Computer science PhD student awarded 2021 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship
PhD student Fidelia Anulika Orji is one of three University of Saskatchewan (USask) students who have been awarded the prestigious 2021 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. The annual award recognizes researchers who demonstrate academic excellence, research potential and leadership ability.
Orji is part of the team at USask’s Multi-User Adaptive Distributed Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing (MADMUC) Lab and is exploring ways to use machine learning to make personalized eLearning systems that keep users engaged while achieving the desired learning outcome. Orji works under the directorship of USask researcher Julita Vassileva. She will receive $150,000 over three years to support her work.
Seeking accessible education
Education is a great equalizer, but not everyone has access to quality education. That’s something Orji wants to fix.
“Even those that cannot afford to go to school physically, they can learn through an eLearning system,” she said.
ELearning involves educational programs being delivered electronically. While this can address some barriers to accessing education, sticking with such a system can be challenging and the drop-out rate from eLearning programs is higher than from traditional learning platforms.
“In traditional classrooms, experienced teachers can easily figure out when students are not following along, or when they are distracted and adapt the teaching style to engage students, keep their interest, and help them understand a new concept,” Orji said. “This is not the same in eLearning environments.”
In eLearning, students have to direct themselves and most eLearning programs can’t adapt strategies to engage learners. That’s what Orji’s project aims to change.
She is building on advances in Machine Learning (ML), data analytics and ubiquitous computing to develop an ML-driven adaptive eLearning system that will assess learners’ engagement, motivation, and frustrations in real-time.
“If eLearning content is adapted to a learner’s needs and interest, it will capture the learner’s attention and keep the learner engaged. The learner will be more likely to use the system and will keep using the system and hence achieve the desired learning objectives,” Orji said. “If the system is not adaptive, if it cannot engage a learner for a long time, the learner is probably going to be distracted and eventually drop out.”
The COVID-19 pandemic, which forced schools around the world to transition to online learning, highlighted the need for good eLearning systems. And Orji said this need will continue as life returns to normal.
“Even if there is no COVID-19, there is this need for eLearning systems because many schools still use eLearning systems to support the traditional face-to-face system,” she said.
Orji’s system will be delivered via computers and cellphones and be accessible anywhere and anytime. She plans to eventually try the system among young adult students.