The problem of entering and integrating new knowledge into a logic-based knowledge base is substantial. Our solution is to provide a natural language interface, which reads simplified English, enabled by a knowledge-based memory-retrieval driven natural language understander. This paper presents a set of tools and interfaces for interacting with such a system, and a discussion of the underlying Reader system, the reading component of the Learning Reader project. The interfaces presented provide direct feedback about what portions of the text are understood, and what interpretations are being produced from it. In addition tools are presented to, among other things, provide example sentences, to facilitate users producing simplified English text suitable for the Reader.

Problem-based learning is a pedagogical strategy that centers learning activities around the investigation and development of solutions to complex and ill-structured authentic problems. A number of difficulties occur when implementing such approaches in schools. To address these difficulties, a software tool called INDIE was built to create Web-based interactive learning environments where students can run simulated experiments, analyze test results, form rationales, and construct arguments to support or refute possible hypotheses. This paper focuses on how INDIE supports problem-based learning by creating an authentic environment that incorporates important aspects in real life, providing tools to help students perform problem-solving and receive coaching and critiquing, providing support for instructors to assess student understanding and provide feedback, and using an interface that allows open-ended inquiry and exploration. We present preliminary results showing Corrosion Investigator, a learning environment delivered by INDIE, to be beneficial for both the students and teacher in a class.

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a pedagogical strategy that centers learning activities around the investigation and development of solutions to complex and ill-structured authentic problems. It requires additional support and resources for students and instructors to use it in schools. Computer-based interactive learning environments have been used to provide students authentic and supportive settings for PBL. These systems, however, require significant up-front development effort before they can be put into use. In this paper, we describe an incremental model that allows instructors to author the learning environment during real use. In our model, an instructor is part of the feedback loop, complementing system feedback and collecting materials to be incorporated into the system. By working within the system, the instructor can observe detailed traces of student learning activities in the system and provide individualized coaching and critiquing. We describe our experience in developing Corrosion Investigator, a Web-based learning environment, as an exemplar of our model. We focus on how the system is designed to facilitate instructor involvement and support incremental authoring. We present empirical results showing materials collected through use and benefits to the students and teachers.

Expert critiquing systems in education can support teachers in providing high quality individualized feedback to students. These systems, however, require significant development effort before they can be put into use. In this paper, we describe an incremental approach that facilitates the development of educational critiquing systems by integrating manual critiquing with critique authoring. As a result of the integration, the development of critiquing systems becomes an evolutionary process. We describe a system that we built, the Java Critiquer, as an exemplar of our model. Results from real-life usage of the system suggest benefits for supporting teachers in critiquing student code.

In this paper we describe the evolution of an educational software tool designed to let non-programmers build content-rich learning environments.Version 1 was a wholly model-driven authoring environment, but was unpopular with authors as they were forced them to build up-front domain representations before prototyping their interfaces.Version 2 uses a GUI method of interface development while the model is developed incrementally and as needed.In this version, authors built less of a model overall, but were more satisfied with the results.This paper discusses the natures of the two approaches to model-building and how they are authored.

An important issue in intelligent interfaces is making them as authorable as non-intelligent interfaces.In this paper, we descriie Iudie, an authoring tool for intelligent interactive education and training environments, with particular emphasis on how authors create knowledge bases for critiquing student arguments.A central problem was providing authors with tools that supported the entire development process from mock-up to final product.Two key ideas are: (1) MVC-based event-action triggers to support a gradual migration from interface-based to modeldriven interactions (2) rule-based evidence assessment events.

No abstract available.

~SrRACT.The MARGIE system is a set of three programs that attempt to understand natural language.They are based on the Conceptual Dependency system for meaning representation.The analysis program maps sentences into conceptual structures.The memory program makes inferences from input conceptual structures.The generator codes conceptual structures back into natural language.Together the programs function as a paraphrase and inference system.tv.y