BACKGROUND: Process mining with educational data has made use of various algorithms for model discovery, principally Alpha Miner, Heuristic Miner, and Evolutionary Tree Miner. In this study we propose the implementation of a new algorithm for educational data called Inductive Miner. METHOD: We used data from the interactions of 101 university students in a course given over one semester on the Moodle 2.0 platform. Data was extracted from the platform's event logs; following preprocessing, the mining was carried out on 21,629 events to discover what models the various algorithms produced and to compare their fitness, precision, simplicity and generalization. RESULTS: The Inductive Miner algorithm produced the best results in the tests on this dataset, especially for fitness, which is the most important criterion in terms of model discovery. In addition, when we weighted the various metrics according to their importance, Inductive Miner continued to produce the best results. CONCLUSIONS: Inductive Miner is a new algorithm which, in addition to producing better results than other algorithms using our dataset, also provides valid models which can be interpreted in educational terms.
BACKGROUND: Process mining with educational data has made use of various algorithms for model discovery, principally Alpha Miner, Heuristic Miner, and Evolutionary Tree Miner. In this study we propose the implementation of a new algorithm for educational data called Inductive Miner. METHOD: We used data from the interactions of 101 university students in a course given over one semester on the Moodle 2.0 platform. Data was extracted from the platform's event logs; following preprocessing, the mining was carried out on 21,629 events to discover what models the various algorithms produced and to compare their fitness, precision, simplicity and generalization. RESULTS: The Inductive Miner algorithm produced the best results in the tests on this dataset, especially for fitness, which is the most important criterion in terms of model discovery. In addition, when we weighted the various metrics according to their importance, Inductive Miner continued to produce the best results. CONCLUSIONS: Inductive Miner is a new algorithm which, in addition to producing better results than other algorithms using our dataset, also provides valid models which can be interpreted in educational terms.