Seamless Integration of Exercise Problems to the Proficiency Level of the Learner

Distance learners in traditional online exercise and tutoring systems often get stuck with questions for which they need the help of a tutor or colleague. Learning alone can also be frustrating. In our Communication And Tutoring System, CATS, we have integrated the possibility to dial up a tutor and/or to set up immediate group communication with other distance learners using Internet videoconferencing technology. To find an appropriate partner, we have implemented a measurement algorithm that keeps track of the performance level of a learner by measuring the percentage of correct answers, the reliability with which the learner answers the questions, and the time he/she takes. From these measures we derive a unified performance parameter that controls the presentation of the next set of questions. These are then generated dynamically by CATS. In this paper we explain our pedagogical approach and present the architecture and implementation of the CATS system