SINT – a symbolic integration tutor

Abstract

We present an intelligent tutoring system in the area of symbolic integration. The system is capable of solving problems step-by-step along with the student. SINT monitors the student while solving problems, informs the student of errors and provides individualized help and advice when appropriate. The main focus of the research was on student modeling. The technique developed, referred to as INSTRUCT, builds on two well-known paradigms, reconstructive modeling and model tracing, at the same time avoiding their major pitfalls. The approach is not only incremental but truly interactive, since it involves the student in explicit dialogues about his/her goals. The student model is used to guide the generation of instructional actions, like generation of explanations and new problems.