Authoring Model-Tracing Cognitive Tutors

Abstract. Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) that employ a model-tracing methodology have consistently shown their effectiveness. However, what evidently makes these tutors effective, the cognitive model embedded within them, has traditionally been difficult to create, requiring great expertise and time, both of which come at a cost. Furthermore, an interface has to be constructed that communicates with the cognitive model. Together these constitute a high bar that needs to be crossed in order to create such a tutor. We outline a system that lowers this bar on both accounts and which has been used to produce commercial-quality tutors. First, we discuss a tool that allows authors who are not cognitive scientists or programmers to create a cognitive model, including an evaluation of that tool. Second, we detail a way for this cognitive model to communicate with third-party interfaces