A team of computer science and software development experts
from New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) are working on a tool to help
students and faculty categorize and access multimedia resources. Ultimate
Course Search (UCS) is in the beta stage, but the Google-style search engine is
able to sort through course-generated multimedia using specific keywords.
NJIT ran tests of the software in the fall 2014
semester and the following spring at Montclair State University. Students were
given a link to UCS and had to present identification to gain access before
they could choose their institution and course. Students type a keyword into
the course page and then select the “Slides/Video” or “Textbook” tab to narrow
the search.
Both searches take students to a list of hyperlinked
locations where the keyword is mentioned. They can view the scanned online
page of any book where the reference was made, while the video tab lists slides
and videos with the keyword in order of relevancy.
“The future of search, just like learning overall, is
headed toward personalization,” Vincent Oria, associate professor of computer
science and chair of the online program at NJIT, said in an article for eCampus News. “By this, I envision a student posing a question into the
search system and the system giving a personalized answer. The answer will be
personalized not just based on relevancy of material, but on the system
recognizing the student’s unique learning preferences and tailoring the search
results to that individual student; in other words, presenting the information
to the specific student in the modality and format that works best for him or
her.”
The result of the first test was very promising. Only
two or three students using UCS dropped the test class, compared to a 50%
dropout rate for a class that didn’t have access to the tool. The spring data
results were skewed because students using the tool were sharing the login with
the control group.
