Akihiro Kashihara

A cognitive load application in tutoring

Research on intelligent tutoring systems has mainly concentrated on how to reduce a cognitive load which a student will bear in learning a domain. This load reduction approach contributes to facilitating his/her learning. However the approach often fails to reinforce the students comprehension and retention. Another approach to tutoring is to apply a load to him/her purposefully. In this paper, we present a framework for cognitive load application and describe a demonstration system. The framework imposes a load on a student who tries to understand an explanation. The important point toward the load application is to provide the student with an optimal load that does not go beyond his/her capacity for understanding. This requires controlling the students load by means of explanations. In order to implement such load control, it is necessary to estimate how much load the explanation imposes on his/her understanding process. The load estimate depends on his/her understanding capability since the same explanation imposes a different load according to the capability. Therefore a student model representing his/her capability is required. This paper shows how our system accomplishes a proper load application by generating explanations with the load estimate.

An e-Learning Library on the Web

The main topic addressed in this paper is how to help learners select some instructive hypermedia-based learning resources according to their learning contexts from the Web. Our approach is to provide a digital library for web-based learning called e-Learning Library, which includes learning resource repository, local indexing, and adaptive navigation support. This aims to promote their learning with diverse learning resources involving a certain topic.

Providing Problem Explanation for ITS

This paper describes a problem solving model and a problem explanation facility. Mastering the use of a solution method plays a crucial role in the progress of human problem solving capability. Our research aims at accomplishing an ITS which assists a student to master the use of a solution method. A student who can solve an example problem cannot always solve any exercise problems. Thus it becomes important to explain the equivalence between the two problems. In order to realize the explanation, we propose a problem solving model referred to as MIPS which provides a framework and vocabularies for describing the process of solution method selection. A problem solving module and a problem explanation module have been already implemented based on MIPS. The problem solving module is capable of solving several kinds of arithmetical word problems. Moreover, it describes the process of solution method selection. The problem explanation module derives the problem explanation from the description.

Stabilizing student knowledge in open structured CAI

Abstract This paper describes STAR, a system for stabilizing student knowledge in mixed initiative CAI application. The system characterizes knowledge as existing at three levels of stability: required, ambiguous or stable. The primary instructional objective of the system is to improve the stability level of student knowledge. The knowledge acquisition environment utilizes target domain knowledge and knowledge acquired from the student to generate a dynamic student model. The student model, in turn, guides the selection of appropriate instructional strategies. The operation of the system is demonstrated using an English vocabulary development activity.

Learner-Created Scenario for Investigative Learning with Web Resources

Web brings about a lot of opportunities for learners to investigate a topic with Web resources to learn. Such investigative learning process involves creating a scenario that explains what to and how to investigate with Web resources. However, it is quite difficult for the learners to create their own learning scenario concurrent with knowledge construction from the contents of the resources. The main issue addressed in this paper is how to scaffold learning scenario creation. This paper presents a model of investigative learning, which induces learners to create the learning scenario by decomposing the topic into sub-topics to be learned while searching and learning the Web resources. This paper also demonstrates an interactive learning scenario builder, which provides a scaffold for the learners to build their own scenario in learning with Web resources.

Back-review support method for presentation rehearsal support system

We have been developed the peer review support system for a presentation rehearsal. The purpose of the systems is to refine presenters knowledge and presentation through a review work of the peer review results as a feedback. For the review work, the system have to organize a lot of comments accumulated in the peer review process, and represent them in an easy-to-understand way. In this paper, we discuss an annotation groping method based on a presentation structure, which for a back-review process after a presentation rehearsal.

Fadable scaffolding with cognitive tool

The main issue addressed in this paper is how to accumulate cognitive experiences of learning with cognitive tool to develop learning skill. Cognitive tool gives learners a scaffold for learning process, which allows them to externalize/visualize the process or results of learning and to reify the learning process. Such reification enables the learners to gain cognitive experience of learning. This paper discusses a fadable scaffolding method for accumulating such experiences, in which functions available on the tool are fadable in a learner-adaptable way.

Adaptive Postviewer for Constructive Learning in Hyperspace

Self-directed learning in hyperspace requires learners to monitor their navigation process involving knowledge construction, which they have carried out so far, since what and how they have learned becomes hazy as the navigation progresses. Although the reflective monitoring is an important activity in the self-directed learning, it is hard for them to keep it during navigating pages. The main issue addressed here is how to support the reflective monitoring. Our approach to this issue is to provide learners with the postviews of their knowledge construction adapted to their navigation process. Following the idea of adaptive postviewing, we have proposed an adaptive postviewer for self-directed learning with existing web-based resources. It generates page postviews and knowledge map, which display information suitable for their reflective monitoring to promote the constructive learning in hyperspace.

Scaffolding learning scenario building with Web resources

Investigative learning with Web resources requires learners to build a learning scenario. However, it is quite difficult for them. This paper proposes a scaffolding method for promoting the learning scenario building concurrent with learning the Web resources.

Cognitive effects of concept map generation with pseudo-haptic feedback

Generating a concept map from instructional material is an effective way to understand the relationships among the concepts embedded in the material. However, there are several attributes such as importance of concepts or relationships between them in the materials that learners would often miss even in concept map generation. The purpose of this work is to give learners with pseudo-haptic feedback in the concept map generation process to enhance an awareness of such attributes. This paper discusses how to provide learners with pseudo-haptic feedback via touch operations for concept map generation with tablet media and what kind of cognitive effects the pseudo-haptic feedback could produce. In addition, this paper reports a case study with the tool we have developed on iPad. The results suggest the possibility of providing pseudo-haptic feedback and its cognitive effects.