Chapter V Knowledge Management for Agent Based Tutoring Systems
As the education field is becoming increasingly technology heavy, more educational systems involve line or interactive training and tutoring techniques, and lots of educational information becomes available via the intranet and World Wide Web. Managing large volumes of learning information and knowledge is one of the crucial issues for these educational systems, as appropriate knowledge management is the key to more effective and efficient learning. The chapter first discusses that an intelligent agent system could be successfully applied to the education field and then focuses on how knowledge management techniques play an important role in agent based tutoring systems. This chapter appears in the book, Designing Distributed Learning Environments with Intelligent Software Agents, edited by Fuhua Oscar Lin Co yright (c) 2005, Idea G oup Inc. Copying or distributing in prin or electronic forms without written p rmission of Idea Group Inc. is prohibited. 701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Suite 200, Hershey PA 17033 1240, USA Tel: 717/533 8845; Fax 717/533 8661; URL http:/www.idea group.com IDEA GROUP PUBLISHING Knowledge Management for Agent Based Tutoring Systems 147 Copyright (c) 2005, Idea Group Inc. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of Idea Group Inc. is prohibited. Introduction Computer technologies are making progress rapidly and are becoming more specialized. Many different fields have benefited from newly invented and powerful computer technologies. Therefore, it is not a surprise that education adopts more computer technologies, and students and learners use computers in a lot of courses and labs. New technology integrated into the education or tutoring system can enhance the access to knowledge and improve the efficiency of knowledge transferring to learners. But such integration often requires additional training in order for its users to become familiar with a new learning environment before they can actually benefit from these technology advances; otherwise, new technology will confuse and distract, instead of helping, its users, and slow the learning process. Agent based tutoring systems can overcome such technical obstacles between knowledge and common users. Then, users are able to focus on information and knowledge that they are interested in and try to learn. Unlike traditional tutoring systems characterized by a stand alone approach, i.e. autonomous and complete in itself, an agent as a software entity can work continuously and autonomously in a particular environment usually occupied by other agents. And, an agent as a software entity is able to interact with its environment in a flexible and intelligent way without demanding constant human interference or orientation. An agent working continuously for long periods of time should be able to learn from experience. In sharing its environment with other agents, it should be able to communicate and cooperate with them. Therefore, an agent can have the following attributes: reactiveness, autonomy, cooperative behavior, communication ability at knowledge level, interference competence, temporal continuity, personality, adaptability, and mobility. All of these properties will make an agent based tutoring system more effective and efficient (Silveira, 1998) Agent based human machine interaction was first commonly used in the 1930s, in such applications as autopilot systems, etc. Such agents aided or performed some automatic and simple tasks that human beings would otherwise perform. A human operator will perform supervisory tasks (involving cognitive processing and situation awareness skills) instead of old manipulation tasks (usually involving sensory motor skills) (Sheridan, 1992) The use of software agents as intelligent assistant systems was proposed (Alchourron, 1985) to facilitate human computer interaction to transfer information, as well as human human interaction for better understanding through new software technology. The adoption of agents in an educational and tutoring 14 more pages are available in the full version of this document, which may be purchased using the "Add to Cart" button on the product's webpage: www.igi global.com/chapter/knowledge management agentbased tutoring/8184?camid=4v1 This title is available in InfoSci Books, InfoSci Educational Technologies, Virtual Learning Environments, Library Science, Information Studies, and Education, InfoSciEducation, InfoSci Select, InfoSci Select. Recommend this product to your librarian: www.igi global.com/e resources/libraryrecommendation/?id=1