Extracting and formally representing the knowledge embedded in textbooks, such as the concepts explained and the relations between them, can support the provision of advanced knowledge-based services for learning environments and digital libraries. In this paper, we consider a specific type of relation in textbooks referred to as…

The recommendation is an active area of scientific research; it is also a challenging and fundamental problem in online education. However, classical recommender systems usually suffer from item cold-start issues. Besides, unlike other fields like e-commerce or entertainment, e-learning recommendations must ensure that learners have the adequate…

As community colleges and systems move away from developmental education and encourage students to enroll in introductory, college-level coursework to complete their math and English requirements, it is critical to provide students with additional academic supports to help them succeed. One such model is the corequisite course, a model that offers…

This note demonstrates that measurement invariance does not guarantee meaningful and valid group comparisons in multiple-population settings. The article follows on a recent critical discussion by Robitzsch and Lüdtke, who argued that measurement invariance was not a pre-requisite for such comparisons. Within the framework of common factor…

This research examines the relationship between prerequisite algebra knowledge and graduate corporate finance course performance. Standardized math questions designed for an undergraduate introductory finance course also predict quantitative performance metrics among 128 business graduate students. Results demonstrate that prerequisite math…

Background: Representational competence is commonly considered a prerequisite for the acquisition of conceptual knowledge, yet little exploration has been undertaken into the relation between these two constructs. Using an assessment instrument of representational competence with vector fields that functions without confounding topical context, we…

To ensure the validity of an assessment programme, it is essential to align it with the intended learning outcomes (LO). We present a model for ensuring assessment validity which supports this constructive alignment and uses learning analytics (LA). The model is based on LA that include a comparison between ideal LO weights (expressing the…

Purpose: The South African vocational education and training (VET) sector is required by legislation to redefine postsecondary education, advance industrialisation and expand the job market to address unemployment in the country. Yet, VET leaders' heterogenous educational and occupational backgrounds do not enable them to address the needs of the…

There can be many reasons why students fail to answer correctly to summative tests in advanced computer science courses: often the cause is a lack of prerequisites or misconceptions about topics presented in previous courses. One of the ITiCSE 2020 working groups investigated the possibility of designing assessments suitable for differentiating…

This paper describes the study of enforcement of prerequisites in the Computer Science program at a regional university in the Southwest. Prerequisites are a significant factor in programs of study in higher education. Allowing students to register in courses may assume that they have existing knowledge and skills. Some programs treat…

As learners engage, test, and apply new subject knowledge, they often expend their cognitive capacity on the technological tools designed to capture their learning progress and outcomes. The energy and attention spent on these tools reduces their capacity to engage deeply with new learning concepts. Digital literacy skills require both cognitive…

It is well known that fraction knowledge is relevant for later success in mathematics. However, many students still face difficulties when dealing with fractions. Predictors of fraction knowledge have been widely examined. Systematizing "mathematical" predictors, whether their predictive contributions are direct or indirectly mediated…

The expectations gap -- the difference between the level at which high schools prepare students and the preparation colleges expect -- is believed to be accountable for hindering access to, and success in, higher education. It has been largely attributed to misalignment of priorities and lack of communication among policy makers and educators and…

Given the scarcity of studies explicitly exploring the often tacit assumption that teachers' content knowledge (CK) is pre-requisite of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), in this study, we draw on Shulman's conceptualization of these notions to examine their relation by content-aligning the CK and PCK measures. Toward this end, we analyzed data…

Cognitive demand is a crucial dimension of instructional quality. Its heterogenous operationalizations call for refined investigations, with respect to discursive richness (generic conceptualizations) and conceptual richness (subject-related conceptualizations). Considering not only teachers' intended cognitive activation (operationalized, e.g.,…