Incorporating tutoring principles into interactive knowledge acquisition

• Published in: International journal of human-computer studies Vol. 65; no. 10; pp. 852 - 872
• Main Authors: Kim, Jihie, Gil, Yolanda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Artificial intelligence; Computer science; control theory; systems; Computer systems and distributed systems. User interface; Exact sciences and technology; Interactive knowledge acquisition; Procedural knowledge; Software; Procedural knowledge; Interactive knowledge acquisition; Educational software program; Compilation; Knowledge acquisition; User interface; User assistance; Man machine dialogue; Proactive service; Interactive system
• ISSN: 1071-5819; 1095-9300
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2007.06.003

This paper argues that interactive knowledge acquisition systems would benefit from a tighter and more thorough incorporation of tutoring and learning principles. Current acquisition systems learn from users in a passive manner, and could instead be designed to incorporate the proactive capabilities that one expects of a good student. We first describe our analysis of the literature on teacher–student interaction and present a compilation of tutoring and learning principles that are relevant to interactive knowledge acquisition systems. We then point out what tutoring and learning principles have been used to date in the acquisition literature, though unintentionally and implicitly, and discuss how a more thorough and explicit representation of these principles would help improve how computers learn from users. We present our design and an initial implementation of an acquisition dialogue system called SLICK that represents acquisition principles and goals explicitly and declaratively, making the system actively reason about various acquisition tasks and generate its interactions dynamically. Finally, we discuss promising directions in designing acquisition systems by structuring interactions with users according to tutoring and learning principles.