Visualization and Analysis of Student Interactions in an Adaptive Exploratory Learning Environment

In this paper we describe research that applies educational datavisualization and data mining techniques in an Adaptive Exploratory eLearning Environment called the Adaptive eLearning Platform. Using a novel visualization tool called the Solution Trace Graph, we were able to visualize student interactions and thus gain insights that led to the refinement of the intelligently adapted remediation in the system. An important observation we make concerns the employment of a software design methodology which we refer to as Virtual Apparatus Framework (VAF). By using VAF to develop eLearning content, the process of developing intelligently adapted remediation in an exploratory learning scenario, and subsequently the analysis of students’ behaviour, is greatly enhanced and simplified.