Monitoring university students’ learning processes: application of Advanced Learning Technologies and integrated multichannel techniques

Abstract

Using Advanced Learning Technologies (ALT) may facilitate the curriculum space needed to promote students’ thinking skills such as self-regulation of thinking, the use of metacognitive strategies, and monitoring learning behaviours. In addition, using integrated multi-channel eye-tracking, Education Data Mining techniques, and data fusion provides information about how each student deploys these strategies at the process level (rather than the results level) and at a level of detail that other techniques do not. The general objectives of this study were: (1) Determine whether students’ behaviours in the LMS predicted results of their learning in different evaluation tests (individual vs. group); (2) Determine whether behavioural records (physiological and eye-tracking) produced with integrated multi-channel techniques predicted learning results in different evaluation tests (individual vs. group); (3) Test whether student behaviours in resources and activities in ALT environments differed depending on the degree type; and (4) Determine whether the results of monitoring student behaviours in ALT environments via integrated multi-channel technology using heat maps and gaze point differed depending on the students’ learning results. The study was performed during one semester with a sample of 64 university students in their final year of health sciences or biomedical engineering degrees. Their learning behaviour in terms of activities and resources in Moodle was monitored along with their use of self-regulated virtual labs for promoting thinking skills. Learning results were assessed using traditional multiple-choice tests and project-based learning assessments (execution and presentation). The results indicate that the variance in the results explained by the use of activities and resources aimed at acquiring thinking skills was greater in project-based learning assessments in both course groups. In addition, the variance explained by the indicators of cognitive load measured by eye-tracking and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) was greater for the learning results in traditional testing. The use of ALT resources and self-regulated virtual laboratories enhanced students’ acquisition of thinking skills. Nonetheless, learning activities must be carefully designed and learning behaviours need to be monitored during the learning process in order to tailor the educational response. This requires better teacher—and student—training in using these resources and in interpreting the resulting records.