Creating a knowledge space

Creating a knowledge structure

Some of the available services to provide learning adaptivity are based on the Competence based Knowledge Space Theory. These tools rely on a domain model consisting of skills, learning objects, assessment question, concepts, and action verbs. Creating these domain models involves defining skills of a knowledge domain and prerequisites among and relating them with learning activities and assessment items.

Knowledge structure vs. Competence structure

In traditional Knowledge Space Theory, the Knowledge Space reflects the ability of a person to perform certain tasks or answer certain questions. In other words, it is strictly procedural.

The Competence-based Knowledge Space Theory expands KST to include the underlying competence structure that maps to the knowledge space.

Approaches to create knowledge and competence structures

Several approaches have been developed to generate a knowledge structure (in KST):

• querying experts with a series of simple questions (e.g. "if a student can solve problem a and b, will he be able to solve problem c?");
• exploratory data analysis (extracting data from responses on questionnaires, by observing response patterns);
• systematic problem construction or analysis of problem solving processes in the domain.

In addition, concept maps analysis has been proposed as a technique to extract knowledge structure and relate it to the underlying competence structure, according to CbKST. For step by step guidance, see: "Using Concept Maps for Deriving Knowledge and Competence Structures", by Christina Steiner & Dietrich Albert

More recently, researchers have discussed a way to generate competence structures for serious games in a bottom-up approach (instead of top-down, starting from the domain model) using a Q-Matrix. (see Melero, El-Kechai and Labat (2015), doi:10.1007/978-3-319-24258-3_16).

Tools

Researchers from the University of Graz have developed a tool to create such domain models in a graphical way. A demo of the tool can be accessed online here.

References

Some references about CbKST and tools to create competence maps:

• Melero, Javier, Naïma El-Kechaï, and Jean-Marc Labat. "Comparing Two CbKST Approaches for Adapting Learning Paths in Serious Games." Design for Teaching and Learning in a Networked World. Springer International Publishing, 2015. 211-224. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-24258-3_16
• Albert, D., Nussbaumer, A., Steiner, C. M., Hendrix, M., & Cristea, A. I. (2009). Design and development of an authoring tool for pedagogical relationship types between concepts. in ICCE2009. Available at http://eprints.dcs.warwick.ac.uk/149/1/ICCE2009-CRT.pdf
• Heller, J., Steiner, C., Hockemeyer, C., & Albert, D. (2006). Competence-based knowledge structures for personalised learning. International Journal on E-learning, 5(1), 75-88. Available at http://wundt.uni-graz.at/publicdocs/publications/IJEL.pdf
• Reimann, P., Kickmeier-Rust, M., & Albert, D. (2013). Problem solving learning environments and assessment: A knowledge space theory approach. Computers & Education, 64, 183-193

More resources:

• TU Graz's KTI page on CbKST: http://kti.tugraz.at/css/cbkst/