Authoring by Whom? Two Perspectives on ITS Authoring Tools

Authoring by Whom? Two Perspectives on ITS Authoring Tools

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Wayne Zachary, Ph.D. , Thomas Santarelli, Jennifer Engimann,CHI Systems, Inc.

Xiangen Hu, Ph.D., University of Memphis

Background and History ITS authoring has long been constrained by technology

and content issues Technology

Underlying theories/models of learning and tutoring Specific technologies developed to meet theory and

opportunistically applied to support theory Content

Role/job of the author Teacher? Trainer? SME? ITS wonk?

Nature of content being authored Learner? Boundaries of content? Level of learning?

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Built Like a Brick (not in a good way)

Observes traineeActions in problem

environmentVirtualTutor

Individual Training History Database

Records and Retrieves Performance and Knowledge assessments

Monitors and understands the problem (context)

Interprets and predicts learner actions

Diagnoses and models learner knowledge and skills

Identifies and plans out tutoring opportunities

Plans future problems

Delivers feedback andtutoring

Problem Environment

What Does the ITS Author Need to Know? Tool knowledge

Specific interfaces, mechanisms of authoring Theory knowledge

Elements of tutoring/learning/diagnosis theory underlying the tools

Representation knowledge How content elements are represented in the tools (based on

the theory) Plus all the job/domain/task/environment knowledge

That the learner must gain That is needed to author the virtual environment in which

instruction, practice, and tutoring take place4

Authoring by Whom? Today, most ITS authors are geeks and wonks Education/training are fields independent of technology

Established organizational structures and processes for creating and delivering instruction

Millions of practitioners, both professional and para-professional Commonly accepted domain-independent theory, methods and

techniques to develop and deliver instruction For both general-purpose and specific content needs Often mandated by learning/training organizations

THESE should be our targeted authors Instructional-objectives and objective-driven methods are at the

heart of what these targeted authors actually know

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Create the CurriculumMaster Learning Objectivestargeted level of expertise ...

SO1 Didactic Instruction

SO1 Measures of Performance (MOPs)

Enabling Objectives (EOs)

examplespresentation(self)reflectiondiscussion topicsetc.

Qualitative or quantitative statements of how learner’s behavior will be combined across the EOs to measure performance on this SO

MOP in virtuo

EO1 Scaf-folding

EO1 Ass-essment

EO1 Instr. Seq Logic

Scoringcoachingfeedback

how learner’s behavior will be measured in the VE against this EO

AARreplaysother

Rules or other logic spec. for sequencing scenarios vs remed’n w/in EO1

SO1 SO2 SOn. . .

EO1 EO2 EOj. . .

Subordinate Objectives (SOs) Instructional Seq Logic (among Sub Objs)

Virtual Env’m ’t (VE) characteristics, principles, metaphors

The Realities of Today Targeted users can not realistically use current ITS authoring

tools Just don’t “speak their language”

ITSs still too brick-like Integrated architectures good for research but don’t work for the

match-the-tool-to-the-instructional-need requirements of the professional trainer/educator

One size does not fit all No easy way to author from an objective-based framework,

plugging in different tutoring features, games/simulations, assessment methods, as needed for the problem at hand

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Two Authoring Approaches VECTOR (Virtual Environment Cultural Training for Operational

Readiness) ISD-based objective-driven curriculum authoring Virtual environment based on an integrated game engine Limited set of tutoring capabilities, focused on interpersonal

behavior learning GAMETE (Game-based Architecture for Mentor-Enhanced

Training Environments) Interoperability middleware Built on top of GIFT (Generalized Intelligent Framework for

Tutoring) Provide flexible bridge between tutoring engine and

game/simulation environment8

VECTOR Instructional & Authoring Organization

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Building an Objective Hierarchy and Related Content

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(play Video segment 1. )

Objective-based Problem/lesson Authoring

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Play video segment 2.

Assembling a VE for a Problem/Scenario

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Building Problem Dynamics and Linking them to the Objective Hierarchy

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Play video segment 4

GAMETE Concept

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Author

GIFT

Threading GIFT, GAMETE, & AutoTutor Lite

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Building and Saving Tutoring Interactions as Sharable Knowledge Objects (SKOs)

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Adding Tutoring Functions to an Existing Game

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An Integrated Process

Create the Objective Hierarchy

Define Scenario(s) Define Instructional Content

Specify/ build the Virtual Environment (VE)

Integrate and deliver

Establish Performance &Assessment Measures

Define tutoring interactions & Instructional presentation

… that can (should) be de-brick-ified

Authoring is Architectural!! Architectural Vision

Authoring tools fully separate from ITS engines and game/sim environment

Tools and engines invoked as web services through middleware platforms

All able to integrate through/with an objective hierarchy and lesson structure

Target professional teacher/trainer as authors Author instruction from objectives hierarchy downward

Flow to requirements and specifications for virtual environment Author tutoring interactions using tools linked to objective

structureUsing the tutor and game/sim engines that are best for the instructional need

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Take away points

De-brick-ificate!

Unify authoring around instructional design/educational concepts and practices!

Take it to the cloud!

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Questions? Discussion?

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Thank you!!!!

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Authoring by Whom? Two Perspectives on ITS Authoring Tools

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