International Journal of Modern Education and Computer Science (IJMECS)

ISSN: 2075-0161 (Print)

ISSN: 2075-017X (Online)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs

Website: https://www.mecs-press.org/ijmecs

Published By: MECS Press

Frequency: 6 issues per year

Number(s) Available: 141

(IJMECS) in Google Scholar Citations / h5-index

IJMECS is committed to bridge the theory and practice of modern education and computer science. From innovative ideas to specific algorithms and full system implementations, IJMECS publishes original, peer-reviewed, and high quality articles in the areas of modern education and computer science. IJMECS is a well-indexed scholarly journal and is indispensable reading and references for people working at the cutting edge of computer science, modern education and applications.

 

IJMECS has been abstracted or indexed by several world class databases: Scopus, SCImago, Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic Search, CrossRef, Baidu Wenku, IndexCopernicus, IET Inspec, EBSCO, JournalSeek, ULRICH's Periodicals Directory, WorldCat, Scirus, Academic Journals Database, Stanford University Libraries, Cornell University Library, UniSA Library, CNKI Scholar, ProQuest, J-Gate, ZDB, BASE, OhioLINK, iThenticate, Open Access Articles, Open Science Directory, National Science Library of Chinese Academy of Sciences, The HKU Scholars Hub, etc..

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IJMECS Vol. 18, No. 2, Apr. 2026

REGULAR PAPERS

A Pedagogical Framework for Ethical Skill Development in Higher Education within Smart Learning Environments

By Sultan Mukhamedaly Kymbat Kabekeyeva Gulnar Mussabekova Aliya Kuralbayeva Bagdat Toibekova Gulzhan Makashkulova Batyrkhan Omarov

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2026.02.01, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2026

This study proposes and empirically evaluates a pedagogical framework for ethical skill development in higher education within smart learning environments. The framework conceptualizes ethical competence as a multidimensional, process-oriented construct cultivated through authentic ethical scenarios, structured reflective cycles, adaptive learning support, and competence-aligned assessment. A quasi-experimental design was implemented with 90 undergraduate participants assigned to three groups: Group A (n = 30) learned using the framework with teacher guidance, Group B (n = 30) learned using the framework without teacher involvement, and Group C (n = 30) learned under traditional instruction without the framework. Ethical competence was measured via pre-test and post-test questionnaires capturing overall ethical skills and specific dimensions including ethical awareness, moral reasoning, reflective capacity, and ethical responsibility. Statistical analyses combined gain-score comparisons and covariate-adjusted models. Results indicate that the framework-based condition (Groups A+B) achieved significantly higher overall ethical skill development than the traditional condition, supported by large practical effects. Multivariate analysis further revealed significant framework-related advantages on the combined outcomes of ethical awareness and moral reasoning, with stronger effects observed for ethical awareness. Ethical responsibility also increased substantially under the framework relative to traditional instruction. Teacher guidance demonstrated a differentiated contribution: no significant difference emerged between Groups A and B in overall ethical skill development, whereas teacher-mediated scaffolding produced a significant and large improvement in reflective capacity compared to autonomous framework-based learning. These findings suggest that smart learning environments can support scalable ethical competence formation when pedagogical design integrates adaptive ethical tasks and structured reflection, while targeted instructor scaffolding remains important for deep reflective development. The study contributes actionable guidance for embedding ethics into smart education curricula and motivates future longitudinal and multi-institutional research using behavioral measures and discipline-specific adaptations.

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Pre-service Teachers' Self-Directed Learning in a Blended Learning Environment: A Study on Scale Development and Affecting Factors

By Thuy P. Kieu Binh T. T. Tran Anh D. P. Pham

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2026.02.02, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2026

The implementation of Blended Learning (BL) in teacher training, which demands learners to have high autonomy and complete tasks independently in an online environment, has established self-directed learning (SDL) a prerequisite for success. However, traditional SDL scales primarily focus on psychological attributes in face-to-face settings, often failing to capture the unique self-regulatory and technological dimensions required in a BL environment. While online readiness scales exist, they frequently treat SDL as a single dimension rather than a multidimensional competency essential for pre-service teachers. To address this gap, the study developed and validated a new SDL scale, specifically tailored to pre-service teachers in a BL context. Based on established theoretical frameworks (e.g. SDLI, AMS, and PRO), the study conducted a pilot survey (N=183) and a main survey (N=1,041) with pre-service teachers. The scale was validated through Cronbach’s Alpha, EFA (using SPSS), and a PLS-SEM model to ensure reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The results established an SDL scale consisting of 7 core factors, suitable for BL context. Furthermore, the model identified 4 key factors, explaining 67.4% of the variance in SDL. These factors include: Awareness (Student awareness), Community (Community interaction), Tech (Technology competence), and Year (School year). Notably, demographic variables such as Gender and Major were determined to have no statistically significant effect on SDL. These findings provide a valid assessment tool and a robust explanatory model, allowing educators and administrators to design effective pedagogical interventions, focusing on factors that can directly impact and improve core SDL competencies for the next generation of teachers.

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Enhancing Student Engagement and Attendance in online Learning environment by using AI Enhanced Robotic Process Automation

By M. Durga Prasad Balusu Nandini

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2026.02.03, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2026

Student engagement is a crucial aspect of higher education learning. However, it may be challenging to ensure active engagement, especially if students lack motivation to participate. This research proposes an innovative technique for increasing student participation in online sessions that incorporates real-time chat interaction, engagement reminders, and attendance tracking. Unlike traditional research, which focuses on post-session analysis, the developed Bot actively monitors student participation during session itself, providing real-time notifications to disengaged students without requiring the need for human intervention. It records attendance for each session, monitors weekly student participation, and dispatches updates via email to both instructors and students. To provide a more interesting and responsible learning environment, the Bot also utilizes AI to evaluate student responses and provide suggestions for their improvement.

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Multimodal ChatGPT-Driven Learning Companion for Code Reasoning and Concept Mastery in Computing Education

By Thacha Lawanna

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2026.02.04, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2026

The rapid maturation of large language models has opened new opportunities for capable of enhancing learning outcomes, enriching instructional practice, and supporting large-scale computing education with high reliability through personalized, scalable, and data-driven instructional support. The ChatGPT Learning Companion (ChatGPT-LC) introduces a multimodal framework that integrates conversational scaffolding, code reasoning, misconception diagnostics, and learner analytics into a unified system capable of adapting instruction in real time. Deployed across 260 undergraduate learners in three programming courses, ChatGPT-LC produced substantial performance gains, including a 35.20% increase in concept mastery, 27.90% improvement in debugging accuracy, and error-type reductions ranging from 53.60% to 65.50%. Behavioral analytics revealed strong correlations between engagement intensity and performance (up to r = 0.740), with reflective and exploratory learners achieving scores above 88–90%. Instructor workload decreased by more than 32 hours per week, supported by high expert-verified accuracy (92–96%) of AI-generated feedback. System-level benchmarks demonstrated robust scalability, maintaining 97.00% success rates at 500 concurrent users and reducing latency from 450 ms to under 100 ms after optimization. Collectively, these results show that ChatGPT-LC functions not only as an automated tutor but as an adaptive cognitive partner capable of enhancing learning outcomes, enriching instructional practice, and supporting large-scale computing education with high reliability and pedagogical fidelity.

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Quality Evaluation of Indonesian Student-generated User Stories: Insight from Human and ChatGPT Evaluation

By Muhammad Ihsan Zul Suhaila Mohd. Yasin Ivan Chatisa Fikri Muhaffizh Imani Siti Syahidatul Helma Dadang Syarif Sihabudin Sahid

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2026.02.05, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2026

User stories are essential in agile software development for capturing software requirements, yet concerns over their quality persist globally. While prior studies have evaluated user story quality using practitioners and artificial intelligence, they primarily focus on general settings. This study addresses a gap by evaluating the quality of student-generated user stories in an educational context, specifically in Indonesia. The objective of this study is to compare evaluations by human evaluators and ChatGPT using the Quality User Story (QUS) Framework and evaluate the quality of the student-generated user story compared to the global studies. A total of 951 user stories from 103 student software projects were analyzed. Evaluations were conducted by three human evaluators and ChatGPT (GPT-4o). Percentage Agreement and Cohen’s Kappa measured inter-rater agreement, while the McNemar Test assessed statistical significance, and effect sizes were examined using Cohen’s g. Results show generally high agreement between human and ChatGPT evaluations, but lower consistency in several criteria, such as Conceptually Sound, Independent, and Unambiguous. Only four of the thirteen criteria—Conflict-Free, Unique, Well-Formed, and Atomic—showed no significant differences. Most criteria showed small to medium effect sizes, whereas Complete exhibited a large practical difference. Common quality issues among students included Uniform, Independent, and Complete (set criteria), Atomic, Conceptually Sound, and Unambiguous (individual criteria), with overlap observed in global studies. This study shows that ChatGPT can support user story evaluation in educational settings when guided by clear rubrics and validated by humans. It also offers practical insights for educators by identifying criteria that require stronger emphasis in teaching, particularly in software engineering education in Indonesia.

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Introducing High School Students to the Mystery of Lobachevsky Geometry

By Abdullah Kurudirek

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2026.02.06, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2026

This article primarily aims to introduce high school students to the mystery of Lobachevsky geometry, one of the cornerstones of non-Euclidean geometries. Lobachevsky geometry, often known as hyperbolic geometry, differs from Euclidean geometry in several basic ways. The concepts and figures of Lobachevsky geometry can appear in different plane models, such as the Klein and Poincaré disk models. It further examines students' general attitudes and behaviors toward non-Euclidean geometries. Lobachevsky's geometry has helped expand students' horizons and enriched their critical thinking skills by challenging traditional Euclidean paradigms. This study is supported by a mixed-method approach utilizing quantitative and qualitative data. The mock exam results obtained from students during the educational process were compared, and the study was further supported by the positive feedback received from the participating students. The intriguing lessons on Lobachevsky geometry were conducted over 4 weeks, with weekly 2-hour geometry classes involving 12th-grade students at Stirling Schools in Erbil. Throughout the study, we observed significant improvements in students' ability to adopt, understand, and apply advanced geometric concepts. This article also discusses findings and implications that address gaps in the literature and considers the potential for curriculum updates to enhance the future of geometry education.

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AI-Assisted Evaluation of Course Learning Outcomes and Program Quality Management in Automotive Engineering Education

By Dinh Van Tran Van Truong Chu Minh Vu Hoang

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2026.02.07, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2026

Consistent and objective assessment of Course Learning Outcomes remains a challenge in every engineering program. This paper develops EAUT-OBE, an AI-supported system that utilises OCR, Vietnamese NLP, and Bloom's Taxonomy classification to extract, categorize, and map CLOs to Program Learning Outcomes across the entire Automotive Engineering program at East Asia University of Technology. Using 71 preprocessed syllabi, the system extracted 301 CLOs, which were mapped to 12 PLOs. The EAUT-OBE system was developed on and fine-tuned with the GPT-OSS-20B, resulting in approximately 91% accuracy in Bloom-level classification. It also reduced processing time by about 85%, compared to the baseline models PhoGPT-4B and EraX-7B. The results indicated better curriculum transparency and the achievement of accreditation and consistency in staff evaluation. Limitations could be due to OCR quality and dataset scale. Future work will expand the OBE dataset in Vietnamese and integrate predictive learning analytics.

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A Hybrid CNN-Transformer Model for Multimodal Fake News Detection Using Feature Fusion

By Vineela Krishna. Suri Prasad. GVSNRV

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2026.02.08, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2026

The widespread distribution of fake news poses a critical societal challenge by influencing public opinion and shaping political discourse. Addressing this problem requires models that can capture multimodal cues beyond text alone. This work proposes a lightweight Multimodal Cross-attention Fusion–based Fake News Detection (MCAF-FND) model which combines textual and visual features through cross-attention strategy. The study evaluates MCAF-FND on the Fakeddit benchmark, a large-scale dataset comprising 682,996 multimodal samples collected from social media. Textual features are extracted using DistilBERT, while spatially aware image representations are derived from VGG-19 convolutional layers. The cross-attention module enables semantic alignment between text tokens and image patches, modeling inter-modal dependencies more effectively than conventional fusion strategies. The fused representation is classified using a Multilayer Perceptron(MLP) with softmax, ensuring contributions from both modalities. Experimental results demonstrate that MCAF-FND consistently outperforms unimodal baselines and traditional fusion methods, achieving 93.2% accuracy with strong precision, recall, and F1-score. Cross-attention based visualizations illustrate how the model aligns textual cues with salient visual regions, enhancing interpretability. By combining computational efficiency with robust multimodal reasoning, the proposed approach provides a reliable and extensible solution for automated fake news detection.

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Cluster Pattern Analysis of Students Stress using Machine Learning Algorithms with Feature Engineering

By Delali Kwasi Dake

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2026.02.09, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2026

Students attending school experience stress due to a variety of factors that can originate either on campus or from home. In managing stress and other related issues, educational institutions now have counselling units that operate as centres. Moreover, several institutions have designated academic counsellors in departments to address the increasing demand for counselling services due to an expanding student population. Timely detection and proactive counselling of stress among students can help avert dropouts, health issues, and other learner behaviours that are detrimental to academic work. This study proposes two approaches to facilitate the automation of student counselling for stress management. We first implemented the K-means algorithm and formed clusters using the elbow and the Silhouette methods. The clusters formed reveal three groups of students. The stressors significantly affected one group, making it vulnerable. The stressors moderately impacted another group, while the final group experiences minimal stress. In the second part of the study, we proposed a classification model to identify the cluster group of any new student. The results of the classification show superior performance for the Decision Tree algorithm with an accuracy of 97.64%. The improvement in the efficiency of the classification algorithms was attained through feature engineering using the Chi-square method.

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Cyber Security Competency and Socialization among Prospective Teachers: Effect of a Cyber Safety and Security Literacy Program

By Santhosh Thangan Thiyagu Kaliappan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2026.02.10, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2026

In the context of increasing cyber threats, digital misinformation, and online ethical dilemmas, the role of teachers in promoting safe and responsible digital behavior has become more critical than ever. This study explores the effectiveness of the Cyber Safety and Security Literacy Program (CSLP) in enhancing cyber security competency and cyber socialization among prospective teachers. The CSLP was designed as a structured educational intervention aimed at equipping future educators with the knowledge, skills, and ethical orientation necessary to navigate cyberspace confidently and responsibly. A pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design was adopted, involving 50 purposively selected B.Ed. students from various teacher education institutions. The two-month intervention was delivered through Google Classroom and Google Meet, ensuring flexibility and interactive participation. The CSLP comprised 12 carefully curated modules covering critical themes such as cyber threats, digital identity protection, cyber bullying prevention, cyber ethics, safe communication, and responsible social media use. To evaluate the program’s impact, data were collected using two standardized tools—the Cyber Security Competency Scale (CSC) and the Cyber Socialization Scale (CSS) both were developed through systematic procedures and supported by strong theoretical grounding and expert validation, providing evidence of their validity. Statistical analysis using paired-sample t-tests revealed significant improvements in participants' cyber security competency (t(49) = 30.55, p < .01, d = 4.32) and cyber socialization (t(49) = 17.75, p < .01, d = 2.51), indicating a large effect size in both domains. The findings affirm that the CSLP is an effective intervention for fostering digital responsibility, ethical awareness, and safe online behavior among future educators. The study emphasizes the urgent need to integrate comprehensive cyber security literacy programs within teacher education curricula, positioning teachers not only as informed digital citizens but also as proactive facilitators of cyber safety and ethical conduct in the learning environment. 

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A Holistic and Adaptive Pedagogical Model for Developing Digital Competence in Rural Teachers: Integrating IoT, Data Analytics, and Low-Connectivity Learning Environments

By Ruben Baena-Navarro Javier Fernando-Bermudez Yulieth Carriazo-Regino

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2026.02.11, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2026

This study examines the gap between digitalization agendas and school realities, where connectivity constraints, limited devices, and uneven support restrict pedagogical innovation. It evaluates the Model for Integrative and Predictive Smart Teaching Adaptation, integrating artificial intelligence, learning analytics, and Internet of Things components, within a holopraxic cycle of diagnosis, design, implementation, evaluation, and readaptation driven by field feedback. Over a semester, 120 rural teachers participated in a quasi-experimental study combining a competence questionnaire, interviews, and system usage logs. Baseline competence was comparable between groups, and gain was defined on a zero to one hundred scale as post minus pre. The experimental group showed a median gain of 6.25 points, whereas the control group remained at 0.00; the common-language effect size was 0.765. Engagement was sustained with peaks (twenty-five to thirty-seven sessions per week), indicating selective appropriation rather than linear growth. Results support improvement and emphasize adoption conditions: teacher agency, ethical trust, and institutional sustainability, operationalized through pseudonymization and bias auditing.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) Based Multi-Layered Approaches for Privacy Preservation in Federated Learning

By Kummagoori Bharath Pooja Chopra Mukesh Kumar

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2026.02.12, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2026

This paper proposes the hybrid framework of privacy preserving that combines the concept of federated learning and homomorphic encryption with differential privacy, to address the privacy issue of collaborative machine learning for healthcare application. The proposed approach makes three contributions: (1) multi-layered architecture using federated learning in combination homomorphic encryption (based on CKKS scheme) and differential privacy that offers defense against inference attacks at different layers, (2) the implementation which alleviates the computational overhead compared to homomorphic encryption only with optimised cryptographic parameters, and (3) the application of the Grasshopper-Black Hole Optimization (G-BHO) for the optimisation of privacy parameters (e, deltas, gradient clipping thresholds) in order to balance the privacy-utility trade-off. Cryptographic keys are produced using the principles of cryptographically secure random number generation. Experimental evaluation on two healthcare data sets (MIMIC-III and chest X rays of the patients of Covid-19) to compare the hybrid approach to the single technique baselines in four metrics: classification accuracy (93.0±1.2% vs. 89.0±1.5% for federated learning only), differential privacy guarantee (ε=0.7, δ=10⁻⁵), computational overhead (2.5x baseline vs. 8x for homomorphic encryption only) and the resistance to membership inference attacks (92% vs. 68%) The observed improvement in the accuracy is unexpected, and potentially a consequence of side-effects due to the effects of the regularization in the differential privacy noise; this finding needs to be further explored in theory. The evaluation is restricted to the tasks of healthcare classification, while generalization to other domains needs more validation. The main contribution is an empirical proof that by using a combination of several privacy mechanisms, it will be possible to achieve a stronger attack resistance with a lower computational overhead than by using homomorphic encryption alone. 

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Predicting College Students’ Placements Based on Academic Performance Using Machine Learning Approaches

By Mukesh Kumar Nidhi Walia Sushil Bansal Girish Kumar Korhan Cengiz

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2023.06.01, Pub. Date: 8 Dec. 2023

Predicting College placements based on academic performance is critical to supporting educational institutions and students in making informed decisions about future career paths. The present research investigates the use of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to predict college students' placements using academic performance data. The study makes use of a dataset that includes a variety of academic markers, such as grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities, obtained from a varied sample of college students. To create predictive models, the study analyses numerous ML algorithms, including Logistic Regression, Gaussian Naive Bayes, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and K-Nearest Neighbour. The predictive models are evaluated using performance criteria such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. The most effective machine learning method for forecasting students' placements based on academic achievement is identified through a comparative study. The findings show that Random Forest approaches have the potential to effectively forecast college student placements. The findings show that academic factors such as grades and test scores have a considerable impact on prediction accuracy. The findings of this study could be beneficial to educational institutions, students, and career counsellors.

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Project-based Learning in Vocational Education: A Bibliometric Approach

By Selamat Triono Ahmad Ronal Watrianthos Agariadne Dwinggo Samala Mukhlidi Muskhir Gimba Dogara

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2023.04.04, Pub. Date: 8 Aug. 2023

The project-based learning (PjBL) paradigm is often considered the most advanced in vocational education. The increasing use of the PjBL paradigm in vocational education is an intriguing topic of study. In line with the rapid growth of information technology, it enables PjBL in vocational education to help students develop problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. In this study, a bibliometric method is used to provide insight into the structure of the subject, social networks, research trends, and issues reflecting project-based learning in vocational education. On November 27, 2022, the Scopus database was searched using project-based learning terms in the title. The second search field appears in the title, abstract, and keywords vocational education or TVET, restricted to journal articles or proceedings and in English to keep them current. This analysis revealed 60 articles in Scopus-indexed journals and proceedings between 2010 and 2022. Dwi Agus Sudjimat from Malang State University, Indonesia, was the most prolific author, having authored four articles on the subject. Indonesia is the nation investing the most in developing PjBL models. According to the thematic data, project-based learning is located in the first quadrant, has high centrality and density, and has well-developed questions related to the study topic. The results of this study show that the project-based learning model that is evolving in vocational education is likely to continue to be an important teaching approach in this field.

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Teachers’ Use of Technology and Constructivism

By Abbas Pourhosein Gilakjani Lai-Mei Leong Hairul Nizam Ismail

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2013.04.07, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2013

Technology has changed the way we teach and the way we learn. Many learning theories can be used to apply and integrate this technology more effectively. There is a close relationship between technology and constructivism, the implementation of each one benefiting the other. Constructivism states that learning takes place in contexts, while technology refers to the designs and environments that engage learners. Recent efforts to integrate technology in the classroom have been within the context of a constructivist framework. The purpose of this paper is to examine the definition of constructivism, incorporating technology into the classroom, successful technology integration into the classroom, factors contributing to teachers’ use of technology, role of technology in a constructivist classroom, teacher’s use of learning theories to enable more effective use of technology, learning with technology: constructivist perspective, and constructivism as a framework for educational technology. This paper explains whether technology by itself can make the education process more effective or if technology needs an appropriate instructional theory to indicate its positive effect on the learner.

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House Price Prediction using a Machine Learning Model: A Survey of Literature

By Nor Hamizah Zulkifley Shuzlina Abdul Rahman Nor Hasbiah Ubaidullah Ismail Ibrahim

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2020.06.04, Pub. Date: 8 Dec. 2020

Data mining is now commonly applied in the real estate market. Data mining's ability to extract relevant knowledge from raw data makes it very useful to predict house prices, key housing attributes, and many more. Research has stated that the fluctuations in house prices are often a concern for house owners and the real estate market. A survey of literature is carried out to analyze the relevant attributes and the most efficient models to forecast the house prices. The findings of this analysis verified the use of the Artificial Neural Network, Support Vector Regression and XGBoost as the most efficient models compared to others. Moreover, our findings also suggest that locational attributes and structural attributes are prominent factors in predicting house prices. This study will be of tremendous benefit, especially to housing developers and researchers, to ascertain the most significant attributes to determine house prices and to acknowledge the best machine learning model to be used to conduct a study in this field.

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LLMs Performance on Vietnamese High School Biology Examination

By Xuan-Quy Dao Ngoc-Bich Le

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2023.06.02, Pub. Date: 8 Dec. 2023

Large Language Models (LLMs) have received significant attention due to their potential to transform the field of education and assessment through the provision of automated responses to a diverse range of inquiries. The objective of this research is to examine the efficacy of three LLMs - ChatGPT, BingChat, and Bard - in relation to their performance on the Vietnamese High School Biology Examination dataset. This dataset consists of a wide range of biology questions that vary in difficulty and context. By conducting a thorough analysis, we are able to reveal the merits and drawbacks of each LLM, thereby providing valuable insights for their successful incorporation into educational platforms. This study examines the proficiency of LLMs in various levels of questioning, namely Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, and High Application. The findings of the study reveal complex and subtle patterns in performance. The versatility of ChatGPT is evident as it showcases potential across multiple levels. Nevertheless, it encounters difficulties in maintaining consistency and effectively addressing complex application queries. BingChat and Bard demonstrate strong performance in tasks related to factual recall, comprehension, and interpretation, indicating their effectiveness in facilitating fundamental learning. Additional investigation encompasses educational environments. The analysis indicates that the utilization of BingChat and Bard has the potential to augment factual and comprehension learning experiences. However, it is crucial to acknowledge the indispensable significance of human expertise in tackling complex application inquiries. The research conducted emphasizes the importance of adopting a well-rounded approach to the integration of LLMs, taking into account their capabilities while also recognizing their limitations. The refinement of LLM capabilities and the resolution of challenges in addressing advanced application scenarios can be achieved through collaboration among educators, developers, and AI researchers.

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Analyzing Students’ Performance Using Fuzzy Logic and Hierarchical Linear Regression

By Dao Thi Thanh Loan Nguyen Duy Tho Nguyen Huu Nghia Vu Dinh Chien Tran Anh Tuan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2024.01.01, Pub. Date: 8 Feb. 2024

Due to the COVID-19 situation, all activities, including education, were shifted to online platforms. Consequently, instructors encountered increased challenges in evaluating students. In traditional assessment methods, instructors often face ambiguous cases when evaluating students’ competencies. Recent research has focused on the effectiveness of fuzzy logic in assessing students’ competencies, considering the presence of uncertain factors or multiple variables. Additionally, demographic characteristics, which can potentially influence students’ performance, are not typically utilized as inputs in the fuzzy logic method. Therefore, analyzing students’ performance by incorporating these factors is crucial in suggesting adjustments to teaching and learning strategies. In this study, we employ a combination of fuzzy logic and hierarchical linear regression to analyze students’ performance. The experiment involved 318 students from various programs and showed that the hybrid approach assessed students’ performance with greater nuance and adaptability when compared to a traditional method. Moreover, the findings in this study revealed the following: 1) There are differences in students’ performance between traditional and fuzzy evaluation methods; 2) The learning method is an impact on students’ fuzzy grades; 3) Students studying online do not perform better than those studying onsite. These findings suggest that instructors and educators should explore effective strategies being fair and suitable in assessment and learning.

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A Study on the Role of Motivation in Foreign Language Learning and Teaching

By Abbas Pourhosein Gilakjani Lai-Mei Leong Narjes Banou Sabouri

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2012.07.02, Pub. Date: 8 Jul. 2012

Motivation has been called the “neglected heart” of language teaching. As teachers, we often forget that all of our learning activities are filtered through our students’ motivation. In this sense, students control the flow of the classroom. Without student motivation, there is no pulse, there is no life in the class. When we learn to incorporate direct approaches to generating student motivation in our teaching, we will become happier and more successful teachers. This paper is an attempt to look at EFL learners’ motivation in learning a foreign language from a theoretical approach. It includes a definition of the concept, the importance of motivation, specific approaches for generating motivation, difference between integrative and instrumental motivation, difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, factors influencing motivation, and adopting motivational teaching practice.

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Project-Based Learning with Gallery Walk: The Association with the Learning Motivation and Achievement

By Zamree Che-aron Wannisa Matcha

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2023.05.01, Pub. Date: 8 Oct. 2023

With the rapid and constant changes in computer and information technology, the content and learning methods in Computer Science related courses need to be continuously adapted and consistently aligned with the latest developments in the field. This paper proposes a learning approach called the Gallery-walk integrated Project-Based Learning (G-PBL) which can develop students’ lifelong learning skills that are extremely crucial for Computer Science students. The G-PBL was designed by incorporating the advantages of Project-Based Learning (PBL) and gallery walk learning strategy. In contrast to traditional PBL where students may present their project work to instructors only, students have to present their project work to their classmates as part of the G-PBL approach. All students are required to evaluate their peers’ project work and then give feedback and suggestions. For the research experiments, the G-PBL was implemented as an instructional approach in two Computer Science related courses. This study focuses on exploring the differences in knowledge gain, learning motivation, and perceived usefulness when learning by using the teacher-centered and G-PBL approach. Moreover, the impact of gender differences on learning outcomes is also investigated. The results reveal that using the G-PBL approach helps students to gain more knowledge significantly, for both male and female students. In terms of motivation, female students are more favorable toward the G-PBL approach. On the contrary, male students prefer learning via a teacher-centered approach. Regarding the perceived usefulness, female students strongly view the G-PBL as a highly effective learning approach, whereas male students are more prone to concur that the teacher-centered approach is a more effective learning method.

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A Match or Mismatch Between Learning Styles of the Learners and Teaching Styles of the Teachers

By Abbas Pourhosein Gilakjani

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2012.11.05, Pub. Date: 8 Nov. 2012

It is important to study learning styles because recent studies have shown that a match between teaching and learning styles helps to motivate students´ process of learning. That is why teachers should identify their own teaching styles as well as their learning styles to obtain better results in the classroom. The aim is to have a balanced teaching style and to adapt activities to meet students´ style and to involve teachers in this type of research to assure the results found in this research study. Over 100 students complete a questionnaire to determine if their learning styles are auditory, visual, or kinesthetic. Discovering these learning styles will allow the students to determine their own personal strengths and weaknesses and learn from them. Teachers can incorporate learning styles into their classroom by identifying the learning styles of each of their students, matching teaching styles to learning styles for difficult tasks, strengthening weaker learning styles. The purpose of this study is to explain learning styles, teaching styles match or mismatch between learning and teaching styles, visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles among Iranian learners, and pedagogical implications for the EFL/ESL classroom. A review of the literature along with analysis of the data will determine how learning styles match the teaching styles.

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Factors Affecting Entrepreneurial Motivation and Intention of University Students in Hanoi, Vietnam

By Do Thi Minh Hue Tran Phuong Thao Pham Canh Toan Hoang Dinh Luong Phan Thi Hao Do Thi Huyen Nguyen Thi Hoa

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2022.02.01, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2022

Entrepreneurship is the key driver of economic progress in many countries; thus, many countries have introduced policies to promote a more entrepreneurial environment. This study assesses the impact of factors affecting entrepreneurial intention of university students. The data was collected through a survey of 341 students at 09 leading universities in Hanoi, Vietnam and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with SPSS and Amos software. The research results show that entrepreneurial skills, entrepreneurial environment and subjective norms either directly or indirectly affect business motivation and entrepreneurial intention of university students. Thus, it is suggested that university and other educational institutions should provide more activities and taught courses that help students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for entrepreneurship.

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Predicting College Students’ Placements Based on Academic Performance Using Machine Learning Approaches

By Mukesh Kumar Nidhi Walia Sushil Bansal Girish Kumar Korhan Cengiz

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2023.06.01, Pub. Date: 8 Dec. 2023

Predicting College placements based on academic performance is critical to supporting educational institutions and students in making informed decisions about future career paths. The present research investigates the use of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to predict college students' placements using academic performance data. The study makes use of a dataset that includes a variety of academic markers, such as grades, test scores, and extracurricular activities, obtained from a varied sample of college students. To create predictive models, the study analyses numerous ML algorithms, including Logistic Regression, Gaussian Naive Bayes, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and K-Nearest Neighbour. The predictive models are evaluated using performance criteria such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. The most effective machine learning method for forecasting students' placements based on academic achievement is identified through a comparative study. The findings show that Random Forest approaches have the potential to effectively forecast college student placements. The findings show that academic factors such as grades and test scores have a considerable impact on prediction accuracy. The findings of this study could be beneficial to educational institutions, students, and career counsellors.

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Development of Collaborative Learning and Programming (CLP): A Learning Model on Object Oriented Programming Course

By Efan Efan Krismadinata Krismadinata Cherifa Boudia Muhammad Giatman Mukhlidi Muskhir Hasan Maksum

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2024.03.01, Pub. Date: 8 Jun. 2024

There appears to be a tendency for the strategies and methods that have been offered in OOP course learning to affect the improvement of individual skills only. There is a significant need for learning strategies which are relevant and able of improving collaborative working skills. The purpose of this study is to develop a Collaborative Learning and Programming model suitable for Object-Oriented Programming courses and assess its validity, practicality, and effectiveness. The implementation of the CLP model was conducted using the ADDIE development procedure by involving 7 experts, 35 experimental class students, 23 control class students and 4 lecturers of the Object-Oriented Programming course. The survey results showed that the CLP model was valid, practical, and effective in achieving these goals. The validity test results were verified based on experts' assessment, indicating that the aspects contained in the CLP model were valid with an Aiken's value V =0.89. The practicality test results indicated that the model was highly practical with the practicality value of 89.95% from students and 89.67% from lecturers. Finally, using the CLP model demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing the abstraction and complexity of OOP courses and improving student collaboration, particularly in programming tasks. The significance of conducting this survey is that it provides evidence for the effectiveness of the CLP model in achieving its intended goals and can inform the development of future OOP courses and programming tasks. The survey was conducted well, as it used both expert assessment and student and lecturer feedback to assess the validity, practicality, and effectiveness of the CLP model.

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Project-based Learning in Vocational Education: A Bibliometric Approach

By Selamat Triono Ahmad Ronal Watrianthos Agariadne Dwinggo Samala Mukhlidi Muskhir Gimba Dogara

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2023.04.04, Pub. Date: 8 Aug. 2023

The project-based learning (PjBL) paradigm is often considered the most advanced in vocational education. The increasing use of the PjBL paradigm in vocational education is an intriguing topic of study. In line with the rapid growth of information technology, it enables PjBL in vocational education to help students develop problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. In this study, a bibliometric method is used to provide insight into the structure of the subject, social networks, research trends, and issues reflecting project-based learning in vocational education. On November 27, 2022, the Scopus database was searched using project-based learning terms in the title. The second search field appears in the title, abstract, and keywords vocational education or TVET, restricted to journal articles or proceedings and in English to keep them current. This analysis revealed 60 articles in Scopus-indexed journals and proceedings between 2010 and 2022. Dwi Agus Sudjimat from Malang State University, Indonesia, was the most prolific author, having authored four articles on the subject. Indonesia is the nation investing the most in developing PjBL models. According to the thematic data, project-based learning is located in the first quadrant, has high centrality and density, and has well-developed questions related to the study topic. The results of this study show that the project-based learning model that is evolving in vocational education is likely to continue to be an important teaching approach in this field.

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Project-Based Learning with Gallery Walk: The Association with the Learning Motivation and Achievement

By Zamree Che-aron Wannisa Matcha

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2023.05.01, Pub. Date: 8 Oct. 2023

With the rapid and constant changes in computer and information technology, the content and learning methods in Computer Science related courses need to be continuously adapted and consistently aligned with the latest developments in the field. This paper proposes a learning approach called the Gallery-walk integrated Project-Based Learning (G-PBL) which can develop students’ lifelong learning skills that are extremely crucial for Computer Science students. The G-PBL was designed by incorporating the advantages of Project-Based Learning (PBL) and gallery walk learning strategy. In contrast to traditional PBL where students may present their project work to instructors only, students have to present their project work to their classmates as part of the G-PBL approach. All students are required to evaluate their peers’ project work and then give feedback and suggestions. For the research experiments, the G-PBL was implemented as an instructional approach in two Computer Science related courses. This study focuses on exploring the differences in knowledge gain, learning motivation, and perceived usefulness when learning by using the teacher-centered and G-PBL approach. Moreover, the impact of gender differences on learning outcomes is also investigated. The results reveal that using the G-PBL approach helps students to gain more knowledge significantly, for both male and female students. In terms of motivation, female students are more favorable toward the G-PBL approach. On the contrary, male students prefer learning via a teacher-centered approach. Regarding the perceived usefulness, female students strongly view the G-PBL as a highly effective learning approach, whereas male students are more prone to concur that the teacher-centered approach is a more effective learning method.

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Analyzing Students’ Performance Using Fuzzy Logic and Hierarchical Linear Regression

By Dao Thi Thanh Loan Nguyen Duy Tho Nguyen Huu Nghia Vu Dinh Chien Tran Anh Tuan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2024.01.01, Pub. Date: 8 Feb. 2024

Due to the COVID-19 situation, all activities, including education, were shifted to online platforms. Consequently, instructors encountered increased challenges in evaluating students. In traditional assessment methods, instructors often face ambiguous cases when evaluating students’ competencies. Recent research has focused on the effectiveness of fuzzy logic in assessing students’ competencies, considering the presence of uncertain factors or multiple variables. Additionally, demographic characteristics, which can potentially influence students’ performance, are not typically utilized as inputs in the fuzzy logic method. Therefore, analyzing students’ performance by incorporating these factors is crucial in suggesting adjustments to teaching and learning strategies. In this study, we employ a combination of fuzzy logic and hierarchical linear regression to analyze students’ performance. The experiment involved 318 students from various programs and showed that the hybrid approach assessed students’ performance with greater nuance and adaptability when compared to a traditional method. Moreover, the findings in this study revealed the following: 1) There are differences in students’ performance between traditional and fuzzy evaluation methods; 2) The learning method is an impact on students’ fuzzy grades; 3) Students studying online do not perform better than those studying onsite. These findings suggest that instructors and educators should explore effective strategies being fair and suitable in assessment and learning.

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House Price Prediction using a Machine Learning Model: A Survey of Literature

By Nor Hamizah Zulkifley Shuzlina Abdul Rahman Nor Hasbiah Ubaidullah Ismail Ibrahim

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2020.06.04, Pub. Date: 8 Dec. 2020

Data mining is now commonly applied in the real estate market. Data mining's ability to extract relevant knowledge from raw data makes it very useful to predict house prices, key housing attributes, and many more. Research has stated that the fluctuations in house prices are often a concern for house owners and the real estate market. A survey of literature is carried out to analyze the relevant attributes and the most efficient models to forecast the house prices. The findings of this analysis verified the use of the Artificial Neural Network, Support Vector Regression and XGBoost as the most efficient models compared to others. Moreover, our findings also suggest that locational attributes and structural attributes are prominent factors in predicting house prices. This study will be of tremendous benefit, especially to housing developers and researchers, to ascertain the most significant attributes to determine house prices and to acknowledge the best machine learning model to be used to conduct a study in this field.

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Factors Affecting Entrepreneurial Motivation and Intention of University Students in Hanoi, Vietnam

By Do Thi Minh Hue Tran Phuong Thao Pham Canh Toan Hoang Dinh Luong Phan Thi Hao Do Thi Huyen Nguyen Thi Hoa

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2022.02.01, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2022

Entrepreneurship is the key driver of economic progress in many countries; thus, many countries have introduced policies to promote a more entrepreneurial environment. This study assesses the impact of factors affecting entrepreneurial intention of university students. The data was collected through a survey of 341 students at 09 leading universities in Hanoi, Vietnam and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with SPSS and Amos software. The research results show that entrepreneurial skills, entrepreneurial environment and subjective norms either directly or indirectly affect business motivation and entrepreneurial intention of university students. Thus, it is suggested that university and other educational institutions should provide more activities and taught courses that help students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for entrepreneurship.

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Design and Validity of an Instrument to Measure Digital Literacy among Pre-service Teachers involved in Inclusive Education

By Wu Miaomiao Dorothy De Witt Nor Nazrina Mohamad Nazry Norlidah Alias Lee Leh Hong Alijah Ujang

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2024.01.07, Pub. Date: 8 Feb. 2024

Assessing pre-service teachers’ digital literacy is challenging, particularly in inclusive education. Reliable and valid testing instruments are required to measure the digital literacy pre-service teachers possess in inclusive education. The entire research process comprises three phases. The first stage was to develop the assessment instrument, the second stage was to validate its content validity, and a pilot study was then conducted to test the reliability and construct validity of the instrument. The results of this study showed that item-level and scale-level content validity scores were both 1.0. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin is equal to 0.865. Five factors were extracted, explaining 54.40% of the total variance. The model fits were also all satisfactory. Standardized factor loadings of the instrument’ s 28 items were above 0.5. The values of Cronbach’s are higher than 0.7 for the five factors and the whole instrument. It can be summarized that the instrument had good reliability and validity and can be used to assess the digital literacy of pre-service teachers in inclusive education. There has been research into developing tools to evaluate the digital literacy of pre-service teachers. Still, few studies have addressed pre-service teachers of inclusive education, and this study fills this research gap. The subsequent phase involves evaluating it using a more extensive sample.

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Analysis of Student’s Academic Performance based on their Time Spent on Extra-Curricular Activities using Machine Learning Techniques

By Neeta Sharma Shanmuganathan Appukutti Umang Garg Jayati Mukherjee Sneha Mishra

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2023.01.04, Pub. Date: 8 Feb. 2023

The foundational tenet of any nation's prosperity, character, and progress is education. Thus, a lot of emphasis is laid on quality of education and education delivery system in India with current financial year (2022-23) education budget outlay of Rs. 1,04,277.72 crores. This research contributes in analyzing how students perform in academics depending upon the time spent on their extracurricular activities with the help of three Machine Learning prediction algorithms namely Decision Tree, Random Forest and KNN. Additionally, in order to comprehend the underlying causes of the shortcomings in each machine learning technique, comparisons of the prediction outcomes obtained by these various techniques are made. On our dataset, the Decision Tree outscored all other algorithms, achieving F1 84 and an accuracy of 85%. The research, which is at an introductory level, is meant to open the door for more complexes, specialised, and in-depth studies in the area of predicting the performance in academics.

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Comparison of Simple Additive Weighting Method and Weighted Performance Indicator Method for Lecturer Performance Assessment

By Terttiaavini Yusuf Hartono Ermatita Dian Palupi Rini

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2023.02.01, Pub. Date: 8 Apr. 2023

The development of methods for assessing lecturers' performance is needed to motivate lecturers to achieve institutional targets. Currently, lecturers are required to be able to adapt to the rapid development of technology. Lecturer performance assessment must be done periodically. Competence is measured as a basis for planning resource development activities. The method that is often used for assessing lecturer performance is the Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) method. However, the SAW method has drawbacks, namely 1) the process of determining criteria is only carried out by the leadership (subjective); 2) The SAW method can only be applied to multi-criteria data ; 3) Data ranking problems. Based on this deficiency, a new method was built, namely, the Weighted Performance Indicator (WPI) method using respondents’ opinion to determine the criteria. This study aims to compare the performance of the two methods. Testing criteria using SPPS application dan WPI method, while testing methods utilized the SAW method and the WPI method. The results of the criterion test show the Percentage of Similarity of data validity = 96.7 % witht the minimum percentage limit (MPL) = 40%. While the results of the SAW method and WPI method testing resulted in the highest score in the 13th alternative, namely SAW score (v13) = 793.76 and WP score (WP13) = 0.928, and the lowest value in the 30th alternative, SAW score (v30) = 18.60 and WP score (WP30) = 0.140. the ranking positions in these two methods show similarities. However, for other alternatives, the rating value can be different. 
The WPI method is a scientific development in the field of decision support systems that can be applied to other performance assessments, such other human resources, system performance assesment etc. 
The results of this study prove that the WPI method can be used as a performance assessment method with different characteristics from the SAW method.

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