Project Activities
Structured Abstract
Setting
Sample
Key measures
Data analytic strategy
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
Products: Products include the three versions of the VTG system integrated into the SimScientist learning platform: one that replicates the assistance approach already embedded in the existing VTG design; the second that responds to students contingent on their responses (termed the Contingency Tutoring Version); and the third that interacts with the student based on the system's "knowledge representation" of that student (termed the Model-driven Version.)
Book chapter
Quellmalz, E.S., Silberglitt, M.D., Buckley, B.C., Loveland, M.T., and Brenner, D. (2016). Simulations for Assessing and Supporting Science Literacy. In Y. Rosen, S. Ferrara, and M. Mosharraf (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Computational Tools for Real-World Skill Development (pp. 191-229). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Proceeding
McLaren, B.M., Timms, M., Weihnacht, D., and Brenner, D. (2012). Exploring the Assistance Dilemma in an Inquiry Learning Environment for Evolution Theory. In Proceedings of the Workshop on Intelligent Support for Exploratory Environments 2012: Exploring, Collaborating and Learning Together at the 11th International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems. New York: Springer.
McLaren, B.M., Timms, T., Weihnacht, D., Brenner, D., Luttgen, K., Grillo-Hill, A., and Brown, D.H. (2014). A Web-Based System to Support Inquiry Learning: Towards Determining How Much Assistance Students Need. In Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Computer-Supported Education, Volume 1 (pp. 43-52). Setubal, Portugal: Science and Technology Publications.
Journal article
Brenner, D. G., Matlen, B. J., Timms, M. J., Gochyyev, P., Grillo-Hill, A., Luttgen, K., & Varfolomeeva, M. (2017). Modeling Student Learning Behavior Patterns in an Online Science Inquiry Environment. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 22(3), 405ndash;425.
Supplemental information
Co-Principal Investigator: Doug Weihnacht
Scholarly reports of the findings will also be produced.
Research Designs and Method: During the iterative development of the two assistance systems, researchers will conduct three design studies that will allow them to test initial designs and make subsequent design revisions based on results. Feasibility Study 1 will test preliminary designs for the model-driven tutor to determine the extent to which the initial assumptions made about predicted student behavior in the context of VTG match what students actually do when they work with the VTG tasks and interface. Feasibility Study 2 will test how well VTG's contingency tutoring model and its Bayesian tutoring model work in terms of their accuracy at assessing student proficiencies in the key assessment target areas. This study will ask if both systems function as expected or if they need additional refinement. A Pilot Study will be conducted once the project has integrated VTG with the SimScientists learning management system and has completed the first two feasibility studies and refined the initial tutoring designs. The Pilot Study will then implement a quasi-experimental design.
Questions about this project?
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