Enhancing Learning Systems using Interactive Intelligent components
Wilson Nwankwo · International Journal of Advanced Trends in Computer Science and Engineering · 2020
Following the invention of the teaching machine in 1924 by Sidney Pressey, there has been an evolutionary trend in the creation and promotion of software systems categorized as Learning Management Systems(LMS).Functionally, a typical LMS could be on-premise or cloudbased, however, one common feature canvassed is increased effectiveness.This paper focusses on enhancing effectiveness using intelligent components (e.g.algorithms, logic, etc,) to ease decisions on vital academic fronts.Emphasized here is the role of academic heads of departments in HEIs in effectively drawing the course allocation plan for a learning period.In large departments with many academic programs, courses, and lecturers, drawing a plan that fairly reflects capacity as to 'which teacher teaches what course', is an issue.This paper presents a systematic design of an intelligent component from the grounds up using the rapid application development(RAD) approach.The system underscores a posteriori knowledge on the part of the authors as to having significant experience on the modalities around academic activities across the different horizons and explores such to drive home the interestingness in enhancing the traditional practice through the deployment of intelligent interactive software.The prototype system is web-based with an android option and implemented using C#, ASP.Net Core, Xamarin forms; to enhance multiplatform support.The intelligent engine is driven by naïve bayes algorithm.The system is validated using two human experts who are presented with the histories of two courses and a handful of lecturers in a given department in a Nigerian HEI.The result of the validation shows that the advice given by the system is in tandem with the best decision an expert could have taken but would outperform a human expert when faced with scenarios as in large academic highlighted above.The paper concludes that the solution portends immense potentials and would ease the pressures and stress encountered by decision makers in fathoming capabilities of teaching staff vis-a-vis course cofferingsand with regard to the dynamic nature of academic activities in a typical HEI.