Education software architecture: Facing student desertion in Colombia higher education with an intelligent knowledge based coaching system

The Student Desertion National wide problem is very critical by its cultural, economics and family impact. Several IES (Superior Education Institutions) have performed studies leading to point out this problem as a recurrent and prevalent one. The design and implementation of iCOACH which is an intelligent tool knowledge based is presented here as an instrument of high computing to follow up each student in the academic first terms of the engineering faculty at the FESSANJOSE, The software architecture have 3 main parts: Edumatic builder (as a tool for Professor), the Student Model, and the third one is the knowledge base for concept verification and security. Several previous works have preceded this project so our methodology and related are very experienced. A prototype was built to demonstrate the iCOACH validity and applicability and also as an instrument of academic productivity. This effort is part of a greater system called FESSJ-PROP which is an analytical model for Propedeutical Cycles Higher Education Strategy in Colombia. Recently the Ministry of National Education recognized this project as one of the most significant experiences in higher education in Colombia and included in the Bank of Success Cases 2010.