Abstract-At present there is an increasing emphasis on both data mining and educational systems, making educational data mining a novel emerging field of research. Educational data mining (EDM) is an attractive interdisciplinary research domain that deals with the development of methods to utilise data originating in an educational context. EDM uses computational methodologies to evaluate educational data in order to study educational questions. The first part of this paper introduces EDM, describes the different types of educational data environments, diverse phases of EDM, the applications and goals of EDM, and some of the most promising future lines of research. Using EDM, the second part of this paper tracks students in Australia from primary school Year 1 through to successful completion of high school, and, thereafter, enrolment in university. The paper makes an assessment of the role of student gender on successive rates of educational completion in Australia. Implications for future lines of enquiry are discussed.
A key issue for youth development programs is whether the learning they provide is transferred to participants' daily lives. It is also important that they are effective for the diverse range of participants they attract. This study used a randomized controlled trial design to measure the impact of Project K, a New Zealand-based youth development program, on academic and social self-efficacy. Project K combines a 3-week wilderness adventure, a 10 day community service component, and 1 year of mentoring to promote positive growth in 14-15 year olds with low self-efficacy. At baseline, the evaluation included 600 Project K (46 % female) and 577 Control participants (48 % female) and revealed that Project K was effective in improving both social and academic self-efficacy from pre- to post-program with effects being sustained 1 year later. Parents' perceptions of changes in the participants' interpersonal skills supported these findings. Differential program effects were found across participant subgroups, particularly 1 year after program completion. The implications of these differences are discussed.
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