0. Download the example -- the
Equation Tutor
(1) |
Download an example tutor from
here |
(2) |
Unzip the file and place it under ${CTAT}/Projects
where ${CTAT} is the root directory for the Cognitive Tutor
Authoring Tools.
You must see "lib", "FOIL6", "plugins", and some
other files under ${CTAT} |
1. Launch the Equation Tutor
(1) |
Go to the SimStEquation folder, which is placed
under the Projects folder. |
(2) |
Click on runTutor.bat
file. |
(3) |
If you see a pop-up window telling you there
exists a production rule file, click [No] to continue the example.
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Generally speaking, however, you may want to
do one of the following things.
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Click [Yes] if you want to save the
existing production rules. You'll see another dialogue
box to specify a file name.
Click [No] if you'd wish to discard the existing
production rules.
Click [Cancel] if you want to keep
the existing production rules. The Simulated Student
then would read the production rules, and update them
when you perform more demonstrations. |
Again, for this example tour, please just
click [No] if you see the above pop-up
window.
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(4) |
You should now see the
CTAT window and the Student Interface
for the Equation Tutor |
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CTAT window:

Student Interface for the Equation Tutor

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2. Activate the Simulated
Student
(1) |
From the Tutor Mode menu, select "Simulated
Student" to activate the Simulated Student

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(2) |
Click on the "Graph View"
tab.
The Graph View shows you a
behavior graph, through which you can communicate with
Simulated Student

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3. Create Start State
(1) |
Enter an equation to solve on the first row of
the table

For the sake of explanation, please enter
the exact same problem, which is "x+4=8," even when you
have strong preference to play around your very own problem!
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(2) |
From the [Graph] menu, select "Create Start
State"

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(3) |
When "Input" dialogue window pops up, enter the
problem name

Note: the problem name
can only contain alphabetic characters, digits, +, -, and _.
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(4) |
You should now see the start state in the Graph
View

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4. Demonstrate steps
To demonstrate a step, you need to do following things:
- Specify focus of attention
- Perform an action for the step
- Acknowledge feedback from Simulated Student
- Specify the name of the step (when necessary)
(1) |
Specify focus of attention You
must specify all elements shown on the GUI (Graphic User Interface)
that contribute to the step. Those elements are called
focus of attention.
To specify focus of attention, double click on the target GUI
element. You should see that they are highlighted with a blue
box.
For this example, double click on "x+4" and "8"

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(2) |
Perform an action for the step
Now, do what you need to do. Just like building an
Example-tracing Tutor, you need to perform an exact step here.
For this example, enter "x" in the 2nd left cell and press the
[Enter] key.

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(3) |
Acknowledge feedback from Simulated
Student When you demonstrate a step, the Simulated Student
try to model trace the step with the production rules generated so
far.
You see a pop-up window that tells if the attempt of model
tracing was successful or not.
At the moment of the example, since there has been no production
rules learned, the attempt should be failed hence you should see the
following message.
Simply click [OK].

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(4) |
Specify the name of the step (when
necessary) Now you should see that the state1 has
been created in the Graph View.

If you only see [sta...] instead of [state1],
click on the [sta...] box.
If you do not see [unnamed] box just above the [state1]
box, then go to the [View] menu, and select the [Skill Names]
option

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You need to name each step you demonstrate. Do the following:
1. Click on [unnamed] box and select "Edit Skill Name"

2. When a pop-up window appears, enter "add-lhs" as the skill
name and click [OK]

You should now see the following graph in the Graph View.

If you do not see the skill name changed on the graph even
after the pop-up window disappears, then simply place your mouse
cursor over the skill name box. |
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This completes the demonstration for a single step. Keep demonstrating
all other steps until you solve the problem completely.
For this example, only one more step to go! This time, you
demonstrate that entering 4 as the next step (yes, x+4=8 leads to x=4!).
Now, perform the following:
(5) |
Specify focus of attention over the following three elements

The way specifying
focus of attention is rather flexible if they are
consistent across the demonstrations. See the
reference manual to learn more about focus of attention.
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(6) |
Enter 4 and hit the [Enter] key

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(7) |
Acknowledge the Prod. System Check Message window by clicking
[OK] |
(8) |
Click on the [unnamed] box and select "Edit Skill Name."
Then, enter "add-rhs" as the skill name.

It may take longer than the previous step, but be patient
until the "Edit skill name" pop-up window disappears.
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(9) |
You should now see two complete steps in the Graph View just
like this:

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This completes the whole demonstration except the one last step, which is
the "Done" step described next.
5. Complete a solution -- Let
Simulated Student know that it's "Done"
When you finish solving a problem completely, you must tell the Simulated
Student that it's done by clicking [Done] button. The human students
must do the same thing. In other words, clicking done button is a part
of the problem-solving steps. Hence you must demonstrate when to press done
button.
Do the following for this example:
(1) |
Specify focus of attention. This time, the two cells in
the 2nd row is enough.

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(2) |
Click on the [Done] button

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(3) |
Acknowledge the Prod. System Check Message window by clicking
[OK] |
(4) |
Click on the [unnamed] box and select "Edit Skill Name."
Then, enter "done" as the skill name.

In general, you can
use any name as a skills name if the are consistent
across the demonstration. However, for this very
last step, which models clicking the [Done] button, the
skill name must be "done" |
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This completes the demonstration on the first problem. You should see the
following complete graph in the Graph View.

6. Provide more demonstrations
At this very moment, the Simulated Student has learned three rules,
which are called add-lhs, add-rhs, and done. So, if you demonstrate on
a new problem, the Simulated Student should be able to model trace your
steps! Let's see if this is really the case.
(1) |
Initiate a new problem Go to the
[File] menu and select "New Graph"

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(2) |
Save the current graph (optional)
If can save the above demonstrations, if you wish. To do so, click
on [Yes] for the "Save Current Behavior Graph" pop-up window.

Check "Save to Another Location" on and click [OK]

Save a file wherever you like.

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(3) |
Create a new problem So far, the Simulated Student has learned three rules.
Thus, providing more demonstration is not only for the Simulated
Student to learn, but also for you to test if the production rules
have been learned
correctly -- if you perform those three skills on a similar problem,
they must be successfully model traced.
Let's try x+3=5 as the next problem.

Do not forget to create a start state

Name the start state as you like.
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(4) |
Perform the 1st step (add-lhs) Double click on "x+3" and "5", and then
enter "x". Make sure to hit the [Enter] key to proceed.

You must be consistent in the
way to specify focus of attention. You have specified
two elements of focus of attention which are just above
the cell that is to be filled in. Since you are
demonstrating on the same skill, give the exact same
focus of attention here. |
This time, you should see affirmative feedback from the Simulated
Student saying that an attempt for model tracing was successful.

Also confirm that the expected skill name ("add-lhs") is shown in
the Skill Name box.

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(5) |
Perform the 2nd step (add-rhs)
Okay, then try the 2nd skill -- add-rhs.
To specify focus of attention, double click on "x+3", "5", and
"x". Then, enter "2" as the right hand side.

Now, wait a second!! The Simulated Student gives you a
negative feedback again!

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(6) |
Inspect the incorrect
production rule (optional) When you see unexpected response
from the Simulated Student, you may want to know what kind of
production rule has been learned.
You can inspect production rules with the "Conflict Tree" tool.
Click on the "Conflict Tree" tab.

Identify the production rule that you'd like to inspect -- in
this case, the rule "add-rhs" should have been matched.
Click on the red x for the rule of
interest. In this example, it is the top x
in the third column (labeled "I").

Now, you see that the production rule "add-rhs" was suggesting to
enter "3" where as you have entered "2".
It may be very confusing, but
the "Student" in the above figure means you, not the
Simulated Student. The "Rule" is indeed what the
Simulated Student expected for you to do. |
Now, you must be very curious why "3"?
Close the above window by clicking [OK]. And then, click on the
rule name (which, of course, is "add-rhs").

The "Why not?" window must pop-up.

The top pane shows an actual production production rule that has
been learned. The bottom half shows the bindings for each
variable in the production rule. (Don't worry if you have no idea
what I'm talking about... You wanted to use the Simulated
Student because you did not like to read the tasteless production
rules, anyways)
Scroll down the top pane to the very end

In summary, the production rule says to enter the last-term of
the left hand side, which is "3" of "x+3"!!
Remember what you were demonstrating? It was "x+4=8"
leading to "x=4". Ah huh! You have entered the last term
of "x+4" as the solution.
It is not demonstrated in this
example, but that the step was "successfully" model traced means there is a production
rule that has been matched with the step demonstrated. Note that this does
not necessarily mean that the matched production rule is correct. |
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(8) |
Correct the incorrect production rule
Now, you know that the rule "add-rhs" is not correctly learned.
You must tell Simulated Student that the step that has been just
demonstrated should be model traced with "add-rhs".
Go back to the Graph View (by clicking on the "Graph View" tab).
Let's specify the skill name.

Once the "Edit Skill name" window is poped-up, enter the skill
name for the state2. This time, you can select a name from the pull
down menu. This is indeed recommended to avoid a spell miss!

This signals the Simulated Student to relearn the "add-rhs"
production rule. |
(9) |
Keep demonstrating more steps and more
problems.
Now you know all essential things to play with the Simulated
Student. Go on and provide more demonstrations.
If you start to demonstrate a new problem, say, "x+4=6", you'd
see that all three steps are correctly model traced. |
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