Incorporating learning characteristics into an intelligent tutor

Abstract

This paper introduces, EDUCE, an ITS that utilises individual learning characteristics to generate presentations in diverse and sensitive ways. In EDUCE, the pedagogical framework classifies the educational content and the learner characteristics in the student model along two dimensions: Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences and Bloom’s learning goals. The two dimensions represent the philosophical underpinning in the design of instructional strategies and for understanding the student behaviour. It is through the provision of a variety of instructional strategies, that EDUCE aims to motivate and engage the learner. This paper describes the principles, architecture, design and implementation of EDUCE. It shows how educational theory may underpin the design of an ITS and how a pedagogical component that accommodates learning characteristics may be incorporated into an ITS. It also shows how to develop a mechanism by which the learner can choose between alternative instructional approaches.