Patent Document ID: 8750782
Application ID: 12925456

Base Claim:
1. A computer implemented method comprising one of selecting and receiving a problem domain, said problem domain containing problems defining behavior to-be-learned by at least one student, wherein said method includes a knowledge representation tool, wherein said knowledge representation tool enables at least one author to specify to-be-learned knowledge in sufficient detail to enable said student to solve problems in said problem domain and an interface creation tool, wherein said interface creation tool enables said author to define at least one medium through which to interact with said student, said computer implemented authoring method comprising the steps of: a) Constructing a SLT rule for solving problems in said problem domain, wherein said SLT rule consists of at least one data node and one procedure node, b) Constructing said SLT rule further consists of constructing an AST data structure and a procedure AST that operates on said AST data structure; wherein said AST data structure and said AST procedure are constructed by successive refinement of nodes, c) For each terminal node in said procedure AST, making said terminal node executable on a computer by providing said terminal node with means for specifying outputs of said terminal node, d) Assigning information, including associated media, to nodes in said SLT rule, to convey at least one of instruction, question, positive feedback and corrective feedback, e) Constructing at least one AST-based problem, each said problem being a data structure AST serving as data for said SLT rule, and f) Using said interface creation tool to assign attributes to nodes in each said AST based problem, including attributes defining at least one of location, how problem nodes are to be displayed on said interface, kinds of responses students are to provide and how student responses are to be evaluated, and g) Defining at least one method for interacting with said student, wherein said method includes at least one of mastery options, delivery options and interference methods specifying how tutoring decisions are to be made.

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Claim 3:
3. A computer implemented method in accordance with claim 1 wherein constructing the AST data structure and the AST procedure in any given SLT rule further comprises the steps of: a) Defining the input-output behavior said SLT rule is to account for, wherein said behavior may be defined by selecting a name for each input and each output variable of said procedure AST, wherein said variables comprise the top level in said SLT rule's AST data structure, b) Selecting a name for the top-level operation in said AST procedure that generates said input-output behavior, wherein said operation comprises the top level in said SLT rule's procedure AST, c) Selecting an input variable in said AST data structure and refining said input variable into one of a component refinement and a category refinement and a prototype refinement and a dynamic refinement and a terminal refinement, wherein said terminal refinement has no child nodes, d) Selecting an operation in the procedural AST of said SLT rule and refining said operation into one of a sequence refinement, a parallel refinement, a selection refinement, a loop refinement and an interaction refinement, wherein each said procedural refinement consists of said operation and one or more child operations, and a terminal refinement wherein said operation is terminal and has no child nodes and e) Repeating said steps c) through d) until all terminal nodes in said AST data structure and in said procedure AST are represented in sufficient detail that one of said author cannot or decides not to attempt further refinement and said author decides that all students in said target student population are able to understand instruction directed at solving problems associated with said terminal operations.