Analysis of Tools for Learning Assessment and Tracking in Distance Education

Abstract

Learning Management Systems (LMS) used in Distance Education present two classes of assessment tools: objective and written test tools and communication tools, such as forums and message boards. Assessment metrics in these tools are usually based on averages and totals, and are presented in measuring units that are not compatible, therefore making difficult the comparisons and the accurate analysis of the student Knowledge Acquisition Level. This article objective is to present the analysis of some assessment tools included in two learning management systems: Moodle and TIDIA-AE, which is an adapted version of Sakai developed in Brazil. The analysis presents the metrics that can be obtained from each tool in the two systems and also the amount of feedback that each one gives to the student. The work is concluded presenting the main gaps that exist in the analyzed assessment tools and pointing out the need for new research to deal with them.

Analysis of the Relevance of Posts in Asynchronous Discussions

“…In the field of Learning Analytics, other works have focused on the use of assessment tools to evaluate students' participation in distance learning courses, as in Pimentel, Braga, and Omar (2012). However, the tools considered in the authors' work had really limited capacity for the analysis of text messages, when compared to the tool proposed in this paper, which was based on the use of text mining techniques.…”