Conversational Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) are expensive to develop. While simple online courseware could be easily authored by teachers, the authoring of conversational ITSs usually involves a team of experts with different expertise, including domain experts, linguists, instruction designers, programmers, artists, computer scientists,…

During what might have in the distant past been called "quiet time" in Arlene Anderson's fourth-grade classroom, many of her students are glued to their netbooks. The intense, enthusiastic focus and the hushed chatter amongst the students are all about high scores and strategy. Students are revising and editing their writing assignments within a…

This paper presents learners' task results gathered by means of an example task-oriented environment for knowledge testing and processed by EXCEL. The processing is domain- and task-independent and includes automatic calculation of several important task and session's parameters, drawing specific graphics, generating tables, and analyzing the…

In this article TENCompetence will be presented as a framework for lifelong competence development. More specifically, the relationship between the TENCompetence framework and the IMS Learning Design (LD) specification is explored. LD authoring has proven to be challenging and the toolset currently available is targeting expert users mostly…

In the past decade, researchers have attempted to develop computer-assisted learning and testing systems to help students improve their learning performance. Conventional testing systems simply provide students with a score, and do not offer sufficient information in order to improve their learning performance. It would be of more benefit to…

Describes GTE (Generic Tutoring Environment), an environment for developing intelligent courseware that is designed around a generic instructional knowledge-base using formalism. Discusses the instructional components of intelligent tutoring systems, including the instructional model, and how GTE approaches the instructional model from an…

Analyzes claims with regard to GTE's (Generic Tutoring Environment) epistemological foundations and suggests that GTE's assumptions reveal a reductionist bias through the use of formalism. Implications for courseware design and instructional modeling are discussed. (Author/LRW)

Discusses GTE (Generic Tutoring Environment) and knowledge-based courseware engineering from an epistemological point of view and suggests some combination of the two approaches. Topics include intelligent tutoring; courseware authoring; application versus acquisition of knowledge; and domain knowledge. (LRW)

Discusses GTE (Generic Tutoring Environment) and courseware engineering and argues that GTE's theoretical knowledge base focuses on teaching as a good model for any kind of instruction and thus reduces its generic nature. Two examples of weak automation for instructional design are described that have broader knowledge bases. (Author/LRW)

Examines GTE (Generic Tutoring Environment) from an authoring perspective, describes how GTE may be used to create courseware, and reviews potential difficulties that authors face when using such a tool. Summarizes two studies that investigated how authors used GTE and concludes that GTE designs are difficult for authors to test and evaluate.…

In this work is proposed that an adaptation tool that is for the automatic generation and personalization of courses of a general-purpose LCMS that is named A Tutor. A Tutor is a Learning Content Management System. The architecture of the adaptation tool that allows a personalized sequencing of LOs in A Tutor for the learner's learning goals,…

Recent advances in information technology have made feasible the development of intelligent computer assisted instruction study units. Analysis and design of such systems require the active involvement of a development team consisting of domain experts, educators, and knowledge engineers. Science and technology teaching methods are frequently…

Compares the knowledge content of GTE (Generic Tutoring Environment), a generic instructional knowledge base that facilitates dynamic pedagogical decision making, and PEPE, a computational framework for representing pedagogical knowledge to tailor instruction to an individual student. The courseware's interaction with the student and instructional…

Discusses the place of GTE (Generic Tutoring Environment) as an approach to bridging the gap between computer-assisted learning and intelligent tutoring systems; describes DCG (dynamic courseware generation) which allows dynamic planning of the contents of an instructional course; and considers combining GTE with DCG. (Author/LRW)

This paper focuses on three distinctive ways in which educational software can support learning dialogues in primary classrooms. After a re-capitulation of published research on Initiation, "Discussion," Response, Feedback (IDRF) exchanges, where the computer is used to stimulate discussion and then direct it through using feedback, we ask if…