Stochastic Learning Paths

Abstract

The stochastic theory presented in this chapter is more ambitious than those examined in Chapter 7. The description of the learning process is more complete and takes place in real time, rather than in a sequence of discrete trials. This theory also contains a provision for individual differences. Nevertheless, its basic intuition is similar, in that that any student progresses through some learning path. As time passes, the student successively masters the items—or the associated concepts—encountered along the learning path. The exposition of the theory given here follows closely Falmagne (1993, 1996). As before, we shall illustrate the concepts of the theory in the framework of an example.