Unveiling educational patterns at a regional level in Colombia: data from elementary and public high school institutions.

Even though the field of Learning Analytics (LA) has experienced an expressive growth in the last few years. The vast majority of the works found in literature are usually focusing on experimentation of techniques and methods over datasets restricted to a given discipline, course, or institution and are still few works manipulating region and countrywide datasets. This may be since the implementation of LA in national or regional scope and using data from governments and institutions poses many challenges that may threaten the success of such initiatives, including the same availability of data. The present article describes the experience of LA in Latin America using governmental data from Elementary and Middle Schools of the State of Norte de Santander - Colombia. This study is focusing on students' performance. Data from 2013 to 2018 was collected, containing information related to 1) students' enrollment in school disciplines provided by Regional Education Secretary, 2) students qualifications provided by educational institutions, and 3) students qualifications provided by the national agency for education evaluation. The methodology followed includes a process of cleaning and integration of the data, subsequently a descriptive and visualization analysis is made and some educational data mining techniques are used (decision trees and clustering) for the modeling and extraction of some educational patterns. A total of eight patterns of interest are extracted. In addition to the decision trees, a feature ranking analysis was performed using xgboost and to facilitate the visual representation of the clusters, t-SNE and self-organized maps (SOM) were applied as result projection techniques. Finally, this paper compares the main challenges mentioned by the literature according to the Colombian experience and proposes an up-to-date list of challenges and solutions that can be used as a baseline for future works in this area and aligned with the Latin American context and reality.

A Learning Analytics Framework to Analyze Corporal Postures in Students Presentations.

Communicating in social and public environments are considered professional skills that can strongly influence career development. Therefore, it is important to proper train and evaluate students in this kind of abilities so that they can better interact in their professional relationships, during the resolution of problems, negotiations and conflict management. This is a complex problem as it involves corporal analysis and the assessment of aspects that until recently were almost impossible to quantitatively measure. Nowadays, a number of new technologies and sensors have being developed for the capture of different kinds of contextual and personal information, but these technologies were not yet fully integrated inside learning settings. In this context, this paper presents a framework to facilitate the analysis and detection of patterns of students in oral presentations. Four steps are proposed for the given framework: Data collection, Statistical Analysis, Clustering, and Sequential Pattern Mining. Data Collection step is responsible for the collection of students interactions during presentations and the arrangement of data for further analysis. Statistical Analysis provides a general understanding of the data collected by showing the differences and similarities of the presentations along the semester. The Clustering stage segments students into groups according to well-defined attributes helping to observe different corporal patterns of the students. Finally, Sequential Pattern Mining step complements the previous stages allowing the identification of sequential patterns of postures in the different groups. The framework was tested in a case study with data collected from 222 freshman students of Computer Engineering (CE) course at three different times during two different years. The analysis made it possible to segment the presenters into three distinct groups according to their corporal postures. The statistical analysis helped to assess how the postures of the students evolved throughout each year. The sequential pattern mining provided a complementary perspective for data evaluation and helped to observe the most frequent postural sequences of the students. Results show the framework could be used as a guidance to provide students automated feedback throughout their presentations and can serve as background information for future comparisons of students presentations from different undergraduate courses.

A Multimodal Real-Time Feedback Platform Based on Spoken Interactions for Remote Active Learning Support.

While technology has helped improve process efficiency in several domains, it still has an outstanding debt to education. In this article, we introduce NAIRA, a Multimodal Learning Analytics platform that provides Real-Time Feedback to foster collaborative learning activities' efficiency. NAIRA provides real-time visualizations for students' verbal interactions when working in groups, allowing teachers to perform precise interventions to ensure learning activities' correct execution. We present a case study with 24 undergraduate subjects performing a remote collaborative learning activity based on the Jigsaw learning technique within the COVID-19 pandemic context. The main goals of the study are (1) to qualitatively describe how the teacher used NAIRA's visualizations to perform interventions and (2) to identify quantitative differences in the number and time between students' spoken interactions among two different stages of the activity, one of them supported by NAIRA's visualizations. The case study showed that NAIRA allowed the teacher to monitor and facilitate the learning activity's supervised stage execution, even in a remote learning context, with students working in separate virtual classrooms with their video cameras off. The quantitative comparison of spoken interactions suggests the existence of differences in the distribution between the monitored and unmonitored stages of the activity, with a more homogeneous speaking time distribution in the NAIRA supported stage.

Using Depth Cameras to Detect Patterns in Oral Presentations: A Case Study Comparing Two Generations of Computer Engineering Students.

Speaking and presenting in public are critical skills for academic and professional development. These skills are demanded across society, and their development and evaluation are a challenge faced by higher education institutions. There are some challenges to evaluate objectively, as well as to generate valuable information to professors and appropriate feedback to students. In this paper, in order to understand and detect patterns in oral student presentations, we collected data from 222 Computer Engineering (CE) fresh students at three different times, over two different years (2017 and 2018). For each presentation, using a developed system and Microsoft Kinect, we have detected 12 features related to corporal postures and oral speaking. These features were used as input for the clustering and statistical analysis that allowed for identifying three different clusters in the presentations of both years, with stronger patterns in the presentations of the year 2017. A Wilcoxon rank-sum test allowed us to evaluate the evolution of the presentations attributes over each year and pointed out a convergence in terms of the reduction of the number of features statistically different between presentations given at the same course time. The results can further help to give students automatic feedback in terms of their postures and speech throughout the presentations and may serve as baseline information for future comparisons with presentations from students coming from different undergraduate courses.

Introducing Low-Cost Sensors into the Classroom Settings: Improving the Assessment in Agile Practices with Multimodal Learning Analytics.

Currently, the improvement of core skills appears as one of the most significant educational challenges of this century. However, assessing the development of such skills is still a challenge in real classroom environments. In this context, Multimodal Learning Analysis techniques appear as an attractive alternative to complement the development and evaluation of core skills. This article presents an exploratory study that analyzes the collaboration and communication of students in a Software Engineering course, who perform a learning activity simulating Scrum with Lego® bricks. Data from the Scrum process was captured, and multidirectional microphones were used in the retrospective ceremonies. Social network analysis techniques were applied, and a correlational analysis was carried out with all the registered information. The results obtained allowed the detection of important relationships and characteristics of the collaborative and Non-Collaborative groups, with productivity, effort, and predominant personality styles in the groups. From all the above, we can conclude that the Multimodal Learning Analysis techniques offer considerable feasibilities to support the process of skills development in students.

Classification of images acquired with colposcopy using artificial neural networks.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the advantages of using artificial neural networks (ANNs) to recognize patterns in colposcopy to classify images in colposcopy. PURPOSE: Transversal, descriptive, and analytical study of a quantitative approach with an emphasis on diagnosis. The training test e validation set was composed of images collected from patients who underwent colposcopy. These images were provided by a gynecology clinic located in the city of Criciúma (Brazil). The image database (n = 170) was divided; 48 images were used for the training process, 58 images were used for the tests, and 64 images were used for the validation. A hybrid neural network based on Kohonen self-organizing maps and multilayer perceptron (MLP) networks was used. RESULTS: After 126 cycles, the validation was performed. The best results reached an accuracy of 72.15%, a sensibility of 69.78%, and a specificity of 68%. CONCLUSION: Although the preliminary results still exhibit an average efficiency, the present approach is an innovative and promising technique that should be deeply explored in the context of the present study.

Análise computacional para auxílio ao diagnóstico de osteoartrite de coluna lombar baseado em redes neurais artificiais / Computational analysis based on artificial neural networks for aiding in diagnosing osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine

OBJETIVOS: Conhecer as vantagens da utilização das redes neurais artificiais no reconhecimento de padrões em radiografias de coluna lombar na incidência perfil para auxiliar no diagnóstico da osteoartrite primária. MÉTODO: Estudo transversal, descritivo, analítico, de abordagem quantitativa e com ênfase diagnóstica. O conjunto de treinamento foi composto por imagens coletadas no período de janeiro a julho de 2009 de pacientes submetidos a radiografias digitais de coluna lombar na incidência em perfil provenientes de um serviço de radiologia localizado no município de Criciúma (SC). Das 260 imagens coletadas, foram excluídas: as radiografias distorcidas, as patologias que alteram a arquitetura da coluna lombar e os padrões de difícil caracterização, resultando em um total de 206 imagens. O banco de imagens (n = 206) foi subdividido, resultando em 68 radiografias para a etapa de treinamento, 68 para testes e 70 para validação. Foi utilizada uma rede neural híbrida baseada em mapas auto-organizáveis de Kohonen e redes Multilayer Perceptron. RESULTADOS: Após 90 ciclos, foi realizada a validação com o melhor teste, alcançando acurácia de 62,85 por cento, sensibilidade de 65,71 por cento e especificidade de 60 por cento. CONCLUSÃO: Apesar da demonstração de uma eficácia mediana, por se tratar de estudo de caráter inovador, seus valores mostram um futuro promissor da técnica utilizada, com sugestão para trabalhos futuros com abrangência na metodologia de processamento das imagens e ciclos com uma quantidade maior de radiografias.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the advantages of applying artificial neural networks to recognize patterns on lumbar column radiographs in order to aid in the process of diagnosing primary osteoarthritis. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional descriptive analytical study with a quantitative approach and an emphasis on diagnosis. The training set was composed of images collected between January and July 2009 from patients who had undergone lateral-view digital radiographs of the lumbar column, which were provided by a radiology clinic located in the municipality of Criciúma (SC). Out of the total of 260 images gathered, those with distortions, those presenting pathological conditions that altered the architecture of the lumbar column and those with patterns that were difficult to characterize were discarded, thus resulting in 206 images. The image data base (n = 206) was then subdivided, resulting in 68 radiographs for the training stage, 68 images for tests and 70 for validation. A hybrid neural network based on Kohonen self-organizing maps and on Multilayer Perceptron networks was used. RESULTS: After 90 cycles, the validation was carried out on the best results, thereby reaching accuracy of 62.85 percent, sensitivity of 65.71 percent and specificity of 60 percent. CONCLUSIONS: Even though the effectiveness shown was moderate, this study is of innovative nature. Hence, the values show that the technique used has a promising future, thus pointing towards further studies covering the image and cycle processing methodology with a larger quantity of radiographs.

COMPUTATIONAL ANALYSIS BASED ON ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS FOR AIDING IN DIAGNOSING OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE LUMBAR SPINE.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the advantages of applying artificial neural networks to recognize patterns on lumbar spine radiographies in order to aid in the process of diagnosing primary osteoarthritis. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional descriptive analytical study with a quantitative approach and an emphasis on diagnosis. The training set was composed of images collected between January and July 2009 from patients who had undergone lateral-view digital radiographies of the lumbar spine, which were provided by a radiology clinic located in the municipality of Criciúma (SC). Out of the total of 260 images gathered, those with distortions, those presenting pathological conditions that altered the architecture of the lumbar spine and those with patterns that were difficult to characterize were discarded, resulting in 206 images. The image data base (n = 206) was then subdivided, resulting in 68 radiographies for the training stage, 68 images for tests and 70 for validation. A hybrid neural network based on Kohonen self-organizing maps and on Multilayer Perceptron networks was used. RESULTS: After 90 cycles, the validation was carried out on the best results, achieving accuracy of 62.85%, sensitivity of 65.71% and specificity of 60%. CONCLUSIONS: Even though the effectiveness shown was moderate, this study is still innovative. The values show that the technique used has a promising future, pointing towards further studies on image and cycle processing methodology with a larger quantity of radiographies.