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Communications Between Disciplines in Intelligent Tutoring
Systems
D.J. Poling
Department of Computer Science
Clemson University
Clemson, SC 29634-1906 USA
Lois W. Hawkes
Department of Computer Science
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32304 USA
February 12, 1993
Abstract
The design and implementation of intelligent tutoring systems requires the close interaction, cooperation and communication of a number of disciplines. Among these disciplines are cognitive scientists, educators and computer scientists. Trans-boundary communication of concepts, terminology, and implementation procedures among the practitioners of these specialties is difficult and leads to confusion and time-consuming efforts to clarify these concepts. Therefore, a communication tool is needed to alleviate these problems.
Many intelligent tutoring systems rely upon elements of user feed-back to more precisely tailor the tutoring session to individual needs and requirements. Many significant interrelationships are generated within the intelligent tutoring systems and are available for analysis but are usually obscure. Therefore, a tool is needed to allow visualization of these interrelationships.
This paper explores the potential for using both precise and imprecise decision tables as as communication tools. These devices graphically represent interrelationships among elements of information supplied by the user, the system, and the researcher. Further, it shows that the employment of imprecise decision tables in conjunction with an intelligent tutoring system provides an effective method for dealing with, and making decisions about, many of the real-world situations and characteristics which are not readily represented by crisp methods.
For a copy of this paper, please contact the author.