Evaluation of learning in computer based education using log ...

Session 12a3Server I ClimtIIIIest in learning evaluation. Naturally, these would be casedependentparameters and certainly inorc difficult to implcment.Besides cvaluation of learning, logging is R very usefulconcept in other related areas as well. An example could bcpsychological testing, where it is sometimes cven mare iinportantto know how a person takes the test than whai hdsheanswered. Creating such test in an electronic form ratherthan traditional paper version, and including logging in thesyslem, would result in an cxtended set of material and, perhaps,increased accuracy for psychological evaluation.12. REFERENCESFigure 1: An advanced WWW architectureIn this structure, a User Agent represents the real user andtakes carc of all the requests made to thc server. It respondsto these requests with appropriate data according to spccihcations made by the developer. Thus itrepresents the teacherits well and the nppropriate term in this case would be n DUMbleAgeng.There are a numbcr of ways to implement such architecture,but these are very sophisticated and far beyond thescope of this paper. In principlc, this type of structure allowslogging to be applied in both off-line evaluation and on-lineinteractive control.13. CONCLUSIONSCompared to traditional methods, log-based evaluntion hascertain advantages. Particularly, logs will include real informationof the learning p~~occss itself, which is quite impossibleto expose with traditional methods like written examinationsnr assessment forms. The concept of logging alsosupports the cugnifive-conslr!tctive theory of learning I cl],prnvided that the CBE material itself was constructed in thismanner.Logging also adds ncw possibilities io student selfevaluation,which in university lcvel studies and studentorientedlearniiig is very importnnt. Furthermorc, log-basedevaluation includes a strong dependency un the contents,same as cxaminations and Fccdback forms. When used incombination with cxaminntions or fecdback forms, loggingcan, however, provide a more accurate evaluation OF learning.Furlhermore, loggingdoes not havc to be restrictcd to userand transaction relatcd data but morc content orientcd parameterscould be used as well. For example content descriptinnsor content lcvcl would be parameters of inter-[I] Karjalainen M., Rahkila M., “Learning signal processingconcepts and psychoacoustics in the QuickSig DSPenvironment”, in Pmc. 1995 ?EEE Irrt. Con$ Acoust.,Speech, nnd Proc. (ICASSP’H), Detroit, Michigan,USA, vol2, pp. 1125-1128, May 9-12,1995.http://www.acoustics.hut.fi/”mara/publica~ions/icassp95/[2] Wiezel, A., “Measuring thc success of virtual tutoring”,in Proc. 1998 IEEE Frontiers in Education(FIE’98), Tempo, Arizona, USA, Nov 12-15,1978.http://€airway.ecn.purdue.edu/-€ie/~ieg~/papera/l357.pdf[3] Rahkila M., Karjalainen M., “An Experimental Architecturefor Interactive Web-based DSP education,” inProc. I998 IEEE hit. Cot$ Acotrst., Speech, and Six.Proc. (ICASSP’98). Seattle, Washington, USA, May12-15,1998. pp. 1857-1860,http://www.acoust;ics,hut.fi/-mara/publications/icasspga/[4] Fielding, R., et al., “Hypertcxt Transfer Protocol -HTTP/1.1”, RFC 2068, January 1997.ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc206E.txt[5] Kristol, D., Mnntulli, L., “HTTF Statc ManagementMechanism”, EFC 2109, February 1997.ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc2109.txt[6] Bruner, 1. S., “Tnwrrd n Theory of Instruction”, IhrvardUniversity Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, 1966.November 10 - 13,1999 San Juan, Puerto Rico29th ASEEIIKEE Frontiers in Education Conferencc12n3-21