ALGORITHM FOR DECOMPOSITION OF LEARNING CONTENT

Abstract

One of the basic problems in the preparation of distant learning courses is dividing the content into learning units. In methodical point of view the requirements are associated with formation of learning units, based on strong connected notions, minimization of the links between them and their “orientation” on the time axis. Analogically the basic notions should precede their consequences in time. The formalization of this problem is reduced to finite, oriented graph, presenting interpretation of the main notions and the established causal links between them. The learning content division is obtained as a result of the graph decomposition. A target function is defined, based on the minimal value of the links between the terms and the corresponding interdisciplinary links. Limiting conditions are set, forming the volume of the educational units. The limitations are defined in two aspects: static in the case of group education and dynamic in dependence with the individual capabilities of the learning person. An algorithm for the so called “parallel” decomposition is developed. An estimation of its calculating complexity and performance is presented. The results are compared to corresponding “sequential” algorithm. The algorithm is included into the group of a set of algorithms for learning content structuring for optimization of the input-output links of the subject, for testing the knowledge and the obtained skills, for additional education, etc. The programming realization of the algorithm is researched by generating set of learning structures. Decomposition in the case of static and dynamic limitations is performed. The results could be used as an instrumental tool for learning units forming based on the subject area and defined parameters of the distant learning or to be included as extension of the known platforms for distant learning.