Learning how to solve linear equations by teaching the computer: Development and formative evaluation

Most Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) are designed in such a way that the system's (teacher's) role is active and the learner's role is passive. This study reverses this trend so that students function as active learners who are guided to learn by teaching a computer. For the task of solving linear equations, the study was run on a system that is a hybrid of Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI) and peer tutoring: Linear Kid. In this learning environment, three agents come into play in the peer tutoring stage: the student, the computer learner and the computer coach. After the students watch how the computer system solves a set of tasks, Linear Kid helps the student act as a teacher in order to learn more about the subject matter. Linear Kid is designed by employing a term-rewriting system based on a production system architecture. To provide user feedback, the system matches the student's responses with the correct rules of an expert by adopting a simplified version of an overlay model as a student model.The overall framework and an ongoing version of Linear Kid was tested in two sites in a formative evaluation involving two schools: (a) School A, a public high school in a medium-size city and (b) School B, a selective public high school operated by a major university. The evaluation explored the actual use of the system from the high school students' perspectives and pursued the results to enhance future versions of Linear Kid. The methodology includes analysis of interviews, surveys, and analysis of on-line data recorded by the system. Qualitative findings indicate that there are diverse differences among students given several dimensions: (a) problem solving, (b) learning contexts, and (c) reactions to the use of Linear Kid. Statistical findings also include the analysis of attitudes toward the use of Linear Kid and group differences emerging from the on-line data. Finally, the study concludes with discussions of a theoretical learning-by-teaching framework and recommendations for how the Linear Kid prototype can adequately be integrated into student learning processes.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio