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Measuring Disorientation Based on the Needleman-Wunsch Algorithm.

, , and . The International Review of Research in Open and Distributive Learning, (April 2015)
DOI: 10.19173/irrodl.v16i2.2016

Abstract

This study offers a new method to measure navigation disorientation in web based systems which is powerful learning medium for distance and open education. The Needleman-Wunsch algorithm is used to measure disorientation in a more precise manner. The process combines theoretical and applied knowledge from two previously distinct research areas, disorientation and string-matching. String-matching algorithms provide a more convenient disorientation measurement than other techniques, in that they examine the similarity between an optimal path and learners’ navigation paths. The algorithm particularly takes into account the contextual similarity between partly relevant web-pages in a user’s navigation path and pages in an optimal path. This study focuses on the reasons and the required steps to use this algorithm for disorientation measurement. Examples of actual student activities and learning environment data are provided to illustrate the process.

Description

This article employs the Needleman-Wunsch algorithm to assess the disorientation of users visiting the Internet. The iterative matrix they use compares the ideal navigation path through a series of web-based tasks with that actually taken by a cohort of undergraduate students. It's interesting to see this algorithm, which was created to help computerize protein sequences, be applied to studying the computer itself.

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