| | | | | interactive learning environments that require |
| Traditional instructional methods often infuse | | | | people to apply their knowledge and skills. These |
| "static knowledge" that learners can recall but | | | | active, situated learning environments help them |
| may not apply correctly when needed. By | | | | retain and apply knowledge and skills more |
| contrast, Intelligent Tutoring Systems use | | | | effectively in operational settings. |
| simulations and other highly interactive learning | | | | An intelligent tutoring system personalizes the |
| environments that require people to apply their | | | | instruction based on the background and the |
| knowledge and skills. | | | | progress of each individual student. In this way, |
| Regardless of the fact that many instructional | | | | the learner is able to receive immediate feedback |
| systems have been developed to support learning | | | | on his performance. Today, prototype and |
| and training in the form of Computer-Aided | | | | operational ITS systems provide practice-based |
| Learning (CAL), Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI), | | | | instruction to support corporate training, high |
| Computer-Based Training (CBT) and Web-Based | | | | school and college education, military training etc. |
| Training (WBT), the vast majority of such | | | | The goal of intelligent tutoring systems is to |
| systems in the fields of education and industry, | | | | provide the benefits of one-on-one instruction |
| have failed to achieve the desired result. | | | | automatically and cost effectively. Intelligent |
| This lack of success is due to the fact that | | | | tutoring systems enable participants to practice |
| traditional instructional methods, present | | | | their skills by carrying out tasks within highly |
| instructional materials in a rigid tree structure to | | | | interactive learning environments. |
| guide the learners from one content page to | | | | An intelligent tutoring system (ITS), |
| another depending on their answers. While they | | | | goes beyond training simulations by answering |
| may be somewhat useful in helping learners, they | | | | user questions and providing individualized guidance. |
| are restrictive because they do not consider the | | | | Unlike other computer-based training technologies, |
| diversity of students’ knowledge states and | | | | intelligent tutoring systems assess each learner's |
| their particular needs. Such systems do not | | | | actions within these interactive environments and |
| generate flexible instructional plans. Instead, they | | | | develop a model of their knowledge, skills, and |
| follow a pre-specified and fixed plan. | | | | expertise. Based on the learner model, ITSs tailor |
| Moreover, they are not adaptive and are | | | | instructional strategies, in terms of both the |
| unable to dynamically provide the same kind of | | | | content and style, and provide explanations, hints, |
| individualized attention that students would receive | | | | examples, demonstrations, and practice problems |
| from human teachers. They fail to adapt to the | | | | as needed. |
| specific way of acquiring knowledge a student | | | | Research on prototype systems indicates that |
| has, and are unable to give the individualized | | | | students and staff taught or trained by intelligent |
| attention that a human tutor provides. | | | | tutoring systems generally learn faster and |
| A potential solution to this problem is the use | | | | translate the learning into improved performance |
| of novel software known as “Intelligent | | | | better than classroom-trained participants. |
| Tutoring Systems” (ITS), with built-in artificial | | | | Researchers in some universities developed an |
| intelligence. These systems, which adapt | | | | intelligent tutoring system called the LISP Tutor in |
| themselves to the current knowledge stage of | | | | the mid-1980s that taught computer programming |
| the learner and support different learning | | | | skills to college students. In one controlled |
| strategies on an individual basis, could be | | | | experiment, students who used this tutoring |
| integrated with the Web for effective training and | | | | system scored 43 percent higher in the final |
| tutoring. | | | | exam, than a control group that received |
| Intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) are software | | | | traditional instruction. |
| programs that give support to the learning | | | | Learners taught using Sherlock an intelligent |
| activity. These systems can be used in the | | | | tutoring system performed significantly better |
| conventional educational process, distant learning | | | | than the control group and, after 20 hours of |
| courses as well corporate training, either under | | | | instruction, performed as well as technicians with |
| the form of CDROMs or as applications that | | | | four years of on-the-job experience. |
| deliver knowledge over the Internet. They | | | | Consequently, intelligent tutoring systems |
| present new ways for education, which can | | | | provide improved training outcomes when |
| change the role of the human tutor or teacher, | | | | compared to classroom instruction. They provide |
| and enhance it. | | | | training which is tailored and customized to the |
| They present educational materials in a flexible | | | | individual student, leading to effective learning. The |
| and personalized way that is similar to one-to-one | | | | knowledge incorporated into the ITS captures the |
| tutoring. In particular, ITSs have the ability to | | | | expertise of best instructors and distributes it to |
| provide learners with tailored instructions and | | | | all students and can serve as an effective tool to |
| feedback. The basic underlying idea of ITSs is to | | | | provide practice-based instruction to support |
| realise that each student is unique. | | | | corporate training, high school and college |
| They use simulations and other highly | | | | education, military training etc. |