A Framework for the Automatic Generation of Software Tutoring

Interactive Systems present an ever increasing complexity both to their users as well as to their designers. These systems may require a great effort to be mastered by a new user. Therefore, some kind of tutoring for these applications must be provided, in such a way that it does not represent duplicating the work of the designer. This paper describes an approach for automatically generating a tutoring system for the tasks defined in an application, using some particular information on tutoring that these tasks may have. At the same time an editor of these tasks is provided to the designer. The kind of tutoring automatically generated has a variable degree of flexibility in face of user actions, according to the designer's criteria, and it is performed using the real application, not a simulation. This means that the final user can actually work while he is learning how to perform a task. The ideas here presented have been implemented in two small prototypes, Teach me While I Work (TWIW) and Task Models Editor (TME). Keywords Software tutoring, task models, user interface design, interactive systems specification, programming by demonstration