Comprehension Factor Analysis: Modeling student's reading behaviour: Accounting for reading practice in predicting students' learning in MOOCs

Abstract

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) often incorporate lecture-based learning along with lecture notes, textbooks, and videos to students. Moreover, MOOCs also incorporate practice activities and quizzes. Student learning in MOOCs can be tracked and improved using state-of-the-art student modeling. Currently, this means employing conventional student models that are constructed around Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS). Traditional ITS systems only utilize students performance interactions (quiz, problem-solving or practice activities). Therefore, text interactions are entirely ignored while modeling students performance in MOOCs using these cognitive models. In this work, we propose a Comprehension Factor Analysis model (CFM) for online courses, which integrates student reading interactions in student models to track and predict learning outcomes. Our model evaluation shows that CFM outperforms state-of-the-art models in predicting students' performance in a MOOC. These models can help better student-wise adaptation in the context of MOOCs.