=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-1684/paper8
|storemode=property
|title=Study Course Structure Personalized Planning Using Concept Maps
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1684/paper8.pdf
|volume=Vol-1684
|authors=Raita Rollande,Janis Grundspenkis
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/bir/RollandeG16
}}
==Study Course Structure Personalized Planning Using Concept Maps==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1684/paper8.pdf
Study course structure personalized planning using
concept maps
Raita Rollande1,2, Janis Grundspenkis1
1Department of Artificial Intelligence and Systems Engineering, Riga Technical University,
Riga, Latvia
2Engineering Research Institute “Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre” of Ventspils
University College, Ventspils, Latvia
r ai t a. r ol l ande@vent a. l v
j ani s. gr undspenki s@r t u. l v
Abstract. Personalized study planning framework consists four graphs for per-
sonalized study planning: a graph representing a conceptual structure of study
program; a graph representing study course; a graph visualizing each topic of
study course using concept map; a graph representing learning objects. This pa-
per describes third graph – a graph for study course topic structure displaying and
knowledge assessment. Course topic displaying with concept map is integrated
with author’s previous research results about personalized study planning. Au-
thors describe concept map based knowledge evaluation system integration pos-
sibilities with personalized study planning prototype and usage in personal study
planning. The main result of the research shows that personalized study planning
prototype SPS can be integrated with the concept map based knowledge evalua-
tion system IKAS to personalize study planning.
Keywords: personalized education, graphs, concept maps, knowledge assess-
ment.
1 Introduction
In this chapter the framework of personalized study planning is described which is
based on the set of graphs and was elaborated in previous research [1].
To fulfill the personalized study planning starting from creation of study programme
plan and ending with the choice of learning objects, there is developed the framework
of personalized study planning based on the following set of graphs (Figure 1) [2, 3, 4]:
• a graph representing a conceptual structure of study program G1(V1,Q1) allows to
design individual study plan;
• a graph representing study course G2(V2,Q2) allows to develop individual learning
scenario;
• a graph visualizing each topic using concept map G3(V3,Q3) ensures mapping of each
topic to the corresponding concept map;
• a graph representing learning objects G4(V4,Q4) describes each concept with learning
objects.
The graphs of personalized study planning framework are related. At the first,
learner needs to create individual study plan – select courses to include in individual
study plan (graph G1). After that learner can choose the study courses which he/she
wants to master. Study course structure is described using graph G2 and that allows to
develop individual learning scenario. In course structure graph G2 learner needs to
choose course topic and at the next level graph G3 describes the concepts of each topic
and their mutual relationship. The fourth graph G4 of the framework of personalized
study planning describes the learning objects of topics and concepts, that are available
for acquiring knowledge.
Fig. 1. General structure of personalized study planning framework (adapted from [5])
This framework allows any learner to tailor a study programme by adapting the mod-
ularized curriculum structure and to choose the suitable learning strategy for each study
course [5, 6].
In order to execute a personalized study planning framework, a prototype has been
developed – a Study Planning System (SPS) which has been developed according to
the personalized study planning framework. This prototype allows to individually vis-
ualize and design the study plan according to the graph G1(V1, Q1) as well as the choice
of a study course according to the graph G2(V2, Q2). Whereas the graph for representing
learning objects G4(V4, Q4) is not visually represented in the prototype, still, input of
learning objects is provided. The graph for presenting course topics with a concept map
G3(V3, Q3) in not implemented in Study Planning System prototype. In this paper au-
thors describe graph G3(V3, Q3) integration possibilities with concept-map-based
knowledge assessment system IKAS. Next chapter describes graph G3 more detailed.
2 Concept Maps of the Course Topics
According to Figure 1 in course structure graph G 2 learner needs to choose course
topic and at the next level graph G3 describes the concepts [7] of each topic and their
mutual relationships. Concept maps were introduced in 1972 by J. D. Novak [8]. A
concept map is the presentation of knowledge in the form of a graph [9]. Graph
G3 (V3, Q3) is used for representing the concepts and their relationships. It includes a
set of un-empty nodes V3 representing concepts, and a set of un-empty links Q3 repre-
senting the relations between concepts. The relation between concepts is described by
the semantics of the links. A concept describes an event or an object. Two or more
correlated concepts form a sentence [8]. Another concept map characteristics are cross
links, these are relationships between concepts from different domains. Cross-links help
us to see how some domains of knowledge represented on the map are related to each
other [8].
Concept maps can be helpful in the study process and when evaluating knowledge
[10, 8]. They laconic reflect all acquired concepts to learner. Concept maps can be dis-
played in some number of levels: small concept map for displaying the study course, a
large concept map for displaying the study program, to demonstrate the concept cross
links. The hierarchical arrangement of the concept maps shows learning sequence of
the concepts [11].
If concept maps are used for showing the structure of the course topic, the learner
perceives the training as “conceptually more transparent” [8]. Not all learners identify
the most significant concepts successfully, but a concept map helps to acquire them.
Concept maps reflect the structure of learner knowledge. Study courses that include
remembering lots of facts, dates, names, equations etc. can become boring for the learn-
ers, while the use of concept maps allows them to control the course and acquire it
successfully [8].
Various displaying types of concept maps shows about domain complexity [12]. For
displaying simple structures linear, tree, cycle and the stars type of concept map are
used. However, for complex structure displaying network type concept maps are used
[10].
To draw a concept map, the authors of work [8] have identified the following steps:
• Domain selection. Identification of the issues to which answers should be provided
with the help of concept maps, for example, in relation to the course "Object-oriented
modeling" teacher can ask questions - "What is the class?" "What are the compo-
nents of the class?" etc.;
• Identification of the key concepts that apply to this domain - teacher should choose
main concepts from the course that leads to the completion of the course objectives.
So identify all the key concepts that are answers to the questions raised in previous
step;
• Construction of a preliminary concept map, moving of concepts together with link-
ing statements, which explains the relationship between the two concepts;
• Revision and improvement of created concept maps;
• Determination of cross links.
The graph G3, shown as a concept map, can be oriented or undirected. Figure 2 de-
picts an example of concept map of the graph’s G2 topic “Components of class dia-
grams”.
Fig. 2. Components of class diagrams
Since the concepts of the graph G3(V3, Q3) are connected with the topics of the
course structure graph G2(V2, Q2), learners can personalize the way of acquiring
knowledge about the specific concept.
3 The Opportunities of Integration of Personalized Study
Planning Systems with IKAS
The personalized study planning system framework contains graph G3, which allows
to present the content of topics, each of which is presented as a set of concepts, but that
is not realized in the personalized study planning system prototype SPS. Consequently,
in order to fully realize the individualized study planning framework the concept-map-
based knowledge assessment system IKAS has been selected. Since 2005 IKAS is be-
ing developed by Riga Technical University Department of Artificial Intelligence and
Systems Engineering [13], and the process of IKAS development and improvement will
continue also in the future [9].
In personalized study planning system prototype SPS learners establishes their indi-
vidual study plan (according to the graph G 1), then he chooses courses from created
study plans to start training and open course structure (according to the graph G2). From
the course structure the learner chooses the course topic. The course topic learning steps
are possible in two ways: selecting and acquiring learning objects (according to the
graph G4) or constructing a concept map (according to the graph G 3) using IKAS, as
well as the learner's knowledge assessment. If the learner after the graph G2 has chosen
to continue to work with the graph G4, then, to carry out knowledge test, he or she must
return to IKAS which supports graph G3. IKAS is knowledge assessment system that
assesses the learner's knowledge of the study subjects, by comparing teacher-made con-
cept map with concept map constructed by the learner. It has two groups of users -
learners and teachers.
Before learners can create their own concept map, teachers must define their concept
map first. The IKAS and its environment are described in [14]. Opportunities for teach-
ers to work with IKAS are the following [15]:
• To create concept maps and to define their characteristics such as initial degree of
difficulty, task completion mode, permission to use support, assessment time, etc.;
• Creating concept maps, to use important and less important relationships, as well as
6 kinds of linking phrases (is a, kind of, is an example, is a property, value, part of,
and linguistic relationship);
• To use synonyms of linking phrases;
• To filter and to view students’ results;
• To manage students’ incorrect relationships in order to improve study courses and
your concept maps;
• To manage the calculation process of students’ results by changing coefficients af-
fecting students’ scores;
• To view statistics concerning students’ use of support;
• To create questionnaires and to offer them to students;
• Defining a questionnaire, to use 4 kinds of questions (essay, multiple choice, multi-
ple response, and ranking questions);
• To filter and to view students’ answers on questionnaires;
• To view system demonstration and training files;
• To change user information;
• To change user interface settings.
Figure 3 shows the teacher's access mode to create a concept map of the topic "Class
diagram components". Concept map consists a total of 35 concepts. Based on the con-
cept of map structure analysis, as initially defined concepts are five: "Package", "Link",
"Class", "Types of links", and "Multiplicity". Other concepts of the trainee should be
placed in by themselves.
Fig. 3. IKAS teacher access mode to create a concept map of the topic "Class diagram compo-
nents"
Learner opportunities to work with IKAS [15]:
• To assess your knowledge level by completing concept map based tasks;
• Working with concept maps, to use important and less important relationships, as
well as 6 kinds of linking phrases (is a, kind of, is an example, is a property, value,
part of, and linguistic relationship);
• To correct mistakes made at the previous assessment stages until you have not fin-
ished the last assessment stage of a course;
• To perform more difficult tasks at the next assessment stages if you are successful
in the current one;
• To use rich student’s support (checking of propositions, insertion of additional con-
cepts, reduction of the degree of task difficulty, explanation of concepts) in order to
complete a task successfully;
• To receive three types of concept explanations: definition, description, or example;
• To manage types of concept explanations you want to receive or to trust the choice
of the most suitable type of explanations to the system;
• To manage your student model in order to gain personalized assessment experience;
• To receive rich feedback (quantitative data, concept maps with highlighted incorrect
relationships, concept mastering degrees, individual study plan, and other) concern-
ing your task solution;
• To provide feedback to the teacher on the knowledge assessment method and usage
of the system through the offered questionnaires;
• To view system instruction files;
• To change user information;
• To change user interface settings.
Figure 4 shows the window of the student’s interface for starting the completion of
a concept map for topic "Class diagram components" created in IKAS system’s learner
access mode. Initially, in the concept map creation window learner see 5 concepts ini-
tially defined by a teacher, selected on the basis of the concept map structure analysis.
Other concepts are visible at the bottom of concept map creating window.
Fig. 4. Concept map creating window for topic "Class diagram components"
Learner create the concept map with shown in the bellow concepts and connect them.
To understand the concept, the learner can open help window, where the concept defi-
nition, description and example are displayed.
To connect the concepts the IKAS program window with 6 types of linking phrases
are offered and learner must choose the most appropriate linking phrase between the
two concepts.
Once the trainee has completed a concept map, he/she activates the button , after which IKAS compares teacher defined concept map with a learner devel-
oped concept map and after the button activation is eliminated detailed learner
concept map assessment (Figure 5).
In Figure 5 can be seen that the learner in task execution result gained 58,40 points,
which is 81,11% of the maximum collectable 100%. Concepts with whom the learner
is not very familiar with and are managed poorly are displayed below. Thus, the learner
has information on the concepts, which he needs to repeat again. To study concepts,
learner needs to open personalized study planning system SPS to acquire the study sub-
jects using learning objects. After acquiring course topic teacher input mark in course
structure graph (G2) and flag that a course topic is acquired and selects next topic for
constructing concept map.
Fig. 5. Learner learning result window
IKAS has three-tier architecture. There are three conceptual elements: the database
server, the client application and the application server. Such architecture increases re-
sponse speed and ensures security of the system [14].
The personalized study planning system prototype SPS does not include a learner’s
knowledge test, while IKAS does. Therefore, the learner can develop his/her own study
plan in the personalized study planning system, determine the sequence of acquiring
topics, then select concepts by using IKAS, move to SPS in order to acquire the learning
objects and then come back to IKAS in order to carry out a knowledge test. After the
knowledge test, the learner marks that the topic is acquired in the personalized study
planning system, and starts acquiring the next topic. The learner continues the task se-
quence to acquire all the other study course topics until the whole study plan has been
acquired.
4 Conclusion
This paper shows integration of personalized study planning framework graph G3,
which allows to present the content of study course topics, using concept maps based
knowledge evaluation system IKAS, that allows to learn study courses and assess
knowledge. Authors describe integration opportunities of concept map based
knowledge evaluation system with personalized study planning prototype and usage in
personal study planning. Such integration approach allows to extend functionality of
both systems: personalized study planning prototype SPS and concept map based
knowledge evaluation system IKAS. Integration results demonstrate that IKAS can be
part of other system architecture.
Personalized study planning framework has modular structure, which facilitates in-
tegration. Further integration of research and extension functionality of personalized
study planning prototype SPS can be implemented using other study planning and or-
ganizing systems such as Moodle.
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