PeterL3810@aol.com
Wed, 5 Aug 1998 12:37:15 EDT
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From: PeterL3810@aol.com Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 12:37:15 EDT Subject: [ifets] [IFETS]: What is an ITS?
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Hello,
Vilnis Vulfs wrote>>
Computers in a preschool campus acting as just another type of easel seems
to be a fairly benign introduction to computers. In fact, some children
who have difficulty with the easel may, in fact, welcome this form of
creativity.
and>>
Programming the computer is a completely different activity than drawing
with the computer and requires different cognitive processes. Clearly you
must have seen a range of aptitudes and performance levels. For some
children, this type of activity may be empowering, for others not. Because
the activity is presumably optional, it seems benign.
>>
I have had no experience with any ITS, so as a novice, I am interested in what
would constitute minimal requirements for a system being one. Apparently
essential is a user model which presupposes interaction with something like
natural language capability. One reason I am interested in the issue of
teaching young ( 4 or 5 yrs old) persons is that the relatively simple(?)
level of natural language required and sophistication of the student model
might facilitate investigation of such minimal requirements.
The Logo programming environment which I described (children "draw" pictures
using the "turtle", an onscreen virtual robot, and direct it by pressing the
keys:f - forward 5 (pixels) b - back 5 r - right 5 degrees l - left 5
degrees etc with other keys allowing color change) also has the feature that
drawn objects can be named and recalled to be assembled with other named
objects. These objects may in turn be named and used as parts (circles and
squares become trucks and cars). The program, written in Logo, creates a
procedure (behind the scenes) using a recording of the users keystrokes (e.g.
fff r fff r fff r fff r is defined procedurally as "to box") where the name is
provided by the user ("what do you want to call what you just drew?"). There
is no explicit programming instruction in this "microworld" but there is
evidence of (one may delve into the Logo literature here) incidental learning
of geometric and programming concepts (sequence, repetition, objects,
procedures) thru play.
A synthesized voice (say of the turtle) could be added using perhaps an Eliza
level conversational ability. Of course Eliza is not a program which
understands and can produce natural language but perhaps it or a more
sophisticated variant would be sufficient. Also the system could query the
user about what the drawing is or is about (tell a story) and use that
material to accumulate a set of the students beliefs wants and intentions for
the user model.
On the surface, we still just have a drawing program (electronic easel). My
question is whether such a system would be an ITS.
Regards,
Peter Lazzara
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Peter Lazzara Ph.D.
Adjunct Instructor CIS
Fulton Montgomery Community College
Johnstown, New York
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