Adaptively Learning and Assessing SPSS Operating Skills Using Online SPSS Simulator

Abstract

Online questionnaire is an emerging method for social science researchers to perform their survey. Although there are many data analysis software tools nowadays, such as SPSS, SAS, and Excel etc., to assist the students in analyzing the data of their surveys. However, the intentions of users for using the software tools cannot be probed and utilized to help the users operating them, so it will cause many errors on the students' analysis results due to the misusage of software and result in that learning how to use the data analysis software tools based upon the students' intentions becomes very time-consuming. Moreover, because the software operating procedures of the students are not recorded, the teachers cannot find out the students' misconceptions. In this paper, we acquire the knowledge of using SPSS software and then apply the Simulator Generator concept proposed in previous research to build an online web-based SPSS software simulator for the students to emulate the operating process of SPSS software. Based upon the acquired frequent patterns of misuse, the teacher can design action routines embedded in the simulator to instantly detect the frequent error action patterns and help the students to rectify their misconceptions. Moreover, the teacher can trace and analyze the students' learning statuses according to the logs generated from online SPSS Simulator. Using Simulator Generator, writing grammar rules is essential, but it is not easy for teachers. The knowledge of using SPSS software are largely identical but with minor differences. Thus, an SPSS Functional Ontology is proposed according to the features of SPSS software and the corresponding grammar rules are constructed in this research. Teachers just need to do some minor adjustments on the differences and the action routines, and then the new simulator will be generated automatically.