Data analysis and Constraint-based modeling of novice C programming error logs: An input for developing intelligent tutoring system

Computer programming is one of the fundamental skills in the field of computing [1]. In a computing class, students are expected to learn the skills rather than remembering materials only. This study aims to develop a constraint-based student model (CBM) by analyzing the computing students' C compilation error logs. The proposed modified CBM will be used as input to develop a user behavior of an ongoing study for an intelligent tutoring system. The prototype was developed to obtain compilation error logs from the selected students, it contains five (5) C programming questions that focus on assignment statements. The prototype of the study was pilot tested on two (2) online programming classes with a total of thirty-one (31) freshman college students composed of nine (9) BSCS and twenty-two (22) BSIT participants with a mean age of 18.68, where nineteen (19) or 61.3% are males and twelve (12) or 38.7% are females. The study uses convenience sampling to determine the total number of student participants. The dataset was extracted from the prototype and feature identification was performed on one thousand thirteen (1013) C programming logs which resulted to obtain eight (8) error types. The paper of Khodeir, Wanas, & Elazhary (2018) [2] and Karaci (2018) [3] on constraint-based modeling was reviewed to develop a proposed constraint-based model in the context of C programming focusing on assignment statements. By mapping a student error on the suggested constraint relevance (Cr) and constraint satisfaction, the database for constraints was finished (Cs).