 100% confident about the correctness or incorrectness of their answer. If the student selects ‘sure’ as their confidence level, the Figure 6: Uncertainty visualisation using arrangement in skill me- system will weight the new evidence as 75% correct knowledge and 25% ters. difficulty when visualising that information in the OLM. This is because the student believes more strongly that their answer is correct, but still acknowledges that they might be wrong. Selecting the ‘unsure’ option in the confidence level is represented as 75% difficulty and 25% correct knowledge. Figure 7: Uncertainty visualisation using a dashed line around nodes for uncertain topics in a network. Figure 9: Uncertainty visualisation using the size of dashed line in tree map. Figure 8: Uncertainty visualisation using opacity on nodes for un- Figure 10: Uncertainty visualisation using line colour in tree map. certain topics in a network. In addition to skill meters, Figure 1 showed network, radar plot, word cloud and tree map based visualisations in the Next-TELL [4] and LEA’s Box [6] OLMs. The network visualisation uses size and colour to indi- cate the knowledge level of the topic. Larger and brighter nodes indicate that the learner has achieved a higher knowledge or competency level for that topic. Using a dashed line around the edge of the node could indicate whether there is uncertainty associated with that topic’s assess- ment, and using different levels, indicated by the size (thickness) of dashed lines, can illustrate the uncertainty level (Figure 7). Furthermore, uncertainty in the sub-topics can be inherited by the parent topic (as can also occur with skill meters). Figure 7 includes two of the main topics (reading and writing) that are subtopics of English language. These two sub-topics also have several sub-topics of their own. The writing topic has one sub-topic (building and supporting arguments) that shows a low level of uncertainty by a thin dashed outline, and one sub-topic (structure) that has medium level of uncertainty, shown by a thicker dashed outline. The other two sub- Figure 11: Uncertainty visualisation using opacity of the colour in topics do not contain uncertainty or conflicting data. The parent topic tree map. (writing) takes the average of the uncertainty levels that are associated When a large number of topics or competencies are contained in the with each of its sub-topics. The parent topic is visualised with a low level learner model, tree maps may be useful to allow learners to explore dif- of uncertainty that is the result of the uncertainty that it has inherited ferent levels of a hierarchically structured learner model [3,4]. Both from its children by calculating the average of the uncertainty weight for brightness and line colour have been used as an indicator of uncertainty all sub-topics (1 had low uncertainty, 1 had medium uncertainty, and 2 in tree maps in the field of simulation and visualisation [16]. Following had no uncertainty). Instead of using dashed lines, the same information from these efforts, we propose using a dashed line around the topic bor- could be represented using opacity (see Figure 8). der to represent uncertainty within a tree map (Figure 9), where different levels of size (thickness) of the dashed line indicate the uncertainty level. This can also be done by varying the brightness and colour of the line around the edge of a model topic (Figure 10) or through the use of opac- ity (Figure 11). (orange or blue), to allow some structuring of the domain, otherwise dif- ficult to achieve with word clouds. As illustrated in Figure 13, radar plots can show uncertainty by using, for example, a dashed line assigned to a topic with uncertainty in the data associated with it (as previously illustrated for the network and tree map visualisations). This section has presented several visualisation techniques that could be used to display uncertainty within open learner models, showing differ- ent levels of uncertainty using the visual variables of arrangement, opac- ity, blur and size (line thickness); and two separate versions of the Figure 12: Uncertainty visualisation using the blur in word cloud. learner model placed side-by-side in the simpler skill meter visualisa- tion. As indicated in the introduction, OLMs may facilitate learner re- flection, planning and self-monitoring, which can be a powerful way to help promote effective independent learning [7]. However, for this to be effective, some understanding of the level of uncertainty in the underly- ing model is needed to enable learners to better understand the accuracy of that data, and so better use the learner model information when mak- ing decisions about their learning. The next section proposes a method to measure uncertainty. 4. MEASURING UNCERTAINTY USING MULTIPLE DATA SOURCES Rather than managing and designing around uncertainty, we want to measure uncertainty in the learner model within a data set and communi- cate that uncertainty. To measure uncertainty, we should first understand how the data are used within the learner model based on the modelling process that is used within a particular system. While there are many learner modelling techniques (see e.g. [17,18]) for the example in this paper we focus on measuring uncertainty in models that use a numerical weighting method. In the Next-TELL [4] and LEA’s Box [6] OLMs, the data can come from several (or many) different data sources, and all ev- Figure 13. Uncertainty visualisation using the size of dashed line idence is used when calculating learner model values. However, each in radar plot. piece of evidence may influence the learner model differently, with all of the corresponding weights for each topic in the learner model sum- Word clouds allow people to quickly identify stronger topics because ming to 1 [4]. the text is larger (and, in the case of the Next-TELL [4] and LEA’s Box In the Next-TELL and LEA’s Box OLMs, teachers can configure the [6] OLMs, also the weaker competencies in the second word cloud (see weight of different types of evidence. For example, the teacher may as- Figure 1). To show uncertainty, blur could be applied to the text: the sign a higher weight to automated assessment sources than the manually fuzzier the text, the higher the uncertainty (structure in Figure 12). Col- entered data that is collected through self or peer assessments. The level our could also be used to help indicate the grouping of sub-topics. Figure of influence for each data set is normalised so that they sum to 1.0. The 12 shows two groups of sub-topics where each group has its own colour value of the data (v), where v is greater than or equal to 0.0 and v is less Figure 14: Next-TELL learner model calculation evidence screen showing the calculation of a student’s competency level for group roles and responsibilities [4]. Table 1: Example of uncertainty calculations and weighting when communicates a level of precision that is not present within the system. an outlier (shown in italics) is present in the data evidence. As a result, this range is subdivided into three levels of uncertainty: namely, low (0-0.3), medium (0.3-0.7) and high (0.7-1.0). These three Initial Calculated Influence Uncertainty levels can be visualised using the variables shown in Figure 2, and illus- Information Source Value (on knowledge) Weight trated in Section 3. Since there is only one outlier detected from the in- formation given in Table 1 and it has a weight of 0.345, a medium level Self-Assessment .2 .345 .345 of uncertainty is associated with that competency. The ability to deter- Peer-Assessment .9 .243 0 mine the amount of uncertainty that is associated with a specific compe- Teacher-Assessment .8 .174 0 tency allows us to show that uncertainty to users so that learners or teach- ers can use this information to support their planning and decision-mak- Quiz1 .7 .152 0 ing tasks, facilitating some of the metacognitive benefits argued for Quiz2 .9 .086 0 OLMs [7]. Total: 1.00 .345 5. UNCERTAINTY VISUALISATION FOR than or equal to 1.0, is then multiplied by the level of influence to show LEARNER MODELS JOINTLY MAINTAINED how much that piece of evidence contributes to the learner model. BY STUDENT AND SYSTEM In the Next-TELL OLM, the learner model calculation can be viewed by the teacher and the student (Figure 14) [4]. Like with the OLMlets ex- Beyond supporting learner planning and decision making as argued pre- ample (Figure 4), described in Section 3, users can see the inconsistent viously, visualising learner model uncertainty may be useful to learners data when viewing the screen that shows the model calculation (Figure when they are using interactively maintained learner models. These 14), but they only see this inconsistency if they invest additional effort types of OLMs include those that allow the learner to try to persuade the to search through the data evidence. This effort requires them to look at teaching system to change learner model values because the learner dis- each line in the whole calculation and compare those lines to one an- other. Taking advantage of visual communication channels to show the agrees with some aspect of the system’s model. This can be valid, for uncertainty in the data upon which the learner model is based could help example, if a student has done some reading, exercises, etc., away from learners to identify inconsistencies without going through all of these the teaching system; or if they had achieved correct answers through calculations, which holds the potential to better support their self-regu- (partial) guessing. This challenge to the system’s model can succeed by lation and planning activities. As indicated above, this was achieved in having learners verify their proposed change through responses to addi- a quite simple way when extending the OLMlets skill meters to take ac- tional questions or assessment items that are administered by the system count of two sources of data (system and student assessments of the stu- (e.g. [9, 35]); or by having learners negotiate a change to the learner dent’s knowledge). We propose the following approach where there may model through a two-way discussion of the learner model content. This be more complex relationships between data from different activities or discussion takes place between the learner and the system with the goal different parts of activities or, indeed, from different data sources as in of having both parties agree on the model (e.g., [10,14,20]), but keeping the Next-TELL [4] and LEA’s Box [6] OLMs. separate representations if agreement is not achieved. Both these ap- In order to visualise uncertainty based on inconsistency in the underlying proaches to interactively maintained learner models (persuadable and data, the source and the level of the uncertainty must be measured. negotiated), as well as aiming for a more accurate learner model, also Knowing the source of the uncertain data helps us to indicate the level aim to prompt reflection (as described above), through the process of of uncertainty in the learner model by summing the influence weight for challenging and discussing the model. In cases where students can chal- all the sources that contribute to model uncertainty. To identify the lenge the system’s model, as described above, an indication of the cer- source of the inconsistent data, we apply outlier analysis to detect incon- tainty of data could be highly beneficial, to focus updates onto topics sistencies in the data. Outliers are based on the concept of boxplots. To with the most uncertain or inconsistent data, therby making the learner detect outliers, formula (1) and (2) are used to calculate the upper fence model more accurate and improving subsequent adaptation. This is a and lower fence. These fences are based on the data’s inter-quartile timely topic as current projects (in the areas of persuadable [6] and ne- range (IQR), which is the difference between the first (q1) and third gotiated [34] learner models) strive to involve the learner more in the quartiles (q3), with the data that are outside these fences classified as modelling process. outliers [36]. 3 1.5 1 6. SUMMARY 1 1.5 2 Building on the work of [13], this paper proposes several approaches to uncertainty visualisation using different methods such as the width of a dashed line, opacity of OLM elements, the application of blur and ar- Considering the example shown in Table 1, the learner model has five rangement of visual elements within a learner model component. The data sources contributing to the calculation of learner knowledge or visual presentation of model uncertainty is based on inconsistency in the competency, and each source has its initial score value and an associated underlying model’s data. The ability to see model uncertainty was inte- weighting. Applying formula (1) and (2) to the data in Table 1 results in grated into the OLMlets system through two visualisations that are based an upper fence of 1.2 and a lower fence of 0.4. In Table 1, the self-as- on the commonly used skill meter representation of learner knowledge. sessment scores are outside this range (i.e., they are outliers). The uncer- These visualisations are being used in an ongoing study that investigates tainty level can now be measured by detecting how much weight is as- the effect of uncertainty visualisation on students’ self-assessments and signed to each outlier. Summing all the weights from all of the outliers learning outcomes. provides the value for the model’s uncertainty weight, which indicates how much these uncertain pieces of data influence the model. From Ta- In addition to this work, a method for identifying inconsistencies in the ble 1, this is .345. underlying learner model was developed, and was described with refer- ence to the Next-TELL [4] and LEA’s Box [6 ] OLMs, which have po- Similar to the learner modelling process, new pieces of evidence that are tentially many data sources. This method uses outlier analysis to identify classified as outliers influence the level of uncertainty associated with data that contribute to model uncertainty. The identified data is then as- that model attribute more than an old piece of evidence would. Like the signed a weight based on the underlying learner modelling formula. This weights that are associated with topics, uncertainty values range from 0 information is used to determine the level of uncertainty that is present (no uncertainty) to 1 (high uncertainty). However, using real numbers in different model attributes so that the uncertainty can be visualised as 11. Corbett, A.T., and Bhatnagar, A. Student modeling in the ACT proposed; the proposed OLM visualisations used the network, tree map, programming tutor: adjusting a procedural learning model with word cloud and radar plot versions of the OLM from the Next-TELL and declarative knowledge. In Jameson, A., Paris, C., and Tasso, C. LEA’s Box OLMs. These visualisations, which rely on outlier analysis (eds.), User modeling, Springer, New York, 243-254, 1997. for identifying uncertainty, will be integrated into an OLM as the next 12. Correa, C.D., Chan, Y.H., and Ma, K.L. A framework for uncer- step towards supporting metacognitive activities and learner model ne- tainty-aware visual analytics. VAST 09 - IEEE Symposium on Vis- gotiation or persuasion in interactively maintained learner models. ual Analytics Science and Technology, Proceedings, 51-58, 2009. 13. Demmans Epp, C., and Bull, S. Uncertainty representation in vis- 7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ualizations of learning analytics for learners: Current approaches The first author is supported by a PhD Scholarship from the Ministry of and opportunities. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, Higher Education in Oman. The LEA’s Box project is supported by the 8 (3), 242-260, 2015. European Commission (EC) under the Information Society Technology 14. Dimitrova, V. StyLE-OLM: Interactive open learner modelling. priority FP7 for R&D, contract 619762 LEA’s Box, building on contract International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 13 258114 Next-TELL. This document does not represent the opinion of (1), 35-78, 2003. the EC and the EC is not responsible for any use that might be made of 15. 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