**4. Education software architecture: Facing student desertion in Colombia higher education**

The Student Desertion National wide problem is very critical by its cultural, economics and family impact. Several IES (Superior Education Institutions) have performed studies leading to point out this problem as a recurrent and prevalent one. The design and implementation of iCOACH which is an intelligent tool knowledge based is presented here as a instrument of high computing to follow up each student in the academic first terms of the engineering faculty at the FESSANJOSE, The software architecture have 3 main parts: Edumatic builder

Analytical Models for Tertiary Education by Propaedeutic

Cycles Applying Knowledge Engineering and Knowledge Management 43

school deficiencies, Poor performance, No flexibilities (pedagogical and administrative). External causes: social Stratum, personal and parent's employment, household costs, city residence change. We conducted inside FESSJ, a survey and choose the following factors: Economic Difficulties, Life Project, Semester deferral, Academic performance, Career

Reduce the student's academic mortality index in first terms of each university program and also improve quality performance. The first goal is to develop an intelligent and computational system for monitoring student progress and also for be able for academic reinforcement to the student, way virtual tutoring and intensive courses in his college life. This intelligent tool is able student training and concepts verification with wide knowledge base of questions and testing previous to the taking examinations with the final purpose of entrenchment theirs mental and cognitive abilities for significant learning in his/her career. The second one is to evaluate academic and socioeconomic factors related to the student drop out using statistical metrics which are generated by the own intelligent tool, for quantification purposes. So with this to design emergent strategies more suited. The last one is to formulate complementary actions or programs leading to reduce. The most final

Recent advances in ICT and hypermedia are offering opportunities with no precedent to comply with new student need or unsolved ones for all level. Actually the education sector in Colombia which is one of the most of the 4 axis in the ICT National Planning supported







be re-contextualized (adequacy of a curriculum), redefined and resituated.

Change, City residence Change, family problems, disease, or working.

**4.3 General objective problem for solving with iCOACH** 

goal of the Project is to improve academic student's quality.

**4.4 Computational project description** 

progress.

requirements, for all level.

knowledge generation.

by web wide networks face several problems, as:

autonomy in his learning under student control.

countermeasure the desertion in Higher education.

(as a tool for Professor), the Student Model, and the third one is the Knowledge Base for concept verification and security. Several previous works have preceded this project so our methodology and related are very experienced. A prototype was built to demonstrate the iCOACH validity and applicability and also as an instrument of academic productivity. This effort is part of a greater system called FESSJ-PROP which is an analytical model for Propedeutical Cycles Higher Education Strategy in Colombia. Perez Gama Alfonso et al.(2010).

### **4.1 Diagnosis and justification**

Student dropout is a phenomenon cultural and Socioeconomics. Several studies in Colombia have found statistics and figures in excess of 50% that significantly affect the efforts made for increasing the coverage and quality education. Similarly close to one of every two students entering the Systems do not completes successfully or do in times higher than expected. Some determinants of the phenomenon have been analyzed using Statistical and Sociological techniques. Important factors that are the following:


It requires among other: Virtual systems for verification of concepts and deepening of meaningful learning, monitoring progress of individual students and motivation programs, counseling, vocational guidance reinforced through academic tutoring, life project.

The problem is worsened by increasing educational coverage and the global crisis: every time we have more students, larger classes, less contact with them, increasing the teaching load and higher costs that many students spend more time on making any income Economy.

#### **4.2 Anti-drop methodology**

A program within the university by intelligent monitoring provide assistance ranging from the process of adaptation to university life to the completion of their studies, aiming to drop the risk is minimal, plus academics critical cases in the work is more specialized towards the student remained in college, monitoring for first semester students will be using our system: Intelligent Coach, we used to call iCOACH, to identify and strengthen weaknesses of students in those subjects where students show academic deficiencies, in this institution that the problems start from the basic courses. Individual causes are: Age, gender and civil status, home calamities, college change, life project and disease. Academic causes: High

(as a tool for Professor), the Student Model, and the third one is the Knowledge Base for concept verification and security. Several previous works have preceded this project so our methodology and related are very experienced. A prototype was built to demonstrate the iCOACH validity and applicability and also as an instrument of academic productivity. This effort is part of a greater system called FESSJ-PROP which is an analytical model for Propedeutical Cycles Higher Education Strategy in Colombia. Perez Gama Alfonso et

Student dropout is a phenomenon cultural and Socioeconomics. Several studies in Colombia have found statistics and figures in excess of 50% that significantly affect the efforts made for increasing the coverage and quality education. Similarly close to one of every two students entering the Systems do not completes successfully or do in times higher than expected. Some determinants of the phenomenon have been analyzed using Statistical and




It requires among other: Virtual systems for verification of concepts and deepening of meaningful learning, monitoring progress of individual students and motivation programs,

The problem is worsened by increasing educational coverage and the global crisis: every time we have more students, larger classes, less contact with them, increasing the teaching load and

A program within the university by intelligent monitoring provide assistance ranging from the process of adaptation to university life to the completion of their studies, aiming to drop the risk is minimal, plus academics critical cases in the work is more specialized towards the student remained in college, monitoring for first semester students will be using our system: Intelligent Coach, we used to call iCOACH, to identify and strengthen weaknesses of students in those subjects where students show academic deficiencies, in this institution that the problems start from the basic courses. Individual causes are: Age, gender and civil status, home calamities, college change, life project and disease. Academic causes: High

conditionality and / or outside the program or even outside the university.

counseling, vocational guidance reinforced through academic tutoring, life project.

higher costs that many students spend more time on making any income Economy.

Sociological techniques. Important factors that are the following:


the student's academic performance.

**4.2 Anti-drop methodology** 

al.(2010).

**4.1 Diagnosis and justification** 

Institution.

school deficiencies, Poor performance, No flexibilities (pedagogical and administrative). External causes: social Stratum, personal and parent's employment, household costs, city residence change. We conducted inside FESSJ, a survey and choose the following factors: Economic Difficulties, Life Project, Semester deferral, Academic performance, Career Change, City residence Change, family problems, disease, or working.

#### **4.3 General objective problem for solving with iCOACH**

Reduce the student's academic mortality index in first terms of each university program and also improve quality performance. The first goal is to develop an intelligent and computational system for monitoring student progress and also for be able for academic reinforcement to the student, way virtual tutoring and intensive courses in his college life. This intelligent tool is able student training and concepts verification with wide knowledge base of questions and testing previous to the taking examinations with the final purpose of entrenchment theirs mental and cognitive abilities for significant learning in his/her career. The second one is to evaluate academic and socioeconomic factors related to the student drop out using statistical metrics which are generated by the own intelligent tool, for quantification purposes. So with this to design emergent strategies more suited. The last one is to formulate complementary actions or programs leading to reduce. The most final goal of the Project is to improve academic student's quality.

### **4.4 Computational project description**

Recent advances in ICT and hypermedia are offering opportunities with no precedent to comply with new student need or unsolved ones for all level. Actually the education sector in Colombia which is one of the most of the 4 axis in the ICT National Planning supported by web wide networks face several problems, as:


Analytical Models for Tertiary Education by Propaedeutic

**4.4.3 Developing model of educational architecture** 

documented in a number of publications.

technology. The theme is very suggestive.

Cycles Applying Knowledge Engineering and Knowledge Management 45

theoretical and conceptual framework is documented in a number of publications. The following is a brief description. The theoretical framework of our project is also supported on models and systems including: Model of software educational engineering, computational model of pedagogy, instructional model, System Focused on Innovation and Learning System of thinking processes. This theoretical and conceptual framework is

The model was developed, presented and discussed in many venues nationally and internationally. Taxonomically includes several models for students seeking a formal specification for use in modern software engineering practice and also in the architecture of educational software. The above mentioned is complemented by other models: the cognitive, conceptual or syllabus, and the Instructional Tutorial Planning. This software engineering education has been used to enable the stimulation of intelligence and the extension of the knowledge based on personal autonomy in learning supported by

The rationale of the educational activities is focused on motivating higher mental abilities: this is a major challenge in research. ¿Why is the reason to have a computer model approach? Without going into a taxonomic discussion, we emphasize the approach of computational models to establish a differentiation primarily with mathematical models, which can closed express structures and behaviors, among others in addition to explicitly recognize the complexity of "model" as regards cognition. ¿How support the student personal autonomy in his/her learning? It considers learning as an essential part of the educational problem is even more true in regard to a new build of Educational Computing education - with the support of a knowledge-enabling staff carrying autonomous student

learning in the field of robotics have shown significant progress in artificial learning.

**4.4.4 Software architecture and engineering methodology** 

obviously web engineering. It includes evolutionary prototyping method.

One aspect of innovation in education is to understand that intelligence is a skill that can be educated: Learned (act of the individual) and education (opportunity for the teacher). We point out numerous scientific researches and the teaching practice and show intelligence as a result of thought. The correctly thinking is not a function of the innate intelligence nor education. Phenomenologically associated power of some subjects in the curriculum, to develop thinking (eg mathematics of all the ways to teach thinking is basically another way of addressing the educational problems throughout the area: kindergarten to higher education. If we start from the assumption of the modifiability of cognition, how much can be done more intelligently to people with or without the support of information technology in a meaningful and lasting? Regarding the educability of the intelligence is so intelligent behavior must be considered as a goal of educational activities, pari passu with other aspects such as emotional and psychomotor; also that the construction of data objects, so tecnofactum or mentefactum/ cerebrofactum (mental/brain artifacts) to extend their cognitive potential of the student. In summary, we propose an electronic and computer environment for learning, as dual use: machine or artificial learning (machine learning) to evolve the knowledge base and development of higher mental abilities by the student.

Our methodology involves the use of multiple paradigms, ranging from engineering information, to modern software engineering/architecture with artificial intelligence and

### **4.4.1 Antidesertion computational problem formulation**

It was precede an intensive work in several research projects, something like EIDOS at the National University of Colombia and FESSANJOSE, in such areas as artificial Intelligence and cognimatics computing education and related, undergraduate and M Sc thesis as well as subjects as virtual and distance education. In several universities as The National of Colombia, District City University, and many others and also studying several international edumatics experiences in presence and virtual learning methodologies giving that an unusual interest in continuing these concerns exploring the electronics book production leading to a virtual library exploring related areas. It is required:

Firstly, of having good student models with feedback and forward monitoring leading to the user cognitive evaluation and individualized following up to each subject. Secondly to have lecturer tools (edumatics builders) in order to design tests intelligent wise, sure, and consistent, based in random and structured selection form knowledge bases. Thirdly, the new lecturer with the characteristics and new player roll of having the possibility for concreting the pedagogy as knowledge rebuilder for recontextualisation of all education materials for one user who will be alone doing his/her learning under his control and autonomy. To build a system for verification of student's concepts , it was undertaken the project within the edumatics and software engineering to establish the planning, analysis, identification of pedagogical training requirements and software to specify the design of a edumatics intelligent system, systemic and cognitive with assessment with the students to virtual mode. The system specified included the following: An edumatics builder, wich is the test and examination generator for students, which is a lecturer tool and cognitive evaluator of students for verification of concepts, controlled by an intelligent tutoring agent and a virtual knowledge base of questions and tests with a fully re-organized structure. It also identified the need for a comprehensive systems or basic models: Model of the System, functional model, data model and the student model, which included general information on knowledge bases to be used. On the other hand the market is demanding educational products, packages and systems to which the person learns what they want, anytime and anywhere, it also costs have to be attractive, as is being displayed in the electronic marketplace.

#### **4.4.2 Theoretical context**

The educational work has been understood as reconstructive science knowledge. That we want to motivate student from which the challenge for educators in the emerging Knowledge Society motivation lies in the appropriation of knowledge that encourages students to generate new knowledge as a way to confront the serious problems of backwardness and dependency of our own countries. To understand the new role of lecturers is necessary to clarify what is the model that will go to rationalize and legitimize the claim to educational practices and especially the role of the teacher in the order produced by modernity and postmodernity in the informatics context; what is clear is that the traditional pedagogy of the lecturer seems to have fulfilled their life cycle. Education with information and knowledge technology based (EDUMATICs, COGNIMATICS) is an option of the lecturer from the standpoint of pedagogy which is due to its characteristic modifier for the training of future generations of engineers. The theoretical framework of our project is also supported on models and systems including: Model of software engineering and architecture education, computational model of pedagogy, instructional model, System focused on Innovation and Learning System of thinking processes. This

It was precede an intensive work in several research projects, something like EIDOS at the National University of Colombia and FESSANJOSE, in such areas as artificial Intelligence and cognimatics computing education and related, undergraduate and M Sc thesis as well as subjects as virtual and distance education. In several universities as The National of Colombia, District City University, and many others and also studying several international edumatics experiences in presence and virtual learning methodologies giving that an unusual interest in continuing these concerns exploring the electronics book production

Firstly, of having good student models with feedback and forward monitoring leading to the user cognitive evaluation and individualized following up to each subject. Secondly to have lecturer tools (edumatics builders) in order to design tests intelligent wise, sure, and consistent, based in random and structured selection form knowledge bases. Thirdly, the new lecturer with the characteristics and new player roll of having the possibility for concreting the pedagogy as knowledge rebuilder for recontextualisation of all education materials for one user who will be alone doing his/her learning under his control and autonomy. To build a system for verification of student's concepts , it was undertaken the project within the edumatics and software engineering to establish the planning, analysis, identification of pedagogical training requirements and software to specify the design of a edumatics intelligent system, systemic and cognitive with assessment with the students to virtual mode. The system specified included the following: An edumatics builder, wich is the test and examination generator for students, which is a lecturer tool and cognitive evaluator of students for verification of concepts, controlled by an intelligent tutoring agent and a virtual knowledge base of questions and tests with a fully re-organized structure. It also identified the need for a comprehensive systems or basic models: Model of the System, functional model, data model and the student model, which included general information on knowledge bases to be used. On the other hand the market is demanding educational products, packages and systems to which the person learns what they want, anytime and anywhere, it also costs have to be attractive, as is being displayed in the electronic

The educational work has been understood as reconstructive science knowledge. That we want to motivate student from which the challenge for educators in the emerging Knowledge Society motivation lies in the appropriation of knowledge that encourages students to generate new knowledge as a way to confront the serious problems of backwardness and dependency of our own countries. To understand the new role of lecturers is necessary to clarify what is the model that will go to rationalize and legitimize the claim to educational practices and especially the role of the teacher in the order produced by modernity and postmodernity in the informatics context; what is clear is that the traditional pedagogy of the lecturer seems to have fulfilled their life cycle. Education with information and knowledge technology based (EDUMATICs, COGNIMATICS) is an option of the lecturer from the standpoint of pedagogy which is due to its characteristic modifier for the training of future generations of engineers. The theoretical framework of our project is also supported on models and systems including: Model of software engineering and architecture education, computational model of pedagogy, instructional model, System focused on Innovation and Learning System of thinking processes. This

**4.4.1 Antidesertion computational problem formulation** 

leading to a virtual library exploring related areas. It is required:

marketplace.

**4.4.2 Theoretical context** 

theoretical and conceptual framework is documented in a number of publications. The following is a brief description. The theoretical framework of our project is also supported on models and systems including: Model of software educational engineering, computational model of pedagogy, instructional model, System Focused on Innovation and Learning System of thinking processes. This theoretical and conceptual framework is documented in a number of publications.
