Proficiency-Adapted Information Browsing and Filtering in Hypermedia Educational Systems

  • Authors:

  • Licia Calvi;Paul De Bra

  • Affiliations:

  • Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, University of Antwerp, Belgium. e-mail: calvi@uia.ua.ac.be;Departments of Computing Science, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. e-mail: debra@win.tue.nl

  • Venue:
  • User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction
  • Year:
  • 1997

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Abstract

We present a framework forproficiency-adapted information browsing and filteringin educational hypermedia systems. In hyperdocuments,information is acquired by browsing through highlyinterconnected sets of information nodes. In order tofind specific information, users follow links to nodesthey judge to be relevant. In order to helpusers find relevant information and new learningmaterial that match their levels of domain knowledge,we present a framework for adapting the informationnodes, and the links leading to them, to theuser‘s proficiency in the subject matter. Sucha proficiency-adapted, user-centered educationalenvironment is intended to enhance learning.We believe that learning in educationalhypertext-based applications cannot be reduced totraversing a static information space. Navigatingthrough any space, be it a physical or an informationspace, normally requires that users have a priordegree of proficiency in the domain knowledge.Learning is an evolving dynamic process through whichusers progress from a situation of unfamiliarity toone of mastery of a knowledge corpus. Therefore, wepropose a model of proficiency-adapted learning andinformation browsing in which the presented choices(links and the textual context of links) are selectedbased on the user‘s knowledge state. Ultimately, suchan adaptive course not only guides the learningprocess of the student, but it gradually transformsitself into a reference guide.