MODELING OF ADES-ESP SYSTEM

Suzana Markovi1, Ranko Popovi2

Abstract This paper outlines a multimedia adaptive system of
distance learning where the main emphasis is laid on the student
and corresponding student profile. System has several
advantages, which improve teaching and facilitate the learning
process compared to existing systems. Teachers play significant
roles in the system. Web-based system is easily available to
students. The contents are automatically adaptive based on
student performances and teacher preferences. Finaly, system is
divided into the several modules. This approach provides great
flexibility to adapt to future needs.
Keywords Distance learning, student profile, adaptive system,
testing.

I. INTRODUCTION
Rapid development of technological achievements and
opportunities available in the information era impose new
rules of conduct in all fields, including education.
As the use of the computer as a standard instruction
medium has begun, researchers have tried to integrate the
instruction delivery media in an adequate way and use the
possibilities the same offer. On the other hand, most teachers
still rely on well-established primitive aids. For example, the
chalkboard - one of historys earliest teaching tools - remains
the preferred exposition medium in many scientific
disciplines. Since the advent of computational devices in
education, researchers have sought the means for properly
integrating them and taking advantage of their capabilities [1].
Numerous computer-based systems have been used in
education to increase student performance and motivation.
There are distance education models based on students
behaviour and their interactions with the system [2]:
Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI or CBT
Computer - Based training).
Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS),
Integrated Learning System (ILS),
Adaptive Integrated Learning.
In traditional learning environments, teachers monitor
students and control their learning strategies and
performances. Nowadays, many computer-based learning
systems provide students with personalized learning and
enable them to be responsible about their learning, while the
teachers roles is ignored. So, the motivation behind our
research is to develop a flexible system which works
according to a teachers decisions and student performance.
Thus, our proposed model is adaptive and it will be presented
on the following pages.
1

Suzana R. Markovi is with the Advanced Business School,

Kralja Petra I, Blace, E-mail: msuzana@vpskp.edu.yu
2
Ranko M. Popovi. is with the The Faculty of Business
Information Science, Singidunum University, Danijelova 32,
Belgrade, E-mail: rpopovic@singidunum.ac.yu

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

A. Adaptive Models And Student Profile
To improve online learning environments, number of
theories and practices are proposed, such as the content
management system with authoring tools (help teachers
implementing their instructional strategy), learning objects
and digital repository to share and reuse educational
resources, ontology and student profiles to achieve
personalized learning, and learning community study. Above
all, the significant change is the learning paradigms shift from teacher-centred to student centred [3].
For the purpose of implementing a qualified and useful
teaching course it should be adapted to a student. Therefore a
student model should be developed while implementing such
kind of systems. Student model includes information about a
certain student knowledge level, skills level, tasks
performance ability, psychological and other characteristics
that are needed for effective adaptive teaching process
organization [4]. That model also includes components that
are essential for effective teaching process organization:
knowledge level, psychological characteristics, learning
speed/style, tasks performing, learning ability, skills level,
teaching strategy, method and knowledge graph.
The flexibility of computer-based learning systems is one of
the major advantages over traditional learning methods.
System does not give students full control over predefined
learning directions, but it offers teachers the flexibility to
monitor learning activities and automatically guide students.
The process of learning is carried out in 3 stages [5]. On the
first stage the learner studies theoretical material. The second
stage is intended for checking the learners knowledge of
theory. During the third stage the learner solves the problems
on the subject under the system adaptive control.
The typical learning scenario is proposed by Microsoft with
Windows SharePoint Services as the base portal layer. On top
of this layer, a framework of educationally relevant Web parts
from any vendor can be added to customize a solution.
SharePoint Learning Kit (SLK) provides the basic ability to
assign, track, and grade e-learning content to learners. SLK
provides basic distribution of electronic documents to students
and final grade capability. SLK is a SharePoint-based Web
application that leverages a core technology called Microsoft
Learning Components (MLC). Developers can use MLC to
add e-learning functionality to new or existing applications
[6].
B. Models of instructional presentation
One of the advantages of a computer based learning system
over the traditional learning systems is its flexibility. These

systems do not give full control over the learning process to

the student, but also include the teacher in the process, who
oversees his/her activities and automatically leads him/her
through the learning process aided by appropriate tools.
Therefore, there is a need for a collaborative system that can
let a teacher know how learners are progressing so that the
teacher can modify and disperse near real-time course content
if learners are struggling with current content. Such systems
provide an innovative method of instruction that adapts to the
learners unique learning style [7].
The aim of adaptive systems is precisely the connection of
instruction and learning into one integrated dynamic
knowledge-transfer environment [8] which uses learning
objects made according to a valid standard, such as SCORM
(Sharable Content Object Reference Model).
One of the existing e-learning multimedia systems which
synchronize presentation slides with instruction video files is
made at School of Engineering - University of South
California - USC. Online Webcast demo version of the DEN
system (Distance Education Network) can be found at
http://den.usc.edu [9].
E-Chalk software [10] simulates a chalkboard using a
touch-sensitive computer screen on which the lecturer works
using a pen. System enhances classroom teaching by
integrating the multimedia features of modern presentation
software with the traditional chalkboard. This approach
preserves the didactical properties of the traditional
chalkboard while helping instructors create modern
multimedia-based lectures.

Fig.1. The part of the Main SQL database diagram

System enable authorized student access to instruction

material. Namely, the entire system is so designed to be
divided into following modules:
1. The instruction module takes the central part of the
application. The module is implemented by means of
ASP.NET technology. The basic achievement course is just
distributed online as a multimedia course. That is, video file
lectures (Avi format) are transformed into many .swf format
files (by applying Cantasia studio tools), dividing a huge file
i.e. capacity is divided into many small ones. The obtained
files can be downloaded more easily and quickly from the
Internet, which was exactly the purpose.
The realization of this module is given in Fig. 2. The
module saves its data in the database. The selected RDBMS is
MS SQL. This module is directly connected to the
communication module.

III. METHODOLOGY OF IMPLEMENTED SOLUTIONS

The topic of this paper refers to the implementation of a
solution in the development of web applications. It is a
realization of an adaptive distance learning system, since it
provides student with: attending online classes (synchronized
video instruction presentation), real-time communication and
defining the student profile (with general information:
information about courses completed, examinations passed,
and individual personality). Within this module testing is
carried out to assess the knowledge of students on the basis of
which a student is assigned to a corresponding group. This
grouping affects the level of the teachers instruction.
The layers of designed application three-layer architecture
are:
Data layer - necessary data are placed in MS SQL
database together with stored procedures (Fig.1).
Middleware layer describes business logic and
access to data implemented by ASP.NET. The selected
web server is IIS.
Presentation layer - client side covering user PC
desktop applications, Web applications, mobile
applications, etc. depending on technologies used for
the presentation layer, such as ASP.NET,
MOBILE.NET, PHP, etc.

Fig.2. Instruction module realization

2. The goals of online learning environments are to achieve

adaptive learning and help learners to create their own
knowledge. Given the proposed adaptive learning
environments, learners can be uniquely identified and their
learning processes can be monitored with their respective
learner profiles.
The next module represents the student's profile. A student's
profile is determined by various parameters. When a student
registers to the system for the first time all relevant data are
stored in the database. Every transition which is made by the
student (course enrolment, testing) affects his/her profile. That
transition is stored in the database and the teacher has access
to them at every moment.
This module comprises the following information:

general student data (name, surname, address, email, age, etc.),

cognitive level: the appropriate group to which the
student belongs on the base of preliminary assessed
level of knowledge,
his/her performance at specific courses he/she
completed, learning ability, learning style (learned,
not learned, current learning) and
a number of different methods of knowledge
testing applied depending on the group to which the
student belongs.
3. The final module is the one by which the communication
in the system is achieved. In order for the communication to
be truly synchronized, the participants must be able to find
one another in the network and exchange messages
sufficiently quickly to lend credibility to the term
synchronized communication.
A part of real-time video communication together with
messenger will enable synchronized communication between
teacher and student on current instruction material. If
required, the communication can be textual only.
A. Knowledge assessments
In order to assign a student to the appropriate group, it is
necessary to carry out appropriate knowledge assessment.
Unlike static knowledge assessment, which usually has a fixed
number of questions presented to all students, the adaptive
model uses dynamic knowledge assessment.
The knowledge testing (Figure 4) may be: self-evaluation,
preliminary (assessing the students general level of
knowledge), progressive (assessing student knowledge at
different stages of the learning process) and final (final exam).
Each knowledge assessment has different parameters
defining: the assessment termination (completion) criterion,
number of questions to be offered to the student, etc.
A student evaluates his/her own knowledge of instruction
fields by self-evaluation. As a result the system gives
statistical data evaluating a student's success.
In preliminary testing, time as a parameter is not taken into
consideration, since the testing is intended only to determine
the level of the students knowledge and to assign him/her to
the appropriate group accordingly. This assessment is used
first to evaluate students level of knowledge. It is the static
testing with a fixed number of questions and a test is the same
for all students. The teacher (initiator) prepares questions for
this kind of tests (Figure below).

Fig.3. Interface for tests preparing

Preliminary assessment assigns a student to an appropriate

group: group A students with best results, group B
students with average results, group C students with bad
results. In this assignment stage, the system automatically
assigns students to an appropriate level of knowledge.
In the phase of progressive testing, the adaptive system
automatically determines the students level of knowledge
and, if required, dynamically generates the areas he/she has to
learn again.
The teacher accomplishes progressive assessment when
he/she has finished an appropriate instructional section
module. The teacher prepares questions and assorts them into
categories easy (E) and hard (H). The questions are stored
into the database. When the student enters for assessment, the
system generates a certain number of randomly selected
questions. But the weight of questions will depend on the
group a student belongs to. So, the system is adjusted to
student and send him/her questions depends of group. The
number of easy and hard questions is variable with course
progress (Table 1).
TABLE I
THE NUMBER OF EASY AND HARD QUESTIONS

Group C
E (%) H (%)
56
44
62
38
68
32
74
26
80
20
As the course progresses, students from group C will have less
hard questions and their number will depend on number of
progressive assessment. So the number of questions will be
determined by formula (80-50)/n, where n is a number of all
progressive assessments (in the beginning, we suggest that the
number of hard and easy questions should be equal). Table 1
shows the case of 5 assessments. The proportion of easy and
hard questions for students from group A will be reversed. The
system is realized so that the number of easy questions (group
C) in the last assessment is always 80%. Students from group
B will have an equal number of easy and hard questions.
The final result of an assessment enables student transition
between groups. The system summarizes the scores from
assessments; divides them with the mentioned number and
rates the student in the following way:
TABLE II
STUDENTS RATE

Score
A

76-100

51-75

0-50

Therefore, a change in the number of students in a group

affects the system dynamics and a number of questions with
different weight affect the system adaptively.
For example, if the student from group C, on the first
progressive assessment gets 53 points, on the second 79, then
his/her total score will be (53+79)/2=66 points, so he/she will
move to group B etc. So, students progressing (or degrading)

continually influences changes of his/her profile. At the end of

progressive assessment students in group A will have minimal
ensured mark 8 on the final assessment, even if they do not
make assessment well.
Final assessment of students is carried out at the end of
course. The system generates random questions from the same
database as questions for progressive assessment. Final
assessment will enable poor students to improve their score
which is made during the progressive assessment. Better
students will confirm their success. At the end of the test the
system will provide a summary score as well as a suggestion
for learning those modules for which the answers were wrong.
The following flowchart shows type of testing regard to
initiator, stage and content of the tests.

Fig.4. Type of testing

IV. RESULTS
In this part, the statistical results obtained through the
monitoring of the students progress by the teacher are shown.
Information system designing was the subject of the testing of
students who must have certain previous knowledge of
information systems, acquired in the Introduction to
Information Systems course as a prerequisite to attend this
course.
1. First stage Preliminary assessment (Figure 4). This
assessment is used first to evaluate students level of
knowledge.
Preliminary assessment assigns a student to the appropriate
group: group A students with best results (6 students),
group B students with average results, (10 students), group
C students with bed results (9). In this assignment stage, the

system automatically assigns students to an appropriate level

of knowledge.
Teaching according to the student level of knowledge is an
important issue in adaptive learning. This statistics indicate to
teacher that level of course has to be normal, otherwise it can
be elementary or advanced.
Progress assessment is used to estimate the student's
acquiring of knowledge following the completion of any
module in the concept learning.
During the progress assessment the system decides in what
group a student should start to initiate the next progress test.
During the final exam system generates a response:
students are assigned to concepts that they did not
successfully master during the assessment stage. The goal of
assessment is to know exactly what concepts a student needs
to learn.
On the basis of preliminary assessment the teacher defines
from which layer to start the course. The layer of the course
can be elementary, basic or advanced. Teacher composes the
questions for each module of specified course and gives them
appropriate weight. The questions can be easy and hard. The
teacher has access to a students profile at every moment.
Also, system observes students progress during the teaching
process. There are two types of students: students who have
regularly attended lectures and those who have not attended
lectures at all.
The research results show that students who have regularly
attended lectures have better passing average than those who
have not.
These results should be taken into consideration with
reserve because of next problem. The same research that we
have performed in a state-run high school in Blace, we have
applied at a private faculty in Belgrade, where we have
maintained a statistics following students' attendance and
success. The studying expenses for this region are extremely
high. Students have opportunity of distance learning using our
programming packet ADES-ESP. Every fifth student did not
attend instructions and practices of first year courses during
first semester. We expected that students have been used
distance learning system; however, no one has passed exams
in the first term. With introduction of pre-exams duty and
minimal number of points which students must gather in order
to go in for an examination, this percentage of success did not
change.

V. CONCLUSION
Multimedia instruction software environment should offer
something more than the management of individual
instruction units. It must provide a complete solution offering
the integration of educational mini applications and
fundamental support to create and distribute generated
contents.
This paper outlines a multimedia adaptive system of
distance learning where the main emphasis is laid on the
student and corresponding student profile. The system has
several advantages, which improve teaching and facilitate the
learning process compared to existing systems. Teachers play

significant roles in the system. Web-based system is easily

available to students. The system is automatically adaptive
based on student performances and knowledge. Finally, the
system is divided into several modules. This approach
provides great flexibility to adapt to future needs.
This project is not fully completed, since several other
features are being designed or in the process of being
developed. For the future work, we intend to include hardware
adaptability on different devices: desktop PC, mobile units
(lap-top, PDA, cell phone) in the system.

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