This research is focused on developing a generic intelligent architecture for an interactive tutoring system. A review of the literature in the areas of instructional theories, cognitive and social views of learning, intelligent tutoring systems development methodologies, and knowledge representation methods was conducted. As a result, a generic ITS development architecture (GeNisa) has been proposed, which combines the features of knowledge base systems (KBS) with object-oriented methodology. The GeNisa architecture consists of the following components: a tutorial events communication module, which encapsulates the interactive processes and other independent computations between different components; a software design toolkit; and an autonomous knowledge acquisition from a probabilistic knowledge base. A graphical application development environment includes tools to support application development, and learning environments and which use a case scenario as a basis for instruction. The generic architecture is designed to support client-side execution in a Web browser environment, and further testing will show that it can disseminate applications over the World Wide Web. Such an architecture can be adapted to different teaching styles and domains, and reusing instructional materials automatically can reduce the effort of the courseware developer (hence cost and time) in authoring new materials. GeNisa was implemented using Java scripts, and subsequently evaluated at various commercial and academic organisations. Parameters chosen for the evaluation include quality of courseware, relevancy of case scenarios, portability to other platforms, ease of use, content, user-friendliness, screen display, clarity, topic interest, and overall satisfaction with GeNisa. In general, the evaluation focused on the novel characteristics and performances of the GeNisa architecture in comparison with other ITS and the results obtained are discussed and analysed. On the basis of the experience gained during the literature research and GeNisa development and evaluation. a generic methodology for ITS development is proposed as well as the requirements for the further development of ITS tools. Finally, conclusions are drawn and areas for further research are identified.

This research was conducted to determine what the nature of teachers’ educational beliefs about teaching, knowledge and learning are, whether there is a relation between their educational beliefs and the way in which they instruct, and if a relation exists, what the nature of such a relation is. Teachers’ educational beliefs about the way in which learners learn and what they are supposed to learn, have a major influence on how the teacher instructs and on how the learners achieve. Educational beliefs are a comprehensive phenomenon and include beliefs about everything. Educational beliefs generally refer to beliefs about teaching, knowledge and learning. The construct epistemological beliefs are actually also used in the literature and can be seen as the more restricted construct that only includes beliefs about knowledge and learning. Both constructs are used in this study. The phenomenon of educational beliefs is used concerning the beliefs about teaching, knowledge and learning, whilst the phenomenon of epistemological beliefs are used when concerned with the beliefs about knowledge and learning. Educational beliefs vary from naïve to sophisticated. Teachers are characterised according to their educational beliefs about teaching as more teacher–centered or more learner–centered. Teachers who are more teacher–centered have more naïve epistemological beliefs and promote superficial learning, which leads to lower academic performances. Conversely, teachers who are more learner–centered have more sophisticated epistemological beliefs that promote an in depth approach to learning, which leads to higher academic performances. The implementation of Outcomes Based Education (OBE) requires inter alia a learner–centered teaching approach and more sophisticated epistemological beliefs. These requirements of OBE poses a major challenge to teachers with more naive epistemological beliefs, because beliefs develop over years and are deeply rooted and difficult to change. With this study it was found that the participants’ epistemological beliefs could be typified as a system including more and less sophisticated epistemological beliefs, thus they did not only have naïve or sophisticated epistemological beliefs. It was also found that the participants of this study were more learner–centered than teacher–centered. Participants with more naïve epistemological beliefs were more teacher–centered compared to participants who had less naïve, thus more sophisticated epistemological beliefs that were more learner–centered. A relation was found between teachers with more naïve epistemological beliefs and a teacher–centered approach and teachers with less naïve epistemological beliefs (thus more sophisticated epistemological beliefs) and a learner–centered approach. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This research was conducted to determine what the nature of teachers’ educational beliefs about teaching, knowledge and learning are, whether there is a relation between their educational beliefs and the way in which they instruct, and if a relation exists, what the nature of such a relation is. Teachers’ educational beliefs about the way in which learners learn and what they are supposed to learn, have a major influence on how the teacher instructs and on how the learners achieve. Educational beliefs are a comprehensive phenomenon and include beliefs about everything. Educational beliefs generally refer to beliefs about teaching, knowledge and learning. The construct epistemological beliefs are actually also used in the literature and can be seen as the more restricted construct that only includes beliefs about knowledge and learning. Both constructs are used in this study. The phenomenon of educational beliefs is used concerning the beliefs about teaching, knowledge and learning, whilst the phenomenon of epistemological beliefs are used when concerned with the beliefs about knowledge and learning. Educational beliefs vary from naïve to sophisticated. Teachers are characterised according to their educational beliefs about teaching as more teacher–centered or more learner–centered. Teachers who are more teacher–centered have more naïve epistemological beliefs and promote superficial learning, which leads to lower academic performances. Conversely, teachers who are more learner–centered have more sophisticated epistemological beliefs that promote an in depth approach to learning, which leads to higher academic performances. The implementation of Outcomes Based Education (OBE) requires inter alia a learner–centered teaching approach and more sophisticated epistemological beliefs. These requirements of OBE poses a major challenge to teachers with more naive epistemological beliefs, because beliefs develop over years and are deeply rooted and difficult to change. With this study it was found that the participants’ epistemological beliefs could be typified as a system including more and less sophisticated epistemological beliefs, thus they did not only have naïve or sophisticated epistemological beliefs. It was also found that the participants of this study were more learner–centered than teacher–centered. Participants with more naïve epistemological beliefs were more teacher–centered compared to participants who had less naïve, thus more sophisticated epistemological beliefs that were more learner–centered. A relation was found between teachers with more naïve epistemological beliefs and a teacher–centered approach and teachers with less naïve epistemological beliefs (thus more sophisticated epistemological beliefs) and a learner–centered approach. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

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No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseRVR.pdf: 17301603 bytes, checksum: ca1c2799fb4bf31f2af4bdd75cd2a815 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-11-25 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Training aims to improve the professional competences (knowledge, skills and attitudes) and it is essential particularly in risk activities to the life, property and environment. Due to the risk and cost of traditional practical training, serious games, which reproduce systems, processes and real-world objects in a safe virtual environment has been used as an effective tool for learning and training or motivation to learning, and support for assessment during and post-action. On the other hand, the development of serious games is a complex process, has development high cost (time, money, resources), need highly qualified professionals, who hold requirements of learning, assessment, simulation and game itself. Different methodologies have emerged for developing serious games, however, in general, they do not include the different dimensions and need to be combined and balanced with other methodologies to achieve the training and assessment objectives. This thesis presents a novel iterative methodology (named DevJSTA) for the development of serious games for training and human performance assessment (named JSTA), which integrates multidisciplinary teams by providing guidelines, artifacts, game elements and simulation models (formalisms of discrete events, automata and Fuzzy logic) to integrate and include concepts such as effective and experiential learning in serious games, besides providing feedback during the simulation and at the end. This methodology DevJSTA describes the professional roles, the development life cycle, the generated products and the technologies and tools that can be used to create these products, as well as a support architecture and generic components. The main differential of this methodology is its holistic approach that integrates pedagogical principles of learning and assessment in the development of simulation. The methodology was evaluated through interviews with software engineering experts, serious games developers and domain experts. The results were positive and confirmed the need of these new methodology that is integrative. To validate the methodology, one JSTA was created to train firefighters to control the cooking gas leak, and to evaluate the trainee’s perception and performance. Serious game fidelity and effectiveness were also validated. Moreover, the serious game development, with the use of the methodology DevJSTA, allowed to evaluate an opportunity for improvement in the current protocol that is used in the Fire Department. / Um treinamento visa aprimorar as competências dos profissionais no âmbito do conhecimento, habilidades e reforço de boas atitudes e é essencial particularmente em atividades que envolvem risco à vida, ao patrimônio e ao meio ambiente. Devido ao risco e custo de treinamentos práticos tradicionais, jogos sérios de treinamento que reproduzem sistemas, processos e objetos do mundo real em um ambiente virtual seguro vêm sendo usados como instrumento efetivo de aprendizagem e treinamento ou motivação ao aprendizado, além de apoio para avaliações durante e pós-ação. Por outro lado, o desenvolvimento de jogos sérios é um processo complexo, com alto custo de desenvolvimento (recursos humanos, materiais, financeiros, espaço e tempo), que requer profissionais qualificados, que detêm conhecimentos de aprendizagem, avaliação, simulação e de jogos em si. Diferentes metodologias emergiram para o desenvolvimento de jogos sérios que, de maneira geral, não contemplam as suas diferentes dimensões, necessitando serem combinadas e equilibradas com outras metodologias para atingirem os objetivos de treinamento e avaliação. Este trabalho apresenta uma metodologia iterativa e integradora (DevJSTA) para o desenvolvimento de Jogos Sérios para Treinamento e Avaliação do desempenho humano (JSTA), que integra equipes multidisciplinares, provendo desde orientações e artefatos até elementos de jogos e modelos de simulação (com modelos formais de eventos discretos, autômatos e lógica Fuzzy), para integrar e inserir conceitos de aprendizagem efetiva e experiencial aos jogos sérios, além de avaliação do desempenho humano durante e pós-ação. Na metodologia DevJSTA são descritos os papeis dos profissionais envolvidos, cada processo do ciclo de vida de desenvolvimento, os produtos gerados e as tecnologias e ferramentas que podem ser usadas para criar estes produtos, além de uma arquitetura de suporte e componentes genéricos. O principal diferencial desta metodologia é sua abordagem holística que integra princípios pedagógicos de aprendizagem e avaliação no desenvolvimento da simulação. A metodologia foi submetida à avaliação, por meio de entrevistas com especialistas das áreas de engenharia de software, desenvolvimento de jogos e domínio de aplicação. Os resultados positivos corroboram com a necessidade desta nova metodologia que é integradora. Para validar a metodologia, foi criado um JSTA para treinar bombeiros no controle de vazamento de gás de cozinha, e avaliar a percepção e o desempenho de cada aprendiz. O JSTA foi também validado quanto a sua fidelidade e efetividade. Além dos resultados positivos, a criação do JSTA, com a aplicação da metodologia DevJSTA, permitiu avaliar uma oportunidade de melhoria no protocolo atual que é utilizado no Corpo de Bombeiros do Estado de São Paulo.

<p>Instructional theories often view the work of instructors from a psychological perspective while playing little emphasis on the communicative aspects. However, there are vital communicational influences on and implications for instructional practice and the instructional process as a whole. As such, this work begins with the position that instruction is, in its entirety, a communicative process. A comparison is made between the three basic models of communication (transmission, interaction and transaction) and three main educational theories (behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism). This comparison shows that there are alignments between the transmission model of communication and behaviorism, the interactive model of communication and cognitivism, and the transactional model of communication and constructivism. These similarities are explored over three major instructional activities – lesson planning, lesson delivery and assessment. Subsequently, three real-life scenarios were presented to illustrate how the three basic models of communication are manifested in the classroom. Given the applicability of the models of communication to the instructional process, the practical utility of approaching instruction from a communicative perspective is discussed. Potential implications for educational practitioners and scholars are discussed afterwards.</p>

Dissertation / This dissertation proposes a generic methodology for evaluating intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs), and applies it to the evaluation of the SQL-Tutor, an ITS for the database language SQL. An examination of the historical development, theory and architecture of intelligent tutoring systems, as well as the theory, architecture and behaviour of the SQL-Tutor sets the context for this study. The characteristics and criteria for evaluating computer-aided instruction (CAl) systems are considered as a background to an in-depth investigation of the characteristics and criteria appropriate for evaluating ITSs. These criteria are categorised along internal and external dimensions with the internal dimension focusing on the intrinsic features and behavioural aspects of ITSs, and the external dimension focusing on its educational impact. Several issues surrounding the evaluation of ITSs namely, approaches, methods, techniques and principles are examined, and integrated within a framework for assessing the added value of ITS technology for instructional purposes. / Educational Studies / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

Dissertation / This dissertation proposes a generic methodology for evaluating intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs), and applies it to the evaluation of the SQL-Tutor, an ITS for the database language SQL. An examination of the historical development, theory and architecture of intelligent tutoring systems, as well as the theory, architecture and behaviour of the SQL-Tutor sets the context for this study. The characteristics and criteria for evaluating computer-aided instruction (CAl) systems are considered as a background to an in-depth investigation of the characteristics and criteria appropriate for evaluating ITSs. These criteria are categorised along internal and external dimensions with the internal dimension focusing on the intrinsic features and behavioural aspects of ITSs, and the external dimension focusing on its educational impact. Several issues surrounding the evaluation of ITSs namely, approaches, methods, techniques and principles are examined, and integrated within a framework for assessing the added value of ITS technology for instructional purposes. / Educational Studies / M. Sc. (Information Systems)