The adaptive tutor module, called "TUT" (and pronounced "toot"),
is the centerpiece of the three adaptive tools developed in Phase I,
since it is TUT that will eventually be the central component of the
application in actual educational uses in the school and home.
Key conceptual ingredients of TUT include:
FactBases - Files containing the knowledge to be taught; one each for
digit recognition and typing, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and
division
FactGroups - Conceptual subgroups of the facts that encourage
students to develop strategies and observe interrelationships during learning
Phasing - Defines the path a student takes through the learning
experience
Student's Performance Measurements - Monitors and records the
student's responses and response times
Multimode Adaptive Presentation Pacing - Governs the mix of new
and review fact presentations, and the rate of advancement into
new learning territory
Multiple Timescale Knowledge Tracking - Monitors and controls
the training of the student's long term memory
Presentation Manager - A rudimentary user interface; will be
improved in Phase II
Game Structure - Game structure is absolutely
"bare-bones" at this point; in Phase II, the role of a more
elaborate game structure will be investigated; an important issue
is whether elaboration of the game structure makes the learning
more effective or less so
Scoring - Game scoring rewards the student for persistence,
accuracy, relative speed (compared with the individual's
own best work), and increased total knowledge
Display and Feedback - Display provides
introduction to new facts; review of facts being learned;
instant feedback on
response accuracy; provides correct answers when a response is
in error; in Phase II, additional encouraging feedback will
be provided, as appropriate
A newly invented Adaptive Network called
"Select Net" performs two of the central
functions of the adaptive tutor: fact selection and knowledge status modeling.
Return to Phase I Results Page or ANSR / DOEd SBIR Project Page
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