A Cognitive Model for Building Glass-Box Learning-Objects

In the field of e-learning, a popular solution to make teaching material reusable is to represent it as learning objects. However, building better adaptive educational software also takes an explicit model of the learner’s cognitive process related to learning objects. This work presents a three layers model that explicitly connect the description of learners’ cognitive processes to learning objects. The first layer describes the knowledge from a logical and ontological perspective, to facilitate the separation of the knowledge in multiple files, their interpretation as a whole, and provide a basis for logical reasoning. The second describes cognitive processes to permit building learning objects that can be used for providing highly tailored instruction. The third builds learning objects upon the two first layers.

The model has been implemented in an intelligent tutoring system for teaching Boolean reduction (cf. fig. 2) that provides highly tailored instruction thanks to the model. The model was first described in my M.Sc. dissertation (french) and has been published in the IJKLO journal [1] and ITS2006 conference [2]. I am currently evaluating the model's limitations by applying it to the RomanTutor for teaching a highly complex domain (see project 1).

Fig 2. The Redbool software [1]

[1] Fournier-Viger P., Najjar, M., Mayers, A. & Nkambou, R. (2006). A Cognitive and Logic based Model for Building Glass-box Learning Objects. Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects, Volume 2. pp: 77-94.

[2] Fournier-Viger P., Najjar, M., Mayers, A. & Nkambou R. (2006). From Black-box Learning Objects to Glass-Box Learning Objects. Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS 2006). Lecture Notes in Computer Sciences, Volume 4053, pp: 258-267, Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

Copyright © 2005-2008 Philippe Fournier-Viger. All rights reserved.