EXP: Students Authoring Intelligent Tutoring Systems for Constructing Models of Ill-Defined Dynamic Systems

一位是智能教学系统的专家，另一位是生态系统专家，他们正在研究模型构建如何有助于理解复杂的动态系统，特别是生态系统和维持地球上生命的系统。PIS特别感兴趣的是了解模型构建在促进这种学习方面的启示和这样做的挑战，他们正在通过让本科生在可持续发展入门课程中构建和探索与可持续发展问题有关的模型来做到这一点。模型的构建和探索是在一个智能辅导系统(称为LAIT)的背景下进行的。学习者在自己构建模型和使用他人的模型作为学习辅助工具之间进行切换。模型构造者知道他们正在构建自己的模型以供其他人学习，当其他人使用这些模型学习时，他们可能会(在线)与模型构造者交互，讨论设计模型背后的原因。该辅导系统为模型构建和模型探索提供脚手架，支持围绕建模问题和与特定模型相关的问题的协作，并运行所创建的模型。目标是促进对正在建模的系统的理解、模型构建的技能以及对建模的认识论的理解。第一年的研究是在实验室进行的；之后几年的研究是在教室里进行的，特别是在跨学科可持续发展入门课程中，这门课程每学期招收300名学生。系统思维是出了名的难学，也是出了名的难学。思考可持续性也同样复杂，这里的目标领域是可持续性。这项工作有可能阐明如何更好地帮助人们了解和思考系统，以及维持我们地球上生命的系统之间的相互作用和相互联系。此外，有关学习的文献表明，学习者应该从构建模型并使其发挥作用中学到更多东西，而不是简单地将他人的模型作为模拟来运行。但到目前为止，技术还不足以让学习者进行建模。因此，在促进学习的模拟和建模领域的大多数研究都集中在模拟在促进学习方面的作用。这个项目正在探索使系统建模对那些已经不是合格程序员的人来说更容易获得的方法，并将揭示建模对促进学习的一些启示，以及在什么情况下建模可以促进对特定系统的学习和学习成为一名系统思考者。

The PIs, one expert in intelligent tutoring systems, and the other an expert on ecosystems, are investigating the ways model construction can aid in the understanding of complex dynamic systems, specifically ecosystems and systems involved in sustaining life on our planet. The PIs are particularly interested in understanding the affordances of model construction in promoting such learning and the challenges in doing so, and they are doing that by having undergraduates construct and explore models related to issues in sustainability during an introductory sustainability course. Model construction and exploration are done in the context of an intelligent tutoring system (called Lait). Learners switch between constructing models themselves and using the models of others as learning aids. Model constructors know they are constructing their models for others to learn from, and as others are using those models to learn, they may interact (online) with the model constructors to discuss the reasoning behind designing the models. The tutoring system provides scaffolding for model building and for model exploration, supports collaboration around modeling issues and issues related to particular models, and runs the models that are created. The goal is to promote understanding of the systems being modeled, skill at model construction, and understanding of the epistemology of modeling. The first year of research is taking place in the lab; research in later years is taking place in classrooms, specifically in the introductory interdisciplinary sustainability course, which enrolls 300 students per semester.Systems thinking is notoriously difficult and notoriously difficult to learn. Thinking about sustainability is equally complex, and the target domain here is sustainability. There is potential for this work to shed light on how to better help people understand and think about systems and about interactions between and interconnectedness of the systems that sustain our lives on earth. In addition, the literature on learning suggests that learners should learn more from constructing models and making them work than from simply running the models of others as simulations. But up to now, technology has not been up to making modeling by learners accessible. Most research in the area of simulation and modeling to promote learning has therefore focused on the roles of simulation in promoting learning. This project is exploring ways of making systems modeling more accessible to those who are not already competent programmers and will uncover some of the affordances of modeling for promoting learning and the circumstances under which modeling can promote learning about particular systems and learning to be a systems thinker.