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Detecting students-at-risk in computer programming classes with learning analytics from students’ digital footprints

Azcona, David orcid logoORCID: 0000-0003-3693-7906, Hsiao, I-Han orcid logoORCID: 0000-0002-1888-3951 and Smeaton, Alan F. orcid logoORCID: 0000-0003-1028-8389 (2019) Detecting students-at-risk in computer programming classes with learning analytics from students’ digital footprints. User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction . ISSN 0924-1868

Abstract
Different sources of data about students, ranging from static demographics to dynamic behavior logs, can be harnessed from a variety sources at Higher Education Institutions. Combining these assembles a rich digital footprint for students, which can enable institutions to better understand student behaviour and to better prepare for guiding students towards reaching their academic potential. This paper presents a new research methodology to automatically detect students ``at-risk'' of failing an assignment in computer programming modules (courses) and to simultaneously support adaptive feedback. By leveraging historical student data, we built predictive models using students' offline (static) information including student characteristics and demographics, and online (dynamic) resources using programming and behaviour activity logs. Predictions are generated weekly during semester. Overall, the predictive and personalised feedback helped to reduce the gap between the lower and higher-performing students. Furthermore, students praised the prediction and the personalised feedback, conveying strong recommendations for future students to use the system. We also found that students who followed their personalised guidance and recommendations performed better in examinations.
Metadata
Item Type:Article (Published)
Refereed:Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:Computer Science Education; Learning analytics; Predictive modelling; Machine learning; Peer learning; Educational data mining
Subjects:Social Sciences > Education
Social Sciences > Educational technology
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Engineering and Computing > School of Computing
Research Institutes and Centres > INSIGHT Centre for Data Analytics
Publisher:Springer
Official URL:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11257-019-09234-7
Copyright Information:© 2019 Springer
Use License:This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. View License
Funders:Irish Research Council, Science Foundation Ireland, Fulbright Ireland
ID Code:23223
Deposited On:02 May 2019 10:12 by David Azcona . Last Modified 29 Apr 2021 12:48
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