A Tool for Managing Domain Knowledge and Helping Tutors in Intelligent Tutoring Systems

Panayiotis Kyriakou (University of Patras, Greece)

Ioannis Hatzilygeroudis (University of Patras, Greece)

John Garofalakis (University of Patras, Greece)

Abstract: Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) constitute a popular type of intelligent educational systems. Domain Knowledge (DK) is a basic part of an ITS and usually includes information about the concepts the ITS is dealing with and the teaching material itself. The teaching material consists of a set of learning objects (LOs). A LO is described by a data set called its metadata. Concepts are usually organized in a network, called a concept network (or map). Each concept is associated with a number of LOs. Existing tools for managing DK mainly deal with either LOs or concepts, but not with connecting them. In this paper, we present a tool for managing both types of information in DK: creating and editing a concept network and LO metadata as well as connecting them. Additionally, the tool can produce corresponding XML descriptions for each LO metadata. Finally, it provides facilities for helping tutors in organizing and composing their lessons. A small scale evaluation has shown more than satisfactory acceptability of the tool.

Keywords: Domain Knowledge management, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Learning Objects management, Lesson organization

Categories: K.3.1, L.1.0, L.1.2, L.2.0, L.3.0