NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
PDF on ERIC Download full text
ERIC Number: EJ1115352
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 31
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2157-2100
EISSN: N/A
Clustering Educational Digital Library Usage Data: A Comparison of Latent Class Analysis and K-Means Algorithms
Xu, Beijie; Recker, Mimi; Qi, Xiaojun; Flann, Nicholas; Ye, Lei
Journal of Educational Data Mining, v5 n2 p38-68 2013
This article examines clustering as an educational data mining method. In particular, two clustering algorithms, the widely used K-means and the model-based Latent Class Analysis, are compared, using usage data from an educational digital library service, the Instructional Architect (IA.usu.edu). Using a multi-faceted approach and multiple data sources, three types of comparisons of resulting clusters are presented: (1) Davies-Bouldin indices, (2) clustering results validated with user profile data, and (3) cluster evolution. Latent Class Analysis is superior to K-means on all three comparisons. In particular, LCA is more immune to the variance of feature variables, and clustering results turn out well with minimal data transformation. Our research results also show that LCA perform better than K-means in terms of providing the most useful educational interpretation for this dataset.
International Educational Data Mining. e-mail: jedm.editor@gmail.com; Web site: http://jedm.educationaldatamining.org/index.php/JEDM
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: 0840745