http://nth.wpi.edu/classes/cs525t_tutoring_systems/Syllabus%20for%20CS525T.htm
2006
This course addresses the use of artificial intelligence and
cognitive psychology to build computer-based “intelligent tutoring systems”. Students
will learn empirical and theoretical methods for creating cognitive models of
human problem solving. Such models have been used to create educational
software that has been demonstrated to dramatically enhance student learning in
domains like mathematics and computer programming. This course will have three
components; 1) literature review of some of the fundamental papers in the
field, 2) some lectures on the needed cognitive psychology and human-computer
interaction (HCI) background, and 3) a significant project component in which
students will be practicing the use of methods used to design tutors. Students will create cognitive models written
in a production-rule system (e.g., CLIPS).
The culminating project will be building a cognitive model to be used in
an intelligent tutoring system for a domain of their interest. At the end of this course a student should be
able to do research in intelligent tutoring systems. Good programming skills are required. Artificial intelligence would he helpful but
not required. Knowledge of cognitive
psychology or human-computer interaction would be a plus.
M 6-8:50pm Kaven Hall Room 207
Students are required to attend class. If you can’t make it, please send me email. If you miss more than two classes, your grade will be dropped by a letter grade. If you miss than 4 it will go done two grades. Etc.
Prof. Neil Heffernan
nth@cs.wpi.edu
Office: FL 237
Phone Number: (508) 831-5569
Office Hours: Wednesday 2 PM or by
appointment . If you plan to come to office hours, but not right at 2 PM, send
me some email letting me knowing you are coming and I make sure I am there,
otherwise I might think no one is coming to office hours.
I check email once a day, so don’t expect an instantaneous response a few hours before a program is due.
Other speakers will occasionally be invited to lecture to the class.
There is a packet of required reading that you will be
required to purchase that pays for the photocopying.
Many of the papers are available online. You are expected to print your own copy and bring it to class for discussion.
Optional
Exams may include multiple choice, short
answer, short essay, analysis, and programming. Exams will be based upon the
readings and material presented in class.
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Grading |
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*Note,
5% of your course grade will be based on the instructors’ judgment of your
level of learning , whether you have learned more or less than is reflected in the points you have earned.
This judgment will be influenced by your class and group participation. Thus,
regular attendance and active participation in group and class meetings is in
your interest. Converting group grades to individual grades Group homework grades are closely tied to individual grade. For example, if the group grade is 25 points, each individual member is likely to receive 25 points. However, to avoid rewarding free riding, distinctions will be made among individuals. We will not have adequate personal information to distinguish among group members for group work. Therefore in assigning individual grades, private evaluations from all group members will be solicited at the end of the course. These evaluations will take the form of a questionnaire asking each group member to allocate, among 100% of the total effort, the responsibility among the members for the group's homework assignments. |
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Homeworks: The homeworks are designed for your
learning. Some homeworks will be just
written, while most will have some programming component. Not all assignments will be worth the same
amount. More detailed descriptions of
the assignments will be posted to the course webpage at the appropriate times
during the semester.
Un-announced pop quizzes
will be given on the reading. Please do the reading.
This class is a upper level graduate seminar to prepare you to make a scientific contribution to the intelligent tutoring research community. As such, you will be required to read a great deal of material to give you the needed background. Students will be required to submit at least two posts to the course discussion group on myWPI by Friday 5pm three days before class. Posts submitted after 5pm Friday will not receive credit. These posts can be about
1)
a question you
had about the reading, something important you did not understand
2)
an idea
inspired by the reading
3)
an interesting
connection with something you learned or did previously in this or another
course, or in other professional work or research
4)
an on-topic,
relevant response, clarification, or further comment on another student’s post
You are required to review
other students’ email and are encouraged to respond to/ answer other student’s
discussions. I will use these questions
as starting points for discussion.
In class, students will be
randomly selected to answers others students questions and or asked to
summarize a paper. If you have not done
the reading you should email me privately ahead of time to avoid being put on
the spot and making a fool of yourself.
The course discussion group
can be found on blackboard.
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Homework assignments will
give you practice in evaluating and implementing cognitive models and
intelligent tutoring systems. Early
assignments will provide basics in production system programming and using
Cognitive Tutor authoring tools. Later
assignments will employ HCI and cognitive task analysis methods and will
build toward your final project. This
final project will be to design and implement a Cognitive Tutor based on data
collected and analyzed in prior homework. Individual Assignments Group Assignments Final Project
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All assignments are do on time. Late homeworks and reading assignments will not be accepted.
You can talk about programming assignments together, but not share code. If in doubt, ask me.
Warning: I get personal angry at cheating, and deal with it as strongly as possibly. I spend a good deal of time trying to detect it, and if you cheat in my course, I will work to have to you expelled from the University. It goes without saying that any type of cheating will be penalized with an F grade for the course and will be reported to the WPI Judicial Board in accordance with the Academic Honesty Policy.
Students are expected to read the material assigned to each class in advance and to participate in class. Class participation will be taken into account when deciding students' final grades.
You need to check your email at lest once a day, and changed will be posted there. The mailing list for this class is:
cs525t@cs.wpi.edu
If you do not get email from within the first week you are probably not on the list and should send me email.
Announcements will be posted on the web pages and/or the class mailing list, and so you are urged to check your email and the class web pages frequently.
It is not sufficient to just hand in code. You need to show the testing you did of your program, as well as explain how it works. Pointes will be taken off for code that is not commented. You also need to indent your code is some understandable fashion. Use the documentation standard at http://www.cs.wpi.edu/Help/documentation-standard.html.