Understanding the Learners' Actions when using Mathematics Learning Tools

TL;DR

This paper introduces SMALA, a web-based logging system that captures detailed learner interactions with mathematics tools, helping teachers understand usage patterns and provide better support while maintaining privacy.

Contribution

The paper presents SMALA, a novel architecture for logging and analyzing learner actions in mathematics tools, enhancing teacher insight and classroom management.

Findings

Supports fine-grained activity analysis

Provides classroom progress overviews

Respects learner privacy

Abstract

The use of computer-based mathematics tools is widespread in learning. Depending on the way that these tools assess the learner's solution paths, one can distinguish between automatic assessment tools and semi-automatic assessment tools. Automatic assessment tools directly provide all feedback necessary to the learners, while semi-automatic assessment tools involve the teachers as part the assessment process. They are provided with as much information as possible on the learners' interactions with the tool. How can the teachers know how the learning tools were used and which intermediate steps led to a solution? How can the teachers respond to a learner's question that arises while using a computer tool? Little is available to answer this beyond interacting directly with the computer and performing a few manipulations to understand the tools' state. This paper presents SMALA, a web-based logging architecture that addresses these problems by recording, analyzing and representing user actions. While respecting the learner's privacy, the SMALA architecture supports the teachers by offering fine-grained representations of the learners' activities as well as overviews of the progress of a classroom.