Taras Filatov

Intelligent Analysis Tools for Distance Learning 

Taras Filatov graduated from Kharkiv National University of Radioelectronics (KNURE), Ukraine and has recently passed his MPhil viva at WIT with a thesis on ‘Intelligent Analysis Tools for Distance Learning’. The external examiner was Dr Brendan D’Cruz from Northampton University College and the internal examiner was Prof Carlos Brebbia.

In the thesis, distance learning systems in a modern world are described. The major problems of e-learning are listed and a structure for a web-based distance learning system is established. A full-scale e-learning system was created which was based on this concept. Taras applied his background of developing assessment systems in KNURE by developing a module for online assessments which was implemented in the system to automatically assess students’ knowledge. It is clear from the thesis that the demand for distance learning courses should grow significantly in the near future and it is therefore beneficial to automate the processes of analysing data passing through distance learning systems. The intelligent analysis algorithms could be developed to automate and improve data mining within the collected data, which should take into account all the data available and discover implicit facts which will help to improve the quality of learning. In the framework of this concept, Taras created a set of tools for both manual and automated analysis applied to the assessment of the results. These tools allow the quality of tests and their contents to be analysed making their evaluation by non-specialists possible and for the analysis to be carried out automatically. The intelligent analysis tools that were created passed tests on real data sets and have proved their reliability and efficiency. A number of problems which need to be solved are raised in the final part of the thesis even though the first step to a new generation of distance learning systems is made. The work provides a good basis for further research in a number of related topics.