Enhancing the Automatic Identification of Common Math Misconceptions Using Natural Language Processing

In order to facilitate student learning, it is important to identify and remediate misconceptions and incomplete knowledge pertaining to the assigned material. In the domain of mathematics, prior research with computer-based learning systems has utilized the commonality of incorrect answers to problems as a way of identifying potential misconceptions among students. Much of this research, however, has been limited to the use of close-ended questions, such as multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank problems. In this study, we explore the potential usage of natural language processing and clustering methods to examine potential misconceptions across student answers to both close- and open-ended problems. We find that our proposed methods show promise for distinguishing misconception from non-conception, but may need further development to improve the interpretability of specific misunderstandings exhibited through student explanations.