The development of an intelligent system for individualised e-learning at the subject technology and science in primary school

E-material and other e-systems have in Slovenia and other parts of the world already become a part of formal education. A large quantity of different e-material and systems has been created, however of those, there are only a few that would allow individualised and adaptive learning the same as with tutoring (most commonly one student for one teacher). In the present doctoral dissertation the development and production of a pilot model of an intelligent, adaptive and most importantly individualised e-learning material TECH8 is presented. The mentioned TECH8 has a modular design and is based on a system for collecting a series of metadata and variables vital for the learning process. The developed TECH8 was tested in a real learning environment, on 8th grade students at the subject Technology and Science in primary schools. The achievements of self-learning with TECH8 were compared to achievements reached by classical teaching (teaching in class) and achievements from the National Assessment of Knowledge at the subject Technology and Science. The results of the study prove that there is a statistically relevant difference and a direction of moderate effect size between self-learning with TECH8 and classical teaching and the direction of large or very large effect size between self-learning with TECH8 and the achievements from the National Assessment of Knowledge at the subject Technology and Science. On the basis of the analysis and the evaluation of the gathered metadata and variables, the doctoral dissertation presents comprehensive solutions for improving e-education and developing e-material in primary schools. And based on those solutions one can transcend from education directed towards technology to education directed towards the student, which is also the main goal of a modern education system in the 21st Century.