Using cognitive load theory to structure computer‐based learning including MOOCs

A massive, open, online course (MOOC) is a form of computer‐based learning that offers open access, internet‐based education for unlimited numbers of participants. However, the general quality and utility of MOOCs has been criticized. Most MOOCs have been structured with minimal consideration of relevant aspects of human cognitive architecture and instructional design principles. This paper suggests cognitive load theory, with its roots embedded in our knowledge of human cognitive architecture and evolutionary educational psychology, is ideally placed to provide instructional design principles for all forms of computer‐based learning, including MOOCs. The paper outlines the theory and indicates instructional design principles that could be used to structure online learning and to provide an appropriate base for instructional design when using computer‐based learning.     

利用MOOC开展计算机基础教学改革实践

分析大学计算机基础课程的教学问题,利用MOOC实施翻转课堂,开展主动学习,进行教学效果分析,其效率优于传统课堂,达到以教师为中心转变为以学生为中心的目的。军队院校运用MOOC开展大规模教学虽仍存在一定挑战,但在线教学必定会有进一步发展。     

主动学习的多标签图像在线分类

目的在多标签有监督学习框架中,构建具有较强泛化性能的分类器需要大量已标注训练样本,而实际应用中已标注样本少且获取代价十分昂贵。针对多标签图像分类中已标注样本数量不足和分类器再学习效率低的问题,提出一种结合主动学习的多标签图像在线分类算法。方法基于min-max理论,采用查询最具代表性和最具信息量的样本挑选策略主动地选择待标注样本,且基于KKT(Karush-Kuhn-Tucker)条件在线地更新多标签图像分类器。结果在4个公开的数据集上,采用4种多标签分类评价指标对本文算法进行评估。实验结果表明,本文采用的样本挑选方法比随机挑选样本方法和基于间隔的采样方法均占据明显优势;当分类器达到相同或相近的分类准确度时,利用本文的样本挑选策略选择的待标注样本数目要明显少于采用随机挑选样本方法和基于间隔的采样方法所需查询的样本数。结论本文算法一方面可以减少获取已标注样本所需的人工标注代价;另一方面也避免了传统的分类器重新训练时利用所有数据所产生的学习效率低下的问题,达到了当新数据到来时可实时更新分类器的目的。     

Analysing successful massive open online courses using the community of inquiry model as perceived by students

This research examines the characteristics that contributed to the success of massive open online courses (MOOCs) in the fields of software, sciences, and management using data mining and semantic analysis together with content analysis. A total of 3,460 reviews regarding 5 different MOOCs that received a 5/5 grade were extracted from the CourseTalk website and analysed according to the community of inquiry model. It was found that, as well as in academic online courses, the characteristics that contributed to MOOCs' success were distributed between all 3 presence elements according to the community of inquiry model: teaching (36%), social (23%), and cognitive (36%; and technological [5%]). This is contrary to the perception that MOOCs mostly contain teaching presence elements. The four leading characteristics were teacher, exercise, atmosphere, and workload. Cluster analysis resulted in 5 types of students with similar presence element preferences. This shows that successful MOOCs enable students with different preferences to consume content and activities according to their individual preferences. These findings could be the base of future research on the subject of adapting MOOC activities and content to students' varied preferences, as well as further understanding the characteristics that contribute to successful MOOCs or other fully online courses.     

基于数据挖掘技术的在线学习行为研究综述

随着互联网 教育技术的快速发展,慕课已成为当下最新、最潮的学习形式。由于在线学习平台积累了大量学习行为数据,传统统计分析方法已无法满足应用需求,使得数据挖掘技术被引入在线学习行为的研究,从而涌现出大量的研究成果。为了深入分析在线学习行为研究中数据挖掘技术的整体应用情况,本文首先从国内外公认的Web of Science数据库收集2008年至2017年3月相关文献进行了统计和可视化分析;然后介绍了利用数据挖掘技术进行在线学习行为研究的一般流程;接着将数据挖掘技术在在线学习行为研究中的应用总结归纳为五类,并详细介绍了相关研究成果及代表文献;最后总结全文,并讨论了未来可能的研究方向。     

Dissecting learning tactics in MOOC using ordered network analysis

Background

Select and enact appropriate learning tactics that advance learning has been considered a critical set of skills to successfully complete highly flexible online courses, such as Massive open online courses (MOOCs). However, limited by analytic methods that have been used in the past, such as frequency distribution, sequence mining and process mining, we lack a deep, complete and detailed understanding of the learning tactics used by MOOC learners.

Objectives

In the present study, we proposed four major dimensions to better interpret and understand learning tactics, which are frequency, continuity, sequentiality and role of learning actions within tactics. The aim of this study was to examine to what extent can a new analytic technique, the ordered network analysis (ONA), deepen the understanding of MOOC learning tactics compared to using other methods.

Methods

In particular, we performed a fine-grained analysis of learning tactics detected from more than 4 million learning events in the behavioural trace data of 8788 learners who participated in a large-scale MOOC ‘Flipped Classroom’.

Results and Conclusions

We detected eight learning tactics, and then chose one typical tactic as an example to demonstrate how the ONA technique revealed all four dimensions and provided deeper insights into this MOOC learning tactic. Most importantly, based on the comparison with different methods such as process mining, we found that the ONA method provided a unique opportunity and novel insight into the roles of different learning actions in tactics which was neglected in the past.

Takeaway

In summary, we conclude that ONA is a promising technique that can benefit the research on learning tactics, and ultimately benefit MOOC learners by strengthening the strategic support.     

Resource Restricted Computability Theoretic Learning: Illustrative Topics and Problems

Computability theoretic learning theory (machine inductive inference) typically involves learning programs for languages or functions from a stream of complete data about them and, importantly, allows mind changes as to conjectured programs. This theory takes into account algorithmicity but typically does not take into account feasibility of computational resources. This paper provides some example results and problems for three ways this theory can be constrained by computational feasibility. Considered are: the learner has memory limitations, the learned programs are desired to be optimal, and there are feasibility constraints on learning each output program as well as other constraints to minimize postponement tricks. Work supported in part by NSF Grant Number CCR-0208616 at UD.     

MOOC环境下引导社科类军队院校学员自主学习计算机基础课程初探

MOOC作为一种崭新的在线教学模式,引起了国内外各界的高度关注。分析了MOOC的教学模式和社科类军队院校计算机基础教学的现状,在借鉴MOOC的设计形式、交流形式和组织形式的基础上,充分利用MOOC课程资源,引导学员自主学习,试图在社科类军队院校计算机基础教学中做出一些有益的尝试和探索。     

Feature-aware regularization for sparse online learning

Learning a compact predictive model in an online setting has recently gained a great deal of attention.The combination of online learning with sparsity-inducing regularization enables faster learning with a smaller memory space than the previous learning frameworks.Many optimization methods and learning algorithms have been developed on the basis of online learning with L1-regularization.L1-regularization tends to truncate some types of parameters,such as those that rarely occur or have a small range of values,unless they are emphasized in advance.However,the inclusion of a pre-processing step would make it very difficult to preserve the advantages of online learning.We propose a new regularization framework for sparse online learning.We focus on regularization terms,and we enhance the state-of-the-art regularization approach by integrating information on all previous subgradients of the loss function into a regularization term.The resulting algorithms enable online learning to adjust the intensity of each feature’s truncations without pre-processing and eventually eliminate the bias of L1-regularization.We show theoretical properties of our framework,the computational complexity and upper bound of regret.Experiments demonstrated that our algorithms outperformed previous methods in many classification tasks.     

Complexity–Based Induction

A central problem in inductive logic programming is theory evaluation. Without some sort of preference criterion, any two theories that explain a set of examples are equally acceptable. This paper presents a scheme for evaluating alternative inductive theories based on an objective preference criterion. It strives to extract maximal redundancy from examples, transforming structure into randomness. A major strength of the method is its application to learning problems where negative examples of concepts are scarce or unavailable. A new measure called model complexity is introduced, and its use is illustrated and compared with a proof complexity measure on relational learning tasks. The complementarity of model and proof complexity parallels that of model and proof–theoretic semantics. Model complexity, where applicable, seems to be an appropriate measure for evaluating inductive logic theories.     

Learning presence as a moderator in the community of inquiry model

This study of over 2000 US college students examines the Community of Inquiry framework (CoI) in its capacity to describe and explain differences in learning outcomes in hybrid and fully online learning environments. We hypothesize that the CoI model's theoretical constructs of presence reflect educational effectiveness in a variety of environments, and that online learner self-regulation, a construct that we label “learning presence” moderates relationships of the other components within the CoI model. Consistent with previous research (e.g., Means, Toyama, Murphy, Bakia, & Jones, 2009; Shea & Bidjerano, 2011) we found evidence that students in online and blended courses rank the modalities differently with regard to quality of teaching, social, and cognitive presence. Differences in help seeking behavior, an important component of self-regulated learning, were found as well. In addition, results suggest teaching presence and social presence have a differential effect on cognitive presence, depending upon learner's online self-regulatory cognitions and behaviors, i.e. their learning presence. These results also suggest a compensation effect in which greater self-regulation is required to attain cognitive presence in the absence of sufficient teaching and social presence. Recommendations for future research and practice are included.     

Context counts: How learners' contexts influence learning in a MOOC

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) require individual learners to self-regulate their own learning, determining when, how and with what content and activities they engage. However, MOOCs attract a diverse range of learners, from a variety of learning and professional contexts. This study examines how a learner's current role and context influences their ability to self-regulate their learning in a MOOC: Introduction to Data Science offered by Coursera. The study compared the self-reported self-regulated learning behaviour between learners from different contexts and with different roles. Significant differences were identified between learners who were working as data professionals or studying towards a higher education degree and other learners in the MOOC. The study provides an insight into how an individual's context and role may impact their learning behaviour in MOOCs.     

基于表示学习的在线学习交互质量评价方法

当今的教育模式发生着非常重大的变革,教育正在向泛在化、智能化、个性化的方向发展。以Massive Open Online Courses(MOOCs)为代表的在线教育逐渐进入大众视野,在线教育中的交互性成为了决定在线学习质量的关键。研究表明,学习过程中的交互为学习者提供了有效且高效的帮助和支持,对学习过程的评价反馈可以有效地提高学习效果。在教育领域,对学习者和学习资源之间的交互进行建模至关重要,表示学习技术为学习者和学习资源之间的顺序交互建模提供了具体方案。文中首先建立在线学习的交互网络模型,然后使用两个循环神经网络将网络中的学习者和学习资源节点嵌入到一个欧氏空间中,并提出交互质量评价指标,以判断学习者的学习效果是否达到预期。在实际数据集上的实验证明了所提方法的有效性。     

Transfer in variable-reward hierarchical reinforcement learning

Transfer learning seeks to leverage previously learned tasks to achieve faster learning in a new task. In this paper, we consider transfer learning in the context of related but distinct Reinforcement Learning (RL) problems. In particular, our RL problems are derived from Semi-Markov Decision Processes (SMDPs) that share the same transition dynamics but have different reward functions that are linear in a set of reward features. We formally define the transfer learning problem in the context of RL as learning an efficient algorithm to solve any SMDP drawn from a fixed distribution after experiencing a finite number of them. Furthermore, we introduce an online algorithm to solve this problem, Variable-Reward Reinforcement Learning (VRRL), that compactly stores the optimal value functions for several SMDPs, and uses them to optimally initialize the value function for a new SMDP. We generalize our method to a hierarchical RL setting where the different SMDPs share the same task hierarchy. Our experimental results in a simplified real-time strategy domain show that significant transfer learning occurs in both flat and hierarchical settings. Transfer is especially effective in the hierarchical setting where the overall value functions are decomposed into subtask value functions which are more widely amenable to transfer across different SMDPs.     

LT Revisited: Explanation-Based Learning and the Logic of Principia Mathematica

This paper descibes an explanation-based learning (EBL) system based on a version of Newell, Shaw, and Simon's LOGIC-THEORIST (LT). Results of applying this system to propositional calculus problems from Principia Mathematica are compared with results of applying several other versions of the same performance element to these problems. The primary goal of this study is to characterize and analyze differences between non-learning, rote learning (LT's original learning method), and EBL. Another aim is to provide a characterization of the performance of a simple problem solver in the context of the Principia problems, in the hope that these problems can be used as a benchmark for testing improved learning methods, just as problems like chess and the eight puzzle have been used as benchmarks in research on search methods.     

一种基于局部分类精度的多源在线迁移学习算法

近年来,迁移学习得到越来越多的关注.现有的在线迁移学习算法一般从单个源领域迁移知识,然而,当源领域与目标领域相似度较低时,很难进行有效的迁移学习.基于此,提出了一种基于局部分类精度的多源在线迁移学习方法——LC-MSOTL.LC-MSOTL存储多个源领域分类器,计算新到样本与目标领域已有样本之间的距离以及各源领域分类器对其最近邻样本的分类精度,从源领域分类器中挑选局部精度最高的分类器与目标领域分类器加权组合,从而实现多个源领域知识到目标领域的迁移学习.在人工数据集和实际数据集上的实验结果表明,LC-MSOTL能够有效地从多个源领域实现选择性迁移,相对于单源在线迁移学习算法OTL,显示出了更高的分类准确率.     

Induction Over the Unexplained: Using Overly-General Domain Theories to Aid Concept Learning

This paper describes and evaluates an approach to combining empirical and explanation-based learning called Induction Over the Unexplained (IOU). IOU is intended for learning concepts that can be partially explained by an overly-general domain theory. An eclectic evaluation of the method is presented which includes results from all three major approaches: empirical, theoretical, and psychological. Empirical results show that IOU is effective at refining overly-general domain theories and that it learns more accurate concepts from fewer examples than a purely empirical approach. The application of theoretical results from PAC learnability theory explains why IOU requires fewer examples. IOU is also shown to be able to model psychological data demonstrating the effect of background knowledge on human learning.     

DNA-based algorithms for learning Boolean formulae

We apply a DNA-based massively parallel exhaustive search to solving the computational learning problems of DNF (disjunctive normal form) Boolean formulae. Learning DNF formulae from examples is one of the most important open problems in computational learning theory and the problem of learning 3-term DNF formulae is known as intractable if RP NP. We propose new methods to encode any k-term DNF formula to a DNA strand, evaluate the encoded DNF formula for a truth-value assignment by using hybridization and primer extension with DNA polymerase, and find a consistent DNF formula with the given examples. By employing these methods, we show that the class of k-term DNF formulae (for any constant k) and the class of general DNF formulae are efficiently learnable on DNA computer.Second, in order for the DNA-based learning algorithm to be robust for errors in the data, we implement the weighted majority algorithm on DNA computers, called DNA-based majority algorithm via amplification (DNAMA), which take a strategy of ``amplifying' the consistent (correct) DNA strands. We show a theoretical analysis for the mistake bound of the DNA-based majority algorithm via amplification, and imply that the amplification to ``double the volumes' of the correct DNA strands in the test tube works well.     

The Strength of Weak Learnability

This paper addresses the problem of improving the accuracy of an hypothesis output by a learning algorithm in the distribution-free (PAC) learning model. A concept class is learnable (or strongly learnable) if, given access to a source of examples of the unknown concept, the learner with high probability is able to output an hypothesis that is correct on all but an arbitrarily small fraction of the instances. The concept class is weakly learnable if the learner can produce an hypothesis that performs only slightly better than random guessing. In this paper, it is shown that these two notions of learnability are equivalent.A method is described for converting a weak learning algorithm into one that achieves arbitrarily high accuracy. This construction may have practical applications as a tool for efficiently converting a mediocre learning algorithm into one that performs extremely well. In addition, the construction has some interesting theoretical consequences, including a set of general upper bounds on the complexity of any strong learning algorithm as a function of the allowed error .