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4 Model alidation
V
A model validation is been carried out in two stages; the first one was evaluated in an
academic environment, and the second one is running in a business environment pro-
posed in this work. We have not finished last, because the training course of the Elec-
trical Power Plants operators is too long and the operators are still using the Intelli-
gent Environment.
Following, the first evaluation process will be described it. In the first stage, three
groups of summer students were selected at the graduate degrees from Tecnológico de
Monterrey, Mexico City campus. The courses were taught by different instructors,
with a total population of 58 students (N = 58) distributed in Table 1 as follows:
Table 1.
Groups of Students.
Course
# Students
Focus Group
Control Group
Math II
15
15
Electricity and Magnetism
9
9
Introduction to Physics
5
5
NFocus= 29
NControl= 29
The Focus Group of students used the learning objects of IE while the Control
Group used the traditional planning course. The LOs were designed as additional
support for the students to have more tasks and exercises that they can perform
anywhere, anytime. Three focus groups were heterogeneous in the level of subject
knowledge, skills and even interest, since they were formed by students from different
disciplines and professional careers. The time period in which the system was used
was 15 days, having unlimited attempts at each learning activity and varied resources,
from static HTML pages or text documents to simulations and videos.
The starting point was a diagnostic evaluation (PreTest) of the topic to all students
of the course on a scale of 0-100. After applying the pre-test, the instructors made the
separation of focus and control groups, giving appropriate details in both cases,
indicating the time that their learning activities would take. The material prepared by
instructors consisted of tasks, projects, practices and self-assessments of a specific
topic of the course. The learning objective was the same for both groups, but the way
of reaching the goal was different for each group.
The instructors created four LOs about a specific topic of the course and all
students in the focus group started from the same LO. If the student received very
good grades (or equivalent numeric 9 <= 10 on a scale of 1 to 10) in the first LO, it
was designed a greater challenge or a higher level of difficulty for that student,
seeking to have material that fits the needs and learning pace of each student. If a
student got a good grade (or its equivalent numeric 7 <= 9 on a scale of 1 to 10) it was
designed a LO with the same level of difficulty of the first LO. If the student had
enough grade (or equivalent number 6 <= 7 on a scale of 1 to 10) it was designed a
LO with lower level of difficulty that the student may reach the desired learning
objective or could even repeat the same LO. If the rating was not enough for the
student (or its numeric equivalent 1 <= 6 on a scale of 1 to 10) the student got the less
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