[ifets] some personal requirements for a new learning system

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Mike Collett (mike@collett.demon.co.uk)
Thu, 20 Aug 1998 16:36:34 +0100 charset="iso-8859-1" 

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From: "Mike Collett" <mike@collett.demon.co.uk>
Subject: [ifets] some personal requirements for a new learning system
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 16:36:34 +0100 charset="iso-8859-1"

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An Integral Approach to Designing Intelligent Tutoring Systems of a New
Generation

Having followed most of the discussions and having read the summary I tend
to share concern, as voiced by Tom Abeles and others, over the tendency to
see ITS as a reinforcement of existing methods rather than contributing to
"a New Generation". Very much McLuhan's rear view mirrorism in play. The new
generation, rather than the many current sets of instructional multiple
media available, should surely be looking to create opportunities to change
and enhance the learning model. It is unlikely that we will be able to
reliably predict all these changes so should be looking to build in user
driven flexibility.

These new opportunities are only now possible because of technological
developments. The most significant technological change is surely the growth
in availability of online digital resources.
How does learning change if the interactive group size moves from 30 to
10,000, as is possible now with online systems and where every interaction
can be recorded, collated and used to alter the system in real time?

Here are some of my own expectations of an intelligent tutoring system, or
perhaps this is better described as learning rather than tutoring which to
me still implies a single direction to the information flow.

1. allow all learners to contribute/create/participate (I do I understand).
I think this implies availability of a variety of tools that create 'things'
preferably conforming to open standards. The learner can then add content to
the system to be used (or not) by others. Learners can also communicate with
and help each other.
The system is most intelligent when it responds to contributions,
dynamically driven by user interactions rather than dictated, often
inappropraitely, by the system maker, sage or otherwise. Learners can affect
future system interactions, eg by automatically or consciously adding their
personal rating to a learning resource so possibly creating a pheronome type
model of navigation and resource development.

2. maximise access for learners globally
I believe this implies open standards again, with simple versioning for a
range of cultures, languages and special educational needs plus intelligent
delivery to a variety of hardware/bandwidth. The system must be capable of
some degree of personalisation to aim for differentiation, continuity and
progression. A flexible open standard definition for portable personal
learning identities would be invaluable.

3. be built from small objects from multiple sources
These are likely to be metatagged things that are capable of interaction put
into containers of various sorts that provide forms of guidance to the
learner.

4. a new economic system
This should not be based entirely on proprietory, pay as you learn models
but must still recognise that due rewards may need to go to creators,
authors, tutors etc to ensure that sufficient investment can be made to
continually enhance and develop resources. These rewards do not have to come
directly from the learner.

Cheers
Mike 7:-D

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