Instructional Logistics and Chunque-Based Learning Systems

Existing instructional design and curriculum design strategy components were synthesized to provide a comprehensive set of design models for the development of learning systems. The term instructional logistics was coined to define the management of student progress through a series of customized learning experiences. Strategies were developed for the design of student-centered learning systems by partitioning a curriculum into meaningful and manageable pieces (called chunques) and by manipulating those pieces to create personalized and individualized paths through a series of self-contained learning experiences. Strategies were developed to organize a collection of chunques into a path based on initial simplified mental models designed specifically to make the subject matter more appropriate for novice learners. Two types of paths were proposed: paths created prior to instruction based on the best guess at what is optimal for the particular circumstances (anticipatory paths) and paths modified on the fly based on diagnostic information gathered during the learning process (adaptive paths). Curriculum design decisions were based on two propositions: that curriculum decisions can be categorized as value-laden decisions, based on some conception of worth, or as technical decisions, based on instructional needs. The three souls proposition was developed, which proposes that educational goals can be categorized as education-to-be, sagacity-to-know, or training-to-do

Design of an Intelligent Tutoring System shell

Computer technology has brought about numerous changes in the availability of educational media, especially the Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS). Since the development of an ITS is such an interdisciplinary task, the instructor needs assistance in developing these educational aides. An ITS shell, or authoring system, is the tool that will enable ITSs to make the transition from the research arena and into the educational environment. The conceptual model of the ITS shell proposed in this thesis uses a layered approach to accessing the different modules of the ITS. The components, or subcomponents, of each module consist of either existing programs, or are selectable options developed by area experts. These options should allow the instructor to develop an ITS concentrating on the material being presented and on the method of interaction the student has with that material. The emphasis on the construction of these components is portability, modularity, and flexibility. The C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS) is used as the inferencing and control mechanism. The design methodology proposed is the Object Oriented Programming approach. The emphasis of this thesis is on interface tools and presentation systems that allow for linking and integration into the ITS shell proposed.http://archive.org/details/designofintellig00scurCaptain, United States ArmyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Facilitating teacher participation in intelligent computer tutor design : tools and design methods.

This work addresses the widening gap between research in intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) and practical use of this technology by the educational community. In order to ensure that ITSs are effective, teachers must be involved in their design and evaluation. We have followed a user participatory design process to build a set of ITS knowledge acquisition tools that facilitate rapid prototyping and testing of curriculum, and are tailored for usability by teachers. The system (called KAFITS) also serves as a test-bed for experimentation with multiple tutoring strategies. The design includes novel methodologies for tutoring strategy representation (Parameterized Action Networks) and overlay student modeling (a layered student model), and incorporates considerations from instructional design theory. It also allows for considerable student control over the content and style of the information presented. Highly interactive graphics-based tools were built to facilitate design, inspection, and modification of curriculum and tutoring strategies, and to monitor the progress of the tutoring session. Evaluation of the system includes a sixteen-month case study of three educators (one being the domain expert) using the system to build a tutor for statics (forty topics representing about four hours of on-line instruction), testing the tutor on a dozen students, and using test results to iteratively improve the tutor. Detailed throughput analysis indicates that the amount of effort to build the statics tutor was, surprisingly, comparable to similar figures for building (non-intelligent) conventional computer aided instructional systems. Few ITS projects focus on educator participation and this work is the first to empirically study knowledge acquisition for ITSs. Results of the study also include: a recommended design process for building ITSs with educator participation; guidelines for training educators; recommendations for conducting knowledge acquisition sessions; and design tradeoffs for knowledge representation architectures and knowledge acquisition interfaces

REALIZATION OF DIRECT BIOLOGICAL BUTANOL PRODUCTION FROM LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS BY WILD-TYPE CLOSTRIDIUM

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH