Analysis and design of a Web-based authoring tool generating intelligent tutoring systems
Authoring tools for intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) are meant to provide environments where instructors may author their own ITSs in varying domains. In this way, painful constructions of ITSs, which are not reusable, may be avoided. However, the construction of an authoring tool is associated with many problems, such as the generality of the techniques incorporated, domain-independence, effectiveness for the prospective authors (instructors), and effectiveness for the students who will use the resulting ITSs. In this paper we will report on an empirical study that we conducted in order to design and develop WEAR, an ITS authoring tool for Algebra-related domains. In the study we investigated several aspects concerning the attitude and behaviour of both students and instructors. The study revealed important issues and was then used for the specification of the design of WEAR. A brief description of the developed system is also included in the paper so that the way that the design specifications were put into practice may be shown. However, a lot of the authoring tool's requirements that came to light could be applicable to other authoring tools as well. The most important requirement of this kind was the need for an instructor modelling component so that adaptivity could be provided to human instructors (authors). The provision, of such facility is a novelty in the area of ITS authoring tools. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
intelligent tutoring systems authoring tools and methods distance education and telelearning teaching/learning strategies