Tutoring prolog novices based on programming techniques

Abstract

We present a techniques-based approach to the tutoring of Prolog programming. The concept of a programming technique is used to characterise and classify programs. We define a set of technique grammar rules for each class of programs, which can be used for program classification, technique and program recognition, and program construction. We use both technique and program frames to represent technique-related and program-related knowledge that provides the basis of error diagnosis and explanation generation for tutoring. Our approach to error diagnosis and explanation generation, however, does not rely on the representation of buggy versions of the program.