EXAMINING THE USE OF CONCEPTUAL GRAPHS IN ADAPTIVE WEB-BASED SYSTEMS THAT AID TERMINOLOGY LEARNING

Abstract

This paper discussed the use of Conceptual Graphs (CGs) for implementing tasks employed in web-based educational systems that aid terminology learning. Specifically, we focus on two critical issues in intelligent tutoring - student diagnosis and generation of adaptive explanations. Both tasks are demonstrated in terminological domains where learners have to familiarize themselves with concepts in a specific subject area (e.g. computing, finance, chemistry). Based on CG reasoning, robust and computationally tractable algorithms for student modelling and adaptive explanation generation are defined. Two intelligent systems are presented — STyLE-OLM and HYLITE+. STyLE-OLM is an interactive learner modelling system that extracts extended models of the learners' cognition. HYLITE+ is a natural language generation system that generates adaptive Web pages based on a learner model(LM). The two systems are complementary and have been implemented separately. However, considered together they cover most of the key tasks in adaptive web-based educational hypermedia that aid learning technical terminology. Based on evaluative studies of STyLE-OLM and HYLITE+, the use of CGs for interactive open student modelling and adaptive concept explanations is examined. The applicability of CGs in adaptive web-based systems that aid learning technical terminology is discussed.