Design and Evaluation of a Pen-Based Tutoring System for Statics Instruction

智能教学系统已经被广泛地研究和应用于各种学科。大多数系统都基于传统的计算机界面，包括窗口、图标、鼠标和指针。研究表明，当测试和培训环境相似时，从培训到测试的转移更大，这表明创建和评估具有与现实世界解决问题环境相匹配的界面的辅导系统的好处。该项目旨在创建基于笔的辅导系统，以与学生通常用纸笔解决问题相同的方式为学生提供支架。这一目标与最近的研究一致，该研究比较了学生在不同用户界面上的表现，证明了与熟悉的工作实践相匹配的界面可以提高学生的表现。从技术角度来看，该项目将为创建笔式辅导软件提供基本算法和用户界面。从教育的角度来看，该项目将开发和评估创新的教学原则，在笔为基础的环境中个性化的静态教学。静力学是工程和科学专业所需的一个关键领域。该项目将为平板电脑和笔记本电脑创建计算技术和辅导系统，并将评估这两个平台的优势和局限性。还将与纸笔和传统的计算机界面进行比较。平板电脑有一个LCD显示器，集成了数字化仪;用户使用手写笔直接在显示器上书写。一个pentop是一个笔与集成数字化仪和嵌入式处理器。一个笔顶使用预先印有网格的纸，使系统能够定位笔尖和手写笔的笔划。导师建立在两个原型，笔为基础的辅导系统最近开发的研究小组。第一个，牛顿的笔，是一个静态导师上实现的飞跃青蛙飞笔式计算机。第二个是基尔霍夫笔，使用平板电脑帮助学生应用基尔霍夫电流和电压定律。对牛顿笔的初步研究表明，它是一种有效的教学工具。这些原型揭示了几个重要的研究问题，这些问题将在提案中得到解决。该项目将：（1）开发用于解释手写输入的新技术，以实现与基于笔的设备的更流畅的交互，（2）为基于笔的辅导系统开发改进的、教学上合理的用户界面设计原则，（3）将静力学问题的类别扩展到牛顿笔所研究的问题之外，（4）评估教育价值（学习和转移）的导师，和（5）确定相对的优势和劣势的平板电脑和笔式平台的教学。

Intelligent tutoring systems have been widely studied and applied to a variety of subjects. Most systems are based on traditional computer interfaces involving windows, icons, mouse, and pointer. Research shows that transfer from training to testing is greater when testing and training environments are similar, suggesting benefits from creating and evaluating tutoring systems with interfaces that match real-world problem-solving environments. This project aims to create pen-based tutoring systems that scaffold students in the same way they would ordinarily solve problems with paper and pencil. This goal is consistent with recent research comparing student performance across different user interfaces, demonstrating that the interfaces matching familiar work practice enhanced student performance.From a technology perspective, the project will produce basic algorithms and user interfaces for creating pen-based tutoring software. From an education perspective, the project will develop and evaluate innovative pedagogical principles for individualizing statics instruction in pen-based environments. Statics is a critical field required for engineering and science majors.The project will create computational techniques and tutoring systems for both tablet and pentop computers, and will assess the strengths and limitations of the two platforms. Comparisons will also be made with paper-and-pencil and traditional computer interfaces. A tablet computer has an LCD display with an integrated digitizer; the user writes directly on the display using a stylus. A pentop is a pen with an integrated digitizer and embedded processor. A pentop uses paper preprinted with a grid that allows the system to locate the pen tip and digitize pen strokes.The tutors build upon two prototype, pen-based tutoring systems recently developed by the research team. The first, Newton's Pen, is a statics tutor implemented on the LeapFrog FLY pentop computer. The second, Kirchoff's Pen, uses a tablet computer to help students apply Kirchhoff's current and voltage laws. Preliminary studies with Newton's Pen show it is an effective teaching tool. The prototypes uncovered several important research issues that will be ad-dressed by the proposal. The project will: (1) develop new techniques for interpreting hand-written input to enable more fluid interaction with pen-based devices, (2) develop improved, pedagogically-sound user interface design principles for pen-based tutoring systems, (3) expand the class of statics problems beyond those investigated with Newton's Pen, (4) assess the educational value (both learning and transfer) of the tutors, and (5) identify the relative strengths and weaknesses of tablet and pentop platforms for instruction.