Due to the capabilities of associative memory, categorization, and self-organization that artificial neural networks possess; it has good effect in dealing with nonlinear problems. In recent years, neural networks have made great progress in predicting students' grades, therefore, we employ BP neural network to investigate how college students' marks are managed.
3.1 The establishment of BP neural network model
The neural network's input in this study is made up of 12-dimensional student achievement data. The network's input layer has 12 nodes, its hidden layer maps any nonlinear functions, and its output layer uses one node to represent student achievement. Figure 2 depicts the grade model for prediction based on the BP neural network.
However, there are frequently issues with slipping into local minimum points and delayed convergence when employing a BP neural network to solve the accomplishment prediction of college students. The GA-BP network is created as a result of this research's optimization of the BP neural network by integrating genetic algorithms with neural networks. The approach makes use of the genetic algorithm's global search capability to increase the BP network's link weights and thresholds so that the network searches from a better starting value and overcomes its flaws.
3.2 Establishment of GA-BP Neural Network Model
3.2.1 Choice of encoding
The commonly used coding methods are binary coding and real number coding, but this research belongs to the optimization problem with high dimensionality. Using binary coding will cause too many chromosome genes, and it needs to be decoded after coding, which is a cumbersome process. Therefore, this research chooses real number coding to reduce the computational complexity, improve the efficiency of the operation, and avoid the mapping errors in binary coding[21]. The connection weight between the input layer and the hidden layer, the hidden layer threshold, the connection weight between the hidden layer and the output layer, and the output layer threshold make up each of the four components of a BP neural network chromosome. In the BP neural network, each connection weight and threshold are represented by a real number.
Assuming that each chromosome in the population contains \(S\) genes, there are:
$$S=n\times m+m\times l+m+l \left(1\right)$$
The input layer, hidden layer and output layer have corresponding number of nodes (\(n, m\) and \(l\)) respectively.
Therefore, for the three-layer BP neural network designed, the number of chromosome codes is \(S=12\times 4+12\times 1+4+1=65\), that is, a total of 65 parameters needs to be optimized.
3.2.2 Design of fitness function
Only fitness function is used by genetic algorithms as a criterion for data optimization and evaluation. As a result, the overall effectiveness of the genetic algorithm is closely tied to how the fitness function is designed. Since the fitness function determines the likelihood of survival, its value must be positive, which encourages competition between individuals.
Typically, the optimized goal function serves as the foundation for the fitness value function design. The mean square error function produced by the network serves as the evolutionary algorithm's fitness value function in this study. The mean square error function is shown in formula (2).
$$MSE=\frac{1}{mp}\sum _{p=1}^{p}\sum _{j=1}^{m}{({\widehat{y}}_{pj}-{y}_{pj})}^{2} \left(2\right)$$
Since the genetic algorithm selects individuals with large fitness function values, the fitness value function takes the reciprocal of the mean square error.
$$f=\frac{1}{MSE} \left(3\right)$$
In this way, an individual with a large fitness value is an individual with a small mean square error function, so that the population can evolve towards a better value.
3.2.3 Genetic manipulation
(1) Choose the best individual
The goal of selection is to choose better people so that they can pass on their traits to the next generation either directly or indirectly through crossover and mutation processes. The individual's fitness is taken into account when choosing the selection procedure. The likelihood of selection increases with fitness level. On the contrary, the individual with lower fitness will be eliminated.
We adopt the roulette selection method, and the relative fitness is defined as:
$$p\left({x}_{i}\right)=\frac{f\left({x}_{i}\right)}{\sum _{j=1}^{N}f\left({x}_{i}\right)} \left(4\right)$$
Among them, \(p\left({x}_{i}\right)\) is the relative fitness of individual \({x}_{i}\), that is, the probability of individual \({x}_{i}\) being selected; \(f\left({x}_{i}\right)\) is the original fitness of individual \({x}_{i}\). \(\sum _{j=1}^{N}f\left({x}_{i}\right)\) is the cumulative fitness of the population.
Divide a disk into corresponding N sectors according to the selection probability \(p\left({x}_{i}\right)\) of each individual, where the central angle of the \(i\)-th sector is:
$$2\pi \frac{f\left({x}_{i}\right)}{\sum _{j=1}^{N}f\left({x}_{i}\right)}=2\pi p\left({x}_{i}\right) \left(5\right)$$
Then set a fixed pointer. When making a selection, you can imagine rotating the roulette. If the pointer points to the \(i\)-th sector after the roulette is stationary, select the individual \(i\), as shown in Fig. 3.
(2) Real number cross method
The crossover between the \(i\)-th chromosome of chromosome \({a}_{i}\) and the \(j\)-th chromosome of chromosome \({a}_{j}\) at the r position is done using the real number crossover method.
$$\begin{array}{c}{a}_{ir}={a}_{ir}\left(1-c\right)+{a}_{jr}c\\ {a}_{jr}={a}_{jr}\left(1-c\right)+{a}_{ir}c\end{array} \left(6\right)$$
Here, \(c\) is a random number between [0, 1].
(3) Genetic mutation manipulation
\({a}_{ij}=\left\{\begin{array}{c}{a}_{ij}+({a}_{ij}-{a}_{max}){r}_{2}{\left(1-\frac{g}{{G}_{max}}\right)}^{2} {r}_{1}\ge 0.5\\ {a}_{ij}+\left({a}_{min}-{a}_{ij}\right){r}_{2}{\left(1-\frac{g}{{G}_{max}}\right)}^{2} {r}_{1}<0.5\end{array}\right.\) (7)
Here, \({a}_{max}\) and \({a}_{min}\) are the gene \({a}_{ij}{\prime }s\) upper and lower limits, respectively; \({r}_{1}\) is a random number between [0, 1]; \({r}_{2}\) is a random number; and \(g\) is the current iteration number. The maximum number of evolutions is \({G}_{max}\).
3.2.4 Stop condition
The algorithm has three termination conditions, the first of which is when the fitness of the ideal person reaches a certain level. Second, a predetermined number of algebras are reached by the number of iterations. Thirdly, neither the fitness of the ideal person nor the fitness of the group continues to rise.
When at least one of the aforementioned conditions is met, the algorithm ends. In this study, the algorithm ends after the iteration reaches the predetermined algebra, and one of 100 default generations is selected.
3.3 GA-BP network hybrid algorithm flow
The algorithm flow is described as follows:
(1) The weights and thresholds of the model are real-number coded, and an initial population \(W={({W}_{1},{W}_{2},\dots {W}_{100})}^{T}\) with 100 individuals is produced at random.
(2) Through the fitness function, which uses the inverse of the mean square error function of the model's actual output and expected output, each individual's proper value is determined.
(3) Use the roulette method to select, select some individuals with high fitness value as the parent, and discard the individuals with small fitness value.
(4) Two genetic operators that can be employed to modify the parent to produce children are crossover and mutation. The parent will be replaced by the offspring as the parent if the offspring has a higher fitness value than the parent. The parent generation consists of the same number of individuals.
(5) The stopping condition is attained by repeating steps (2) through (4) and carrying out a new cycle of crossover, mutation, and selection processes on the newly created individuals.
(6) By selecting the best member of the present group, the value on the chromosome is divided into the connection weight and threshold of the model, and the best weight and threshold are used as the BP neural network's initial values.
(7) With pre-set parameters, train the network model.
(8) When the training objectives are met, the training is terminated.
Figure 4 depicts the flowchart for the genetic algorithm optimization of the network model.
3.4 Design of student achievement management platform based on GA-BP network model
We design a student achievement management system based on the GA-BP neural network prediction model, and plan the required functional modules in detail. The student achievement management system includes the following features:
(1) Data maintenance module: data maintenance business is mainly used to maintain the information of students, teachers, classes and corresponding courses. Although these businesses are simple in operation and implementation, the main businesses involved are just adding, deleting, modifying and querying. But these data affect the stability and security of the system.
(2) Examination management module: As the core module of this system, examination management mainly includes the sub modules of examination organization, examination paper management, examination paper marking management and anti-cheating management. The business subject of this part is teachers, and the organization of examination business is the processing of examination information, including examination class, examination time, examination place, etc. The marking management is that the teacher manually or automatically marks the students' papers after each examination; The data involved in the examination management system is the core data of the system.
(3) Score prediction module: the score prediction module is also the core function module of this system. This module's primary purpose is to forecast students' graduation results using the GA-BP neural network that is suggested, and give early warning to students in danger.
(4) After class learning module: After class learning includes self-test management module and class assignment module. Students can use self-test management to learn after class, and the system can also remind students of self-study. In addition, lecturer users assign homework through class assignments, and student users view and submit homework through class assignments. The system functional structure design is shown in Fig. 5.