Behavioral pattern mining in web based educational systems

Abstract

This paper presents a variety of methods that we have used and published along the years in order to investigate users behavioral patterns within e-learning systems. We have used both quantitative and qualitative methods, each offering a different level of insight. In this paper we would like to present how an investigation can benefit from using all of those methods. We start by using quantitative methods that provide us an overall perspective, from which we can focus on specific segments of data that represent points of interest on which we apply qualitative methods that provide a more detailed perspective. Therefore, we begin our evaluation by using web analytics and advance towards the state of the art concept data analysis methods, like Formal Concept Analysis. The investigation has been conducted on a locally developed e-learning platform called PULSE. However, these methods can be applied to any other e-learning platform.