Integrating a software engineering approach and instructional factors in instructional software development--illustrated by a prototype in theoretical computer science

This dissertation is a multi-disciplinary study, which integrates a software engineering approach with instructional factors in the decision-making, analysis, design and development processes of instructional software. Software engineering models, tools and representations are used in the process of software construction. With reference to the fundamental characteristics of the software product, several disciplines and factors, from both instructional and computing perspectives are considered, and the most appropriate approach/es selected. Software engineering, instructional design and instructional theory are considered as pillars of courseware engineering. The object-oriented design paradigm and a prototyping life-cycle model are found to be most suitable for development of computer-aided instruction. The conceptual study is illustrated by prototype development of a component-based multi-activity practice environment in theoretical Computer Science. It offers perusal or practice, in various instructional modes, according to the user's preferred learning style or need.ComputingM. Sc. (Information Systems

Educational Technology

Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources. From the perspective of technology used in education, educational technology could be understood as the use of emerging and existing technologies to improve learning experiences in a variety of instructional settings, such as formal learning, informal learning, non-formal learning, lifelong learning, learning on demand, and just-in-time learning. Educational technology approaches have evolved from early uses of audiovisual aids to individual and networked computers, and now have evolved to include various mobile and smart technologies, as well as virtual and augmented realities, avatar-based immersive environments, cloud computing, and wearable and location-aware devices. Various terms have been used along the way to refer to educational technologies, such as learning technologies/environments and instructional technologies/systems. We have embraced a broad interpretation in this book to cover instructional design approaches, learning strategies, and hardware and software. Our view is that anything that consistently can support learning and instruction can be considered an educational technology. Some educational technologies are simple and have existed for many years; others are complex, and new ones are finding their way into educational settings every day. Educational technology focuses on both the technical and pedagogical ways and means of supporting learning and instruction. It is the basis for the success of the e-learning revolution in recent years. Technology-based instruction can surpass traditional classroom-based instruction in quality by providing a wide variety of affordances and capabilities that can promote motivation and result in engaging, efficient, and effective learning. The demand for educational technologies has been rising steadily; e-learning is a huge and expanding worldwide industry. Commercial e-learning companies, training departments in large companies and organizations, computer software companies, and educational institutions over the world employ large numbers of specialists in various aspects of educational technology creation (programming, graphic design, instructional design, task analysis, usability engineering, subject matter analysis, editing, etc.). However, these organizations often find it hard to employ suitably qualified workers who have knowledge beyond their subfields and disciplines. There is a strong demand for technologists who understand learnin

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

A methodology for evaluating intelligent tutoring systems

DissertationThis dissertation proposes a generic methodology for evaluating intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs), and applies it to the evaluation of the SQL-Tutor, an ITS for the database language SQL. An examination of the historical development, theory and architecture of intelligent tutoring systems, as well as the theory, architecture and behaviour of the SQL-Tutor sets the context for this study. The characteristics and criteria for evaluating computer-aided instruction (CAl) systems are considered as a background to an in-depth investigation of the characteristics and criteria appropriate for evaluating ITSs. These criteria are categorised along internal and external dimensions with the internal dimension focusing on the intrinsic features and behavioural aspects of ITSs, and the external dimension focusing on its educational impact. Several issues surrounding the evaluation of ITSs namely, approaches, methods, techniques and principles are examined, and integrated within a framework for assessing the added value of ITS technology for instructional purposes.Educational StudiesM. Sc. (Information Systems

Evaluation of a Logo computer curriculum for upper level elementary school students

With the proliferation of computers in the elementary schools, evaluation of computer curricula has become increasingly important. One of the purposes of this study was to test a causal model that attempted to identify factors related to upper elementary school students\u27 attitudes and performance using the computer programming language Logo. Factors considered included student entry characteristics, attitudes toward the computer experience, subjective and objective measures of achievement, as well as sex and grade. A secondary area of emphasis was the effect of sex on attitudes, experiences and performance using the Logo language. The model was operationalized using measures derived from three questionnaires and an objective test administered to students enrolled in classes in three schools were Logo was implemented;Results of this study lent empirical support to several of the hypothesized causal linkages in the model and the initial 34 indicator path model was reduced to 24 indicators. Performance on the objective test was directly related to the combined influence of entry characteristics, post-Logo attitudes and perceptions and self-evaluation which accounted for 28 percent of the variance. The contribution of sex and grade was not supported. One of the best predictors of performance on the bivariate and multivariate level was total mathematics score on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills which increased explained variation to 39 percent despite a reduced sample size. Self-evaluation of Logo competencies was explained by the combined influence of entry characteristics and post-Logo attitudes and behaviors, which collectively accounted for 50 percent of the variance. Explanation of post-Logo attitudes and perceptions and entry characteristics were generally weak;While no differences were found between males and females on either performance measure, the study lent some support to the hypothesis of sex differences. Males tended to have more computer experience prior to Logo and their attitudes toward computers, attitudes and perceptions of the Logo experience and self-evaluation of performance were generally more positive;This was an initial attempt to identify and test factors that influence attitudes toward and performance with Logo. Future study is needed to refine the model

Towards designing a knowledge-based tutoring system : SQL-tutor as an example

A Knowledge-Based Tutoring System, also sometimes called an Intelligent Tutoring System, is a computer based instructional system that uses artificial intelligence techniques to help people learn some subject. The goal of the system is to provide private tutoring to its students based on their different backgrounds, requests, and interests. The system knows what subject materials it should teach, when and how to teach them, and can diagnose the mistakes made by the students and help them correct the mistakes. The major objective of this dissertation is to investigate and develop a generic framework upon which we can build a Knowledge-Based Tutoring System effectively. As an example, we have focused on developing SQL-TUTOR, a tutoring system for teaching SQL concepts and programming skills. The generic architecture of the system is rooted at the popular view that a tutoring process between a tutor (either a human being or a machine) and a student is a knowledge communication process. This process can be divided into a series of communication cycles and each communication cycle consists of four phases, namely, planning, discussing, evaluating, and remedying phases. One major feature of the architecture proposed by us in this dissertation is its curriculum knowledge base which contains the knowledge about the course curriculum, We have developed a representation schema for describing the goal structure of the course, the prerequisite relationships among the course materials, and the multiple views to organize these materials. The inclusion of the curriculum knowledge in a KBTS allows the system to create different curricula for each individual student and to diagnose the student\u27s errors more effectively. The system also provides a group of operators for the student to hand-tailor his/her curricula when he/she starts learning the course. The student can use these operators to select a specific path to go through the course materials, to pick a specific topic from the curricula to study, or to remove a particular topic from the curricula. Since the student can construct his/her own learning plans by these operators, he/she is relatively free to determine how to study the course materials and, as a result, he/she can become more active in the tutoring process. The knowledge about a subject domain is stored in a set of topics and a sample database. The content of a topic consists of a set of related domain concepts. Each concept is described by both natural and formal forms. The relationships among the concepts are modeled a type of semantic network called the context network. The sample database contains a set of sample tables and an enhanced system catalog which contains the knowledge about the name, semantic meanings of the database objects. The built-in Problem Solver of the system allows the system to reason over the networks and the sample database and answer various kinds of questions raised by the student about the domain concepts and their relationships. The knowledge of writing SQL queries is embodied in a set of examples attached to the topics. Each of such an example is carefully designed for one category of SQL query problems. An example in SQL-TUTOR is a packed knowledge chunk which can serve several important teaching purposes, including generating problem descriptions with different levels of details, formulating various SQL solutions for the given problem, explaining these solutions to the student, and evaluating SQL queries written by the student

Power On! New Tools for Teaching and Learning

This report examines developments in the use of computer-based technologies, analyzes key trends in hardware and software development, evaluates the capability of technology to improve learning in many areas, and explores ways to substantially increase student access to technology. The role of the teacher, teachers’ needs for training, and the impact of Federal support for educational technology research and development are reviewed as well

The development of a computer based modelling environment for upper secondary school geography classes.

This thesis describes the development of a specification for a\ud computer based modelling system in geography. The modelling\ud system will be for use in upper secondary school geography\ud classes. The classroom approach to geography reflects the\ud developments within the broader academic discipline. By\ud adopting a systems analysis approach, it is possible to represent\ud models on the computer, from the full range of geographical\ud approaches. The essence of geographical modelling is to be able\ud to use a computer based environment to manipulate, and create,\ud the inter-relationships of the components of a geographical\ud system.\ud The development of the specification for the modelling system,\ud follows an eleven step methodology. This has been adapted and\ud modified from the Research and Development Methodology. It\ud includes a formative evaluation of the prototypes in classroom\ud trials.\ud The possible forms of representation of geographical ideas on\ud the computer are considered. Procedural and declarative models\ud are developed, as prototypes, on a range of software tools. The\ud software tools used, for the initial developments, are the\ud Dynamic Modelling System, spreadsheets and the language,\ud Prolog. The final prototype is developed in a Smalltalk\ud environment. Consideration is also given to the use of both\ud quantitative and qualitative methods of modelling.\ud Model templates are identified which give an underlying\ud structure to a range of geographical models. These templates\ud allow the students to build new models for different\ud geographical areas. Proposals are made for a staged approach\ud which addresses the introduction and use of modelling in the\ud geography classroom. These stages move through the use of\ud simulation, through the modification of the underlying model, to\ud the transfer of the model template to different areas and finally,\ud the building of new models