Developing an Information System for Monitoring Student's Activity in Online Collaborative Learning

• Main Authors: Juan, A.A., Daradoumis, T., Faulin, J., Xhafa, F.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Collaboration; collaborative learning; Collaborative work; Computer-assisted instruction; Distance measurement; Education; Education, Higher; Educational institutions; Educational technology; Electronic learning; Ensenyament assistit per ordinador; Ensenyament universitari; Ensenyament virtual; Enseñanza asistida por ordenador; Enseñanza universitaria; Enseñanza virtual; Group work in education; Human-computer interaction; Interacció home-ordinador; Interacción hombre-ordenador; Interfaces de usuario (Informática); Interfícies d'usuari (Informàtica); just-in-time assistance; Monitoring; monitoring students' activity; online education; Study and teaching (Higher); Tecnologia educativa; Tecnología educativa; Trabajo en equipo; Treball en equip; User interfaces (Computer systems); Web-based instruction
• DOI: 10.1109/CISIS.2008.59

In this paper we address the issue of monitoring studentspsila and groupspsila activity in online collaborative learning environments. This issue is especially important in the collaborative e-learning context, since an efficient monitoring process can provide valuable information to online instructors who may guide and support the development of collaborative learning projects. We have developed and tested an information system model which facilitates the automatic generation of weekly monitoring reports derived from data contained in server log files. These reports provide online instructors with visual information regarding studentspsila and groupspsila activity, thus allowing for a quick and easy classification of students and groups according to their activity level. Therefore, entities with a low activity level are identified as soon as possible and just-in-time assistance can be established for them. Furthermore, instructors can use these monitoring reports to forecast potential problems -such as studentspsila dropouts or possible conflicts inside the groups due to unbalanced distribution of tasks- and take operational and tactical decisions oriented to avoid them.