Verschiedene Studien belegen, dass vor allem Studierende oft keine ausreichenden Kenntnisse, Fähigkeiten und Fertigkeiten besitzen, um das zunehmende Angebot elektronischer Informationsressourcen zu überschauen und effektiv zu nutzen. Besonders im Bereich der wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken werden deshalb zahlreiche Schulungsveranstaltungen zur Verbesserung der Informationskompetenz durchgeführt. Um den veränderten Bedürfnissen der Nutzer nach einer größeren Flexibilität hinsichtlich ihrer Lern- und Arbeitsorganisation gerecht zu werden, bedarf es der Schaffung zusätzlicher, zeit- und ortsunabhängiger Schulungsangebote. In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden die entscheidenden Faktoren für einen erfolgreichen Einsatz von E-Learning-Anwendungen benannt und unter Berücksichtigung dieser Kriterien ein Online-Tutorial zur Recherche in den Fachdatenbanken der Elektrotechnik, Elektronik und Nachrichtentechnik an der SLUB Dresden konzipiert. Der Planungsphase schloss sich die technische Umsetzung an.

A antropometria baseia-se na mensuração e análise quantitativa das variáveis dimensionais da morfologia humana e tem sido amplamente introduzida na clínica fonoaudiológica como método objetivo de análise facial. Por esta razão, torna-se de suma importância que alunos de graduação em Fonoaudiologia aprendam eficientemente essa técnica. A simulação tem sido muito utilizada como metodologia de ensino, por permitir a reprodução de uma situação real, facilitando o treinamento e o aprendizado de atividades práticas manuais, como é o caso das mensurações antropométricas orofaciais. O objetivo desse estudo foi desenvolver e adaptar recursos tecnológicos para o ensino em Motricidade Orofacial, especificamente no que se refere à análise facial, e avaliar a efetividade da simulação para o processo de aprendizado. Para isso, foi desenvolvido um tutorial interativo e adaptado o programa de computador Invivo5®, para servir como ambiente de aprendizagem simulado. Participaram da pesquisa 20 alunos do 2º ano de graduação em Fonoaudiologia, que haviam concluído a disciplina Motricidade Orofacial II, os quais foram divididos aleatoriamente nos grupos experimental e controle, e três fonoaudiólogos com experiência em Motricidade Orofacial e análise facial, que foram submetidos à calibração. Todos os alunos receberam o tutorial interativo para estudo. O grupo experimental fez o treinamento das medidas antropométricas faciais no programa Invivo5® e o grupo controle em indivíduos do próprio grupo. Após o estudo e treinamento, alunos e fonoaudiólogos fizeram a avaliação das mensurações de nove medidas antropométricas orofaciais de um mesmo sujeito, duas vezes. Os resultados da avaliação final e o tempo de execução das medidas, foram tabulados e submetidos ao Teste t pareado, o qual mostrou que não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre os grupos controle e experimental em nenhum análise. Apenas a medida do lábio inferior e o tempo de execução das medidas apresentaram significância na comparação do grupo dos profissionais com os alunos. Diante disso, o desenvolvimento de um tutorial interativo e a adaptação do programa Invivo5® para simulação foram utilizados como ferramentas tecnológicas para o ensino em Motricidade Orofacial, especificamente a análise facial. Foi comprovada a efetividade da simulação no processo de aprendizagem, uma vez que o estudo não apresentou diferenças entre os métodos de ensino tradicional e simulado, sendo ambos foram satisfatórios para o ensino. / Anthropometry is based on the measurement and quantitative analysis of the dimensional variables of human morphology and has been widely introduced in the Speech-Language practice as an objective method of facial analysis. For this reason, it is of the utmost importance that undergraduate students in Speech-Language Pathology learn this technique efficiently. Simulation has been commonly used as a teaching methodology, since it allows the reproduction of a real situation, facilitating the training and learning of practical manual activities, as the orofacial anthropometric measurements. The purpose of this study was to develop and adapt technological resources for teaching in Orofacial Myology, specifically regarding facial analysis, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the simulation for the learning process. For this, an interactive tutorial was developed and was adapted the Invivo5® computer program to serve as a simulated learning environment. Twenty students from the second year of Speech-Language Pathology at FOB/USP, who had completed the discipline \"Orofacial Myology II\", were randomly divided into groups experimental and control, and a third group, consisting of three experienced speech therapists in Orofacial Myology and facial analysis, which were submitted to calibration, participated in the study. All students received the interactive tutorial for study. The experimental group did the training of anthropometric facial measures in the Invivo5® program and the control group did it on each other. After the study and training, students and speech therapists evaluated the measurements of nine orofacial anthropometric measures of the same subject, twice. The results of the final evaluation and the execution time of the measurements were tabulated and submitted to the paired t-test, which showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the control and experimental groups in any analysis. Just the measurement of the lower lip and the execution times of the procedures presented significance in the comparison between the groups of professionals with the students. On this, the development of an interactive tutorial and the adaptation of the Invivo5® simulation program served as technological tools for teaching facial analysis in Orofacial Myology. The effectiveness of the simulation was proven in the learning process, since the study did not show differences between traditional and simulated teaching methods, both being satisfactory for teaching.

Submitted by Izabel Franco (izabel-franco@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-06T12:07:22Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissMT.pdf: 1389006 bytes, checksum: c8668a38b168f5b3308c3e4261e2424a (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-20T13:44:06Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissMT.pdf: 1389006 bytes, checksum: c8668a38b168f5b3308c3e4261e2424a (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-20T13:44:13Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissMT.pdf: 1389006 bytes, checksum: c8668a38b168f5b3308c3e4261e2424a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-20T13:44:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissMT.pdf: 1389006 bytes, checksum: c8668a38b168f5b3308c3e4261e2424a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-08-28 / Não recebi financiamento / This paper presents an application experience of the methodology called Flipped Classroom in a class of undergraduates in physics at the University of Uberlandia, using a computational mathematical modeling software, the Modellus, in its version 0.4.05, which stands for a simulation capability of varying phenomena, especially those studied in physics teaching. The goal pursued in carrying out the experiment, and this paper, was to demonstrate the practicability of applying the methodology called Flipped Classroom from the development of simple instructional materials and the use of resources available to most physics teachers. The choice of Modellus, as base of the experience, was for its undeniable usefulness as an educational tool for teachers and undergraduate students of Physics and a felt need for dissemination of this software. In this paper we present the description of the materials developed, the way of their development and the instruments used for the implementation of experience and the collect of its results. Because of Modellus employment with undergraduate students, a chapter was dedicated to briefly describing the trajectory of teachers graduation in Physics in Brazil until today and another discussing the importance of mathematical modeling in teaching, as well as a literature review of studies related to modeling and / or Modellus. Experiment results reinforce not only the practicability of the inverted Classroom, but also the need for greater disclosure of Modellus between teachers and undergraduates, which led to the preparation of a written tutorial covering the entire contents of physics used in the experiment. / O presente trabalho apresenta uma experiência de aplicação da metodologia denominada Sala de Aula Invertida em uma turma de licenciandos de Física da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, utilizando um software de modelagem matemática computacional, o Modellus, em sua versão 0.4.05, que se destaca por sua capacidade de simulação de variados fenômenos, em especial os estudados no ensino de Física. O objetivo perseguido na realização da experiência, e na elaboração deste texto, foi demonstrar a viabilidade da aplicação da metodologia denominada Sala de Aula Invertida a partir do desenvolvimento de materiais instrucionais simples e com o emprego de recursos disponíveis à maioria dos professores de Física. A escolha do Modellus como base da experiência se deu por sua inegável utilidade como ferramenta educacional aos professores e licenciandos de Física e por uma sentida necessidade de divulgação desse software. Neste texto se apresentam a descrição dos materiais desenvolvidos, a forma de desenvolvimento deles e os instrumentos utilizados para a aplicação da experiência de coleta de seus resultados. Em virtude do emprego do Modellus com alunos de licenciatura foi elaborado um capítulo descrevendo brevemente a trajetória das licenciaturas de Física no Brasil até os dias atuais e outro discutindo a importância da modelagem matemática no ensino, bem como uma revisão literária de trabalhos relacionados à modelagem e/ou ao Modellus. Os resultados da experiência reforçam não só a viabilidade da Sala de Aula invertida, mas também a necessidade de maior divulgação do Modellus entre professores e licenciandos, o que levou à elaboração de um tutorial em texto cobrindo todo o conteúdo de Física utilizado na experiência.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-03T15:47:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PatrickCAT_DISSERT.pdf: 4794202 bytes, checksum: 05088b21ff2be2b3c2ccec958e7e6b62 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-06-03 / Logic courses represent a pedagogical challenge and the recorded number of cases of failures and of discontinuity in them is often high. Amont other difficulties, students face a cognitive overload to understand logical concepts in a relevant way. On that track, computational tools for learning are resources that help both in alleviating the cognitive overload scenarios and in allowing for the practical experimenting with theoretical concepts. The present study proposes an interactive tutorial, namely the TryLogic, aimed at teaching to solve logical conjectures either by proofs or refutations. The tool was developed from the architecture of the tool TryOcaml, through support of the communication of the web interface ProofWeb in accessing the proof assistant Coq. The goals of TryLogic are: (1) presenting a set of lessons for applying heuristic strategies in solving problems set in Propositional Logic; (2) stepwise organizing the exposition of concepts related to Natural Deduction and to Propositional Semantics in sequential steps; (3) providing interactive tasks to the students. The present study also aims at: presenting our implementation of a formal system for refutation; describing the integration of our infrastructure with the Virtual Learning Environment Moodle through the IMS Learning Tools Interoperability specification; presenting the Conjecture Generator that works for the tasks involving proving and refuting; and, finally to evaluate the learning experience of Logic students through the application of the conjecture solving task associated to the use of the TryLogic / A disciplina de L?gica representa um desa o tanto para docentes como para discentes, o que em muitos casos resulta em reprova??es e desist?ncias. Dentre as dificuldades enfrentadas pelos alunos est? a sobrecarga da capacidade cognitiva para compreender os conceitos l?gicos de forma relevante. Neste sentido, as ferramentas computacionais de aprendizagem s?o recursos que auxiliam a redu??o de cen?rios de sobrecarga cognitiva, como tamb?m permitem a experi?ncia pr?tica de conceitos te?ricos. O presente trabalho prop?e uma tutorial interativo chamado TryLogic, visando ao ensino da tarefa de Demonstra??o ou Refuta??o (DxR) de conjecturas l?gicas. Trata-se de uma ferramenta desenvolvida a partir da arquitetura do TryOcaml atrav?s do suporte de comunica??o da interface web ProofWeb para acessar o assistente de demonstra??o de teoremas Coq. Os objetivos do TryLogic s?o: (1) Apresentar um conjunto de li??es para aplicar estrat?gias heur?sticas de an?lise de problemas em L?gica Proposicional; (2) Organizar em passo-a-passo a exposi ??o dos conte?dos de Dedu??o Natural e Sem?ntica Proposicional de forma sequencial; e (3) Fornecer aos alunos tarefas interativas. O presente trabalho prop?e tamb?m apresentar a nossa implementa??o de um sistema formal de refuta??o; descrever a integra??o de nossa infraestrutura com o Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem Moodle atrav?s da especi ca??o IMS Learning Tools Interoperability ; apresentar o Gerador de Conjecturas de tarefas de Demonstra??o e Refuta??o e, por m, avaliar a experi?ncia da aprendizagem de alunos de L?gica atrav?s da aplica??o da tarefa de DxR em associa??o ? utiliza??o do TryLogic

Submitted by Erika Demachki (erikademachki@gmail.com) on 2016-09-09T18:19:27Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Fábio Moreira de Araújo - 2015.pdf: 7181365 bytes, checksum: 31b97cd5c2635c5eae6793430edfccc4 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2016-09-12T14:33:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Fábio Moreira de Araújo - 2015.pdf: 7181365 bytes, checksum: 31b97cd5c2635c5eae6793430edfccc4 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-12T14:33:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Fábio Moreira de Araújo - 2015.pdf: 7181365 bytes, checksum: 31b97cd5c2635c5eae6793430edfccc4 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-11-20 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás - FAPEG / Our investigation has the main objective to understand the formation of the Circle Tutorial, a formative space that searches for knowledge, especially mathematical, construction through active actions of its members. The theoretical construction was predominantly based in the following authors: D'Ambrosio in the understanding of the spaces of the subjects through the ethnomathematics and dynamic curriculum; Freud with the process of seduction, transfer, identification, group formation, and others; and Freire in his liberator pedagogy, insertion, emancipation, critical and reflexive dialog. Such master's degree research was realized in a state school of the public teaching in the city of Goiânia-GO, contributing with the formation of a group with subjects who regularly share and live the school space. In this perspective, the starting point was to meet their realities in their stories of life. For this purpose it was developed focal groups. It also made possible that the subjects of the research could re-value and modify their way of building the knowledge, bringing the light to the facts, salutary points on the complexity of the formative process, to which students and educators share in the public state schools, as well as the possibility to form more critical, reflexive subjects who could conduct their learning and their story of their lives by themselves in their respective context of life. / Nossa investigação tem como objetivo principal compreender a formação do Círculo Tutorial, espaço formativo que busca a construção do conhecimento, em especial o matemático, por meio de ações ativas de seus integrantes. O constructo teórico se pautou principalmente nos seguintes autores: D’Ambrosio na compreensão dos espaços dos sujeitos por meio da etnomatemática e currículo dinâmico; Freud com o processo de sedução, transferência, identificação, formação de grupo, entre outros; e Freire em sua pedagogia libertadora, inserção, emancipação e diálogo crítico e reflexivo. Tal pesquisa de mestrado foi realizada em um colégio estadual da rede pública de ensino na cidade de Goiânia-GO, contribuindo com a formação de um grupo de sujeitos que vivenciam o espaço escolar. Dessa forma, o trabalho baseou-se nos pressupostos de pesquisa qualitativa participante, tendo como ponto de partida, conhecer suas histórias de vida, para tanto desenvolveu-se grupos focais. Portanto, construiu-se uma formação que fomentou a confiança e autonomia frente as atividades desenvolvidas pelos participantes envolvidos na pesquisa.

A antropometria baseia-se na mensuração e análise quantitativa das variáveis dimensionais da morfologia humana e tem sido amplamente introduzida na clínica fonoaudiológica como método objetivo de análise facial. Por esta razão, torna-se de suma importância que alunos de graduação em Fonoaudiologia aprendam eficientemente essa técnica. A simulação tem sido muito utilizada como metodologia de ensino, por permitir a reprodução de uma situação real, facilitando o treinamento e o aprendizado de atividades práticas manuais, como é o caso das mensurações antropométricas orofaciais. O objetivo desse estudo foi desenvolver e adaptar recursos tecnológicos para o ensino em Motricidade Orofacial, especificamente no que se refere à análise facial, e avaliar a efetividade da simulação para o processo de aprendizado. Para isso, foi desenvolvido um tutorial interativo e adaptado o programa de computador Invivo5®, para servir como ambiente de aprendizagem simulado. Participaram da pesquisa 20 alunos do 2º ano de graduação em Fonoaudiologia, que haviam concluído a disciplina Motricidade Orofacial II, os quais foram divididos aleatoriamente nos grupos experimental e controle, e três fonoaudiólogos com experiência em Motricidade Orofacial e análise facial, que foram submetidos à calibração. Todos os alunos receberam o tutorial interativo para estudo. O grupo experimental fez o treinamento das medidas antropométricas faciais no programa Invivo5® e o grupo controle em indivíduos do próprio grupo. Após o estudo e treinamento, alunos e fonoaudiólogos fizeram a avaliação das mensurações de nove medidas antropométricas orofaciais de um mesmo sujeito, duas vezes. Os resultados da avaliação final e o tempo de execução das medidas, foram tabulados e submetidos ao Teste t pareado, o qual mostrou que não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre os grupos controle e experimental em nenhum análise. Apenas a medida do lábio inferior e o tempo de execução das medidas apresentaram significância na comparação do grupo dos profissionais com os alunos. Diante disso, o desenvolvimento de um tutorial interativo e a adaptação do programa Invivo5® para simulação foram utilizados como ferramentas tecnológicas para o ensino em Motricidade Orofacial, especificamente a análise facial. Foi comprovada a efetividade da simulação no processo de aprendizagem, uma vez que o estudo não apresentou diferenças entre os métodos de ensino tradicional e simulado, sendo ambos foram satisfatórios para o ensino. / Anthropometry is based on the measurement and quantitative analysis of the dimensional variables of human morphology and has been widely introduced in the Speech-Language practice as an objective method of facial analysis. For this reason, it is of the utmost importance that undergraduate students in Speech-Language Pathology learn this technique efficiently. Simulation has been commonly used as a teaching methodology, since it allows the reproduction of a real situation, facilitating the training and learning of practical manual activities, as the orofacial anthropometric measurements. The purpose of this study was to develop and adapt technological resources for teaching in Orofacial Myology, specifically regarding facial analysis, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the simulation for the learning process. For this, an interactive tutorial was developed and was adapted the Invivo5® computer program to serve as a simulated learning environment. Twenty students from the second year of Speech-Language Pathology at FOB/USP, who had completed the discipline \"Orofacial Myology II\", were randomly divided into groups experimental and control, and a third group, consisting of three experienced speech therapists in Orofacial Myology and facial analysis, which were submitted to calibration, participated in the study. All students received the interactive tutorial for study. The experimental group did the training of anthropometric facial measures in the Invivo5® program and the control group did it on each other. After the study and training, students and speech therapists evaluated the measurements of nine orofacial anthropometric measures of the same subject, twice. The results of the final evaluation and the execution time of the measurements were tabulated and submitted to the paired t-test, which showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the control and experimental groups in any analysis. Just the measurement of the lower lip and the execution times of the procedures presented significance in the comparison between the groups of professionals with the students. On this, the development of an interactive tutorial and the adaptation of the Invivo5® simulation program served as technological tools for teaching facial analysis in Orofacial Myology. The effectiveness of the simulation was proven in the learning process, since the study did not show differences between traditional and simulated teaching methods, both being satisfactory for teaching.

Este estudio buscó describir el vínculo educativo entre jóvenes tutores y tutorados adolescentes desde la perspectiva de los tutores. Los participantes fueron 10 tutores, de 18 a 22 años (M=20), que hayan ejercido la labor de tutoría por al menos seis meses con un mismo adolescente y que laboran en una institución educativa que brinda asesorías extra académicas y personalizadas. Se desarrolló un estudio cualitativo de diseño fenomenológico, aplicando la entrevista semi estructurada y un análisis de contenido utilizando como base los conceptos de la teoría de Caram (2011). Los resultados evidencian el sentir de los tutores respecto al vínculo con sus tutorados, definiéndolo como beneficioso, productivo, cercano y portador de afecto. Además, destacan la importancia del acompañamiento de los estudiantes en su proceso de desarrollo integral y la cercanía de edad como medio conductor de un aprendizaje bidireccional. Finalmente, se evidencia que los tutores perciben el vínculo educativo como un factor indispensable para el funcionamiento de la tutoría. / The Objective of the study was to describe the educational bond between young tutors and school-age adolescents from the tutor’s perspective. The participants were 10 tutors, from 18 to 22 years old (M = 20), who had practiced tutoring for at least six months with the same adolescent and who work in an educational institution that provides extra academic and personalized mentoring. A qualitative study of phenomenological design was developed, applying the semi-structured interview and a content analysis using the concepts of Caram's theory (2011) as a basis. The results show the feelings of the tutors regarding the bond with their tutored, defining it as beneficial, productive, close and bearer of affection. In addition, they highlight the importance of accompanying students in their integral development process and the proximity of age as a means of conducting two-way learning. Finally, it is evident that tutors perceive the educational bond as an indispensable factor for the functioning of the tutoring. / Tesis

The United States, as well as other nations, is experiencing an increase in the older adult population. As a result of older adults living longer, mobile devices can be a major component in improving older adults' quality of life. However, older adults may encounter difficulties when using the mobile devices. This research examined the requirements in addressing the needs of older adults when using a mobile device. Specifically, the research focused on gathering the task and feature requirements for a mobile device tutorial for older adults. The approach was accomplished by the development of a mobile device questionnaire, which was first administered to a pilot group of older adults, to determine the questionnaire's comprehensiveness, then to an adequate sample size of older adults at four senior activity centers, located in Prince George's County, Maryland. Based on the responses to the specific research questions from the total population, two focus groups, consisting of a total of ten individuals, were selected. The focus groups, identified as focus group A and B, were created, based on how likely or unlikely the respondent would use a mobile device tutorial. Following the collection of the questionnaires from the total population and the two focus groups, the results of the data were analyzed. The quantitative findings for the total population for the task requirements found that e-mail had the highest mean (4.40%), followed by health, shopping, restaurant, and financial. The findings for the feature requirements found that photos had the highest mean (4.21%), followed by camera, contacts, reminders, and FaceTime. The researcher developed findings based on the qualitative analysis from the total sample population. The major qualitative findings consisted of the benefits, to include access, availability, accuracy and usefulness. The drawbacks consisted of ease of use, user concerns, and the inability to ask questions. In the analysis of the quantitative findings for the task requirements, focus group A was slightly different from the total population, with shopping having the highest mean (6.80%), followed by health, restaurants, e-mail and financial. The findings for the task requirements for focus group B, were similar to the total population, with e-mail and health having the highest means (1.60%), followed by restaurants and financial (equal), and shopping. The findings for the feature requirements for focus group A, were similar to the total population, with photos and reminders (6.80%), followed by camera, and FaceTime and contacts. The findings for the feature requirements for focus group B, were also similar to the total population and focus group A, with photos having the highest mean (1.80%), followed by reminders, and contacts, camera, and FaceTime (equal). In the analysis of the qualitative analysis for focus group A some of the benefits included availability and encouragement. For focus group B, some of the benefits included working at one's own pace, and understandability of the device. The qualitative analysis for the total population findings for the benefits of a mobile device tutorial included access to a tutorial, availability, skill set for a tutorial, and usefulness. The main responses pertaining to why the respondent would use a mobile device include the device's availability, ease to use, use at one's leisure, and using the device at one's own pace. In examining the qualitative findings for the two focus groups, the major areas for the benefits for focus group A, are similar to the total population. These areas include availability, encouragement, and listening to the tutorial several times. The major areas for focus group B, are similar to the total population and focus group A, to include listening to the tutorial several times. In exploring deeper into the focus groups' responses, the participants addressed specific questions regarding the task and feature requirements. For the specific task or feature requirements for which a respondent would likely use a mobile device tutorial for assistance, focus group A's responses were the features of FaceTime and the tasks of e-mail, photos, and contacts. Focus group B responses were the task requirement of health care and financial and feature requirements of camera and photos. The mixed method analysis supports the premise that older adults would desire instructions on the identified task and feature requirements for a mobile device tutorial. The recommendations of the research consisted of additional examination of collecting data across multiple senior activity centers, the Baby Boomer generation, and older adult computer classes. Designing a mock-up tutorial, using another mobile device, and the use of current Siri feature, are other possible research investigations. Lastly, the implications of the study, filled the gap regarding senior adults and mobile devices, by contributing to the research pertaining to mobile device tutorials that would accommodate older adults.

Adaptive tutorial dialogues have been successfully employed by ITSs to facilitate deep learning of conceptual domain knowledge. But none of the approaches used for generating dialogues have been used across instructional domains and tasks. The objective of this project was twofold: (i) to propose a general model that provides adaptive dialogue support in both well- and ill-defined instructional tasks (ii) to explore whether adaptive tutorial dialogues are better than non-adaptive dialogues in acquiring domain knowledge. Our model provides adaptive dialogue support by identifying the concepts that the student has most difficulty with, and then selecting the tutorial dialogues corresponding to those concepts. The dialogues are customised based on the student’s knowledge and explanation skills, in terms of the length and the exact content of the dialogue. The model consists of three parts: an error hierarchy, tutorial dialogues and rules for adapting them. We incorporated our model into EER-Tutor, a constraint-based tutor that teaches database design. The effectiveness of adaptive dialogues compared to non-adaptive dialogues in learning this ill-defined task was evaluated in an authentic classroom environment. The results revealed that the acquisition of the domain knowledge (represented as constraints) of the experimental group who received adaptive dialogues was significantly higher than their peers in the control group with non-adaptive dialogues. We also incorporated our model into NORMIT, a constraint-based tutor that teaches data normalization. We repeated the experiment using NORMIT in a real-world class room environment with a much smaller group of students (18 in NORMIT study vs 65 in EER-Tutor study) but did not find significant differences. We also investigated whether our model could support dialogues in logical database design and fraction addition using paper-based methods. Our evaluation studies and investigations on paper indicated that our model can provide adaptive support for both ill-and well-defined tasks associated with a well-defined domain theory. The results also indicated that adaptive dialogues are more effective than non-adaptive dialogues in teaching the ill-defined task of database design.

The present investigation concerned itself with the efficiency of the audio-tutorial method of teaching biology as compared with the more conventional method usually seen in college biology, which involves the use of lectures and laboratory periods.