Course Development Based on a Model for the Classification of Learning Progress

 Abstract—Examinations at the end of a one semester course at a University of Applied Sciences give at best a snap shot of the learning results at a given point of time. Unfortunately, this information is far from sufficient to analyze and evaluate the learning progress during the duration of a particular course. If one intends to continuously improve the course with respect to an optimization of the learning progress, a more detailed analysis is necessary. For this reason, a model has been developed based on the hypothesis that learning progress is mainly governed by two effects: accumulation and segregation. A comparison of predicted examination results with actual ones permits to identify - by means of an optimization process - two parameters representing the respective strengths (weights) of these effects. The values of these two parameters then allow to classify the learning progress within the respective course and to represent a basis for such a continuous course improvement process.