E-learning platforms and processes face several challenges, among which is the idea of personalizing the e-learning experience and to keep students motivated and engaged. This work is part of a larger study that aims to tackle these two challenges using a variety of machine learning techniques. To that end, this paper proposes the use of k-means…

Background: An important pedagogical practice is the provision of structure (Farkas & Grolnick, 2010, "Motiv. Emot.," 34, 266). According to self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985, "Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior," Plenum, New York, NY), structure allows students to develop…

Student retention has remained, over many decades, a strong area of concern in postsecondary education, for good reason. Retaining students is a key factor in an institution's maintenance of its stability and reputation, and it helps students and society to avoid the all-too-common consequences associated with a lack of education, including…

Reviews research results and arguments supporting Keller's Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) as a paradigm for distance learning, describes a project at Athabasca University which compared various PSI configurations for distance learning, and discusses the advantages, disadvantages, and flexibility of PSI for such use. Nineteen references…

Project REDEAL (Research and Evaluation of Distance Education for the Adult Learner) has designed a three-semester system for distance education. Design features have been recommended to maximize personal learner success as well as to have an impact on indicators of success. The individualized instructional environment recommended is a specific…

The aim of the Automated Retrieval Information System to Track and Optimize the Training and Learning Environment (ARISTOTLE) project is to develop a computer-based training model to link program standards, tests, resources, curriculum, and operational and student placement procedures of the Canada Manpower Centers, the Ministry of Colleges and…

This monograph documents some aspects of school life at an Ontario school for kindergarten and first grade students. The report emphasizes some of the special features of the school, such as the use of parent volunteers; a highly individualized program based in a large measure on students' goals, interests, and readiness; a comprehensive…

This paper proposes that a more flexible approach to the development of teaching groups, accompanied by the necessary changes in staff and facility utilization, would help solve problems arising from declining enrollments in elementary schools. Such problems presently occur in many elementary schools in Western Canada. The problems of educational…