A web-based interactive intelligent tutoring system for enhancing student learning in a foundational engineering dynamics course

• Autores: Ning Fang, Yongqing Guo
• Localización: The International journal of engineering education, ISSN-e 0949-149X, Vol. 29, no. Extra 6, 2013, págs. 1503-1513
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Extensive literature review shows that no intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) were developed for engineering dynamics, a second-year core course that nearly all undergraduates majoring in mechanical, aerospace, civil, environmental, or biomedical engineeringare required to take. This paper describes two innovative, web-based, interactive ITS modules that we developed for andimplemented in an engineering dynamics course to help students learn how to apply the Principle of Work and Energy, one of themost important dynamics principles, to solve particle and rigid-body dynamics problems. This paper describes in detail how thetwo ITS modules were designed, and specifically such aspects as the determination of learning objectives, the design ofcorresponding dynamics problems that the ITS modules address, the selection of ITS authoring software, and the design of thelayout of the interactive computer graphical user interfaces of the ITS modules. Two cohorts of engineering undergraduates duringa control semester and a treatment semester participated in the present study. The results of pretests and posttests in the controland treatment semesters show that the two ITS modules increased class-average student learning gains by 36.8% and 43.0%,respectively. In an anonymous questionnaire survey that was administered at the end of the treatment semester, many students usedthe words ‘‘hints’’ and ‘‘step-by-step process’’ to describe how the ITS modules enhanced their learning. It is suggested that giventheir level of flexibility, intelligent tutoring systems should be used as a supplemental tool to enhance learning, rather than a tool tocompletely replace students’ experiences with human instructors and human tutors.