Evaluating a collaborative constraint-based tutor for UML class diagrams

Abstract. COLLECT-UML is a collaborative constraint-based tutor for teaching object-oriented analysis and design using Unified Modelling Language. It is the first system in the family of constraint-based tutors to represent a higher-level skill such as collaboration using constraints. We present the full evaluation study carried out at the University of Canterbury to assess the effectiveness of the system in teaching UML class diagrams and good collaboration. The results show that COLLECT-UML is an effective educational tool. In addition to improved problem-solving skills, the participants both acquired declarative knowledge about good collaboration and did collaborate more effectively. The participants have enjoyed working with the system and found it a valuable asset to their learning. 1 COLLECT-UML COLLECT-UML [1, 2] is a web-based collaborative constraint-based tutor, teaching Object-Oriented (OO) analysis and design using Unified Modelling Language (UML). Constraint-based tutors have been successfully used in the past to support individual learning in a variety of domains. COLLECT-UML is the first constraint-based tutor supporting collaborative learning. This paper briefly describes the system and presents a full evaluation study conducted at the University of Canterbury to examine th