Felipe de Morais

Rule-based expert systems to support step-by-step guidance in algebraic problem solving: The case of the tutor PAT2Math

In order for an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) to correct students’ exercises, it must know how to solve the same type of problems that students do and the related knowledge components. It can, thereby, compare the desirable solution with the student’s answer. This task can be accomplished by an expert system. However, it has some drawbacks, such as an exponential complexity time, which impairs the desirable real-time response. In this paper we describe the expert system (ES) module of an Algebra ITS, called PAT2Math. The ES is responsible for correcting student steps and modeling student knowledge components during equations problem solving. Another important function of this module is to demonstrate to students how to solve a problem. In this paper, we focus mainly on the implementation of this module as a rule-based expert system. We also describe how we reduced the complexity of this module from O(nd) to O(d), where n is the number of rules in the knowledge base, by implementing some meta-rules that aim at inferring the operations students applied in order to produce a step. We evaluated our approach through a user study with forty-three seventh grade students. The students who interacted with our tool showed statistically higher scores on equation solving tests, after solving algebra exercises with PAT2Math during an approximately two-hour session, than students who solved the same exercises using only paper and pencil.

Dicas inteligentes no Sistema Tutor Inteligente PAT2Math

The keynotes goal is to reflect on emergent opportunities for human Discovery (in science), Creativity (in art & industry), and Learning (in education) as processes often occurring serendipitously in individuals and in communities empowered by dynamic Web connections in the global village. These reflections seem to fit best with the mandate of the CBIE Conference: sustainable education.Este trabalho apresenta uma evolucao do assistente inteligente SAE para inferir e fornecer orientacao pedagogica coerente com varias metodologias educacionais, superando uma dificuldade tradicional para este tipo de software, alem de fornecer mais apoio ao ensino-aprendizagem personalizado.O artigo fundamenta-se nos resultados do processo de desenvolvimento de um ambiente web de aprendizagem, ja modelado em dissertacao de mestrado (CABRAL,2006). O sistema tem por objetivo facilitar o acompanhamento das atividades que envolvem a definicao e a elaboracao de pre-projetos de Trabalhos de Conclusao de Curso (TCC). Para atingir tal objetivo o sistema e baseado em uma camada de agentes inteligentes que atuam como colaboradores para execucao de todas as atividades necessarias ao desenvolvimento do TCC. Para que esses agentes atuem de forma satisfatoria no ambiente e necessario o estabelecimento de um processo de comunicacao que possibilite aos agentes agirem em um nivel conceitual mais proximo do ser humano. Dessa forma, este artigo expoe os resultados obtidos ao longo do desenvolvimento dos agentes computacioniais e seus mecanismos de comunicacao.Este artigo descreve o projeto de desenvolvimento de jogo educativo baseado em metodologias participativas, pelas quais estudantes da rede publica de ensino medio idealizam, projetam e desenvolvem prototipos de um jogo sobre Sistema Imunologico e virus da Dengue. O objetivo da pesquisa e verificar os impactos do processo sobre a aprendizagem dos estudantes.O objetivo deste artigo e apresentar resultados de estudo de um caso exploratorio, realizado junto aos alunos de uma Instituicao de Ensino Superior. Como resultados, foram levantados indicadores de avaliacao do Sistema de EaD e identificados problemas, segundo a percepcao dos alunos. A partir dos resultados destaca-se que a Universidade desconhece a metodologia ITIL® e que seria fundamental que fosse implantada uma estrategia do servico (fase inicial da ITIL®), conduzindo a melhoria continua do servico e da infra-estrutura da Universidade.O facil acesso as informacoes devido a difusao da internet possibilita o enriquecimento intelectual, mas por vezes acaba por ser um meio de usufruir do conhecimento de outrem sem mencionar seus creditos/direitos autorais, o que por fim acaba na configuracao do plagio. O plagio no meio academico e uma tarefa dificil de ser controlada, devido o grande numero de trabalhos que sao feitos por uma vasta quantidade de alunos e tambem pelo excesso de tarefas dos professores e pelo pouco tempo que conseguem dedicar para o controle da qualidade e autenticidade dos trabalhos. Com isso, e importante contar com softwares que auxiliem no processo de verificacao de indicios de plagio, desta maneira o presente trabalho vislumbra desenvolver uma nova ferramenta de analise de indicios de plagio bem como aprimorar o metodo DIP – Detector de Indicios de Plagio para auxiliar o docente na verificacao da autenticidade dos trabalhos.A Neuropedagogia promove o confronto sucessivo e simultâneo entre concepcoes tacitas, crencas e valores normativos com esquemas inovadores, criando um espaco entropico e poetico no âmbito da experiencia humana. A natureza da ciencia neuropedagogica exige um modelo fractal de construcao de mundo, sustentado pelo prazer da perplexidade. Busca-se a geratriz e as leis de formacao para atingir a unanimidade sobre o conceito de educacao de pessoas com alta dotacao humana, impossivel de se concretizar, sem o recurso das ideologias filosoficas, cientificas e tecnologias aliadas as eticas.In this talk I will elaborate on the development, implementation and evaluation of the use of online tools for learning, with special attention to games and gamification, sharing and collaboration.

Exploring Gamification to Prevent Gaming the System and Help Refusal in Tutoring Systems

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) have shown to be almost as effective as one-to-one tutoring. Nonetheless, the students’ improper use of the ITS help system and its intelligent assistance, i. e. gaming the system or help refusal, can impair learning. This paper presents the use of gamification elements, more specifically, points and difficulty levels, as an approach to prevent the behaviors of gaming the system (help abuse and trial-and-error) and help refusal. This system was integrated into a step-based algebraic ITS and it was evaluated in an experiment, during six weeks, involving 60 students from three classes of the \(7^{th}\) year of an elementary school. Each class of students was assigned to one of the three groups: fully gamified, partially gamified and non-gamified, being that they differ by the level of gamification implemented. The students in the two gamified groups had a lower rate of trial-and-error behavior than the non-gamified group. However, we haven’t found statistically significant difference between the fully and partially gamified groups for the trial and error. Also, no differences were observed between the gamified groups and the non-gamified one for the help refusal and help abuse behaviors. The results of this research confirm previous finding that gamification can be used as a non-restrictive approach for the trial-and-error behavior, a form of gaming. On the other hand, we were not able to show that gamification can prevent help refusal and abuse.

The Use of Handwriting Input in Math Tutoring Systems: An Use Case with PAT2Math

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) for Math still use traditional methods of input, such as computer keyboard and mouse. This strategy exposes students to a high extraneous cognitive load, due to the way the students are used to work, what could impair their learning. This paper presents a tool for Math ITSs that uses the student handwriting as data input. This tool was integrated into PAT2Math, an algebraic ITS, for an experimental evaluation in a public school with 48 students. It followed a design of control and experimental groups with pre and post-tests and a post questionnaire. Although our results have shown statistically significant improvement in student learning gains in both groups, no difference between groups was found. However, questionnaire responses suggest that handwriting provides a greater facility to the insertion of equations into ITSs for Math if compared with traditional methods (i.e., keyboard and mouse).

Computação Afetiva aplicada à Educação: uma revisão sistemática das pesquisas publicadas no Brasil

This paper aims to perform a survey of the scientific work carried out in the last 15 years in the area of Affective Computing in the context of Computers in Education. For this, a systematic mapping was carried out in the main scientific databases of the area in Brazil, being the SBIE, WIE and RBIE, which are events and journal of CEIE. Based on six research objectives, 53 articles were selected. After being analyzed, according to previously defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 24 articles were selected. From these, the data was mined, aiming to answer the research questions of this work. As a result, the current state of art in Affective Computing was presented. In addition, it was presented the Affective Socio-Dimensions taken into consideration in the selected papers, a map containing the types of studies and the research objectives and, finally, the presentation of the main authors and research groups in the area of Affective Computing in Brazil. Resumo. Este artigo tem como objetivo realizar um levantamento dos trabalhos científicos brasileiros, realizados nos últimos 15 anos, na área da Computação Afetiva no contexto de Informática na Educação. Para isso, foi realizado um mapeamento sistemático nos principais veículos brasileiros de divulgação científica na área, sendo eles o SBIE, WIE e a RBIE, veículos mantidos pela Comissão Especial de Informática na Educação da SBC. Inicialmente, foram coletados 53 artigos, dos quais 24 foram selecionados para análise. Como resultado, foi apresentado o atual estado da arte em Computação Afetiva em relação aos estados afetivos e outros fenômenos socioafetivos levados em considerações nos trabalhos. Também foram desenvolvidos um mapa contendo os tipos de estudos e os objetivos de pesquisa e uma apresentação dos principais autores e grupos de pesquisas na área da Computação Afetiva aplicada à Educação no Brasil.

The think aloud method for qualitative evaluation of an intelligent tutoring system interface

In an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS), the graphical user interface is the main mode of interaction between the program and the user. Thus, it is important to evaluate its usability, which is the systems efficiency and ease of use. For these evaluations, methods such as Nielsen heuristics and questionnaires are more recurrent. However, such procedures cannot detect problems that were not foreseen by the experimenters. This paper presents a case study using the protocol Think Aloud for the usability evaluation of the ITS PAT2Math. The case study showed that the protocol allows to obtain previously not foreseen information in relation to both functional questions of the graphical interface and to the emotions of the users. Think Aloud revealed to be an interesting approach to a formative evaluation of ITSs and other computer learning environments.

Avaliação de usabilidade do Sistema Tutor Inteligente PAT2Math

A interface grafica de um Sistema Tutor Inteligente e o principal meio de comunicacao do usuario com o sistema. Porem, para uma interface ser considerada intuitiva e facil de usar, ela deve ser submetida por um processo de avaliacao de usabilidade. Este artigo descreve uma avaliacao de usabilidade na interface grafica do Sistema Tutor Inteligente PAT2Math. Para essa avaliacao foi utilizado o metodo de avaliacao heuristica, o qual apontou varias limitacoes da interface em relacao a sua usabilidade. Como solucao para os problemas de usabilidade evidenciados foi desenvolvida uma nova interface grafica baseada na tecnologia HTML 5.

AB0491 High-resolution computed tomographic findings in patients with systemic sclerosis and their clinical correlations

Background The thorax high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is the preferred radiological examination in the evaluation of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in SSc. Although directed primarily to the lung involvement in this disease, HRCT can give information about the oesophagus functional status, trough the presence of oesophageal dilatation1. Recent studies suggest that HRCT may also be helpful in screening for pulmonary hypertension (PH) through the assessment of the fibrosis extent and the diameter of the main pulmonary artery (MPAD). Objectives To determine the prevalence of ILD and its different morphologic patterns in patients with SSc using HRCT. To correlate the presence of oesophageal dilatation, in the HRCT of these patients, with other clinical features communally associated to oesophageal dysfunction. To evaluate the imaging features on HRCT suggestive of PH and their comparison with echocardiograms with systolic pulmonary artery pressure (SPAP) measurements. Methods We retrospectively retrieved the database of patients with systemic sclerosis seen in our Rheumatology outpatient clinic of Santa Maria Hospital, Lisbon, between January 2007 and December 2012. Only patients who had HRCT of the chest, pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and echocardiograms, within 6 months of each other, were included in the study. The HRCT chest was interpreted by a chest radiologist. The lung involvement was classified according to the presence of morphologic patterns characteristic of the different Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias (IIPs). Oesophageal dilatation was defined as a luminal coronal diameter of ≥9 mm in infra-aortic oesophagus. The maximum diameter of the main pulmonary artery (MPAD) was measured and considered to be increased when ≥29 mm. SPAP was measured echocardiogram, and a value ≥35 mm Hg was considered PH. Results Forty five patients (42 women and 3 men), with a mean age of 55.4 ±15.5 years were included: 20 patients had limited SSc, 18 patients had diffuse SSc, 6 patients had Overlap Syndrome and 1 patient had SSc sine scleroderma. In 64.4% of patients was detected an IIP: 75.9% suggestive of NSIP, 13.8% suggestive of UIP and 10.3% unable to classify. There was no significant statistical difference between the presence of UIP or NSIP and the values of TLC (p 0.45) and DLCO (p 0.63) from the PFTs. Oesophageal dilatation was present in 68.9% of the patients, of which 90.3% had symptoms of dysphasia, esophageal motor dysfunction on manometry or oesophagitis in endoscopy. Also 28.5% of the patients without oesophageal dilatation in HRCT (31.1%) had these same clinical features. The MPAD was increased in 29.3% of the cases and only 41.7% of these patients had SPAP compatible with PH (all of them also with IIP). Conclusions Considering the results presented here, we conclude that NSIP is the most common IIP in SSc. Other findings in the HRCT, such as oesophageal dilatation, showed a high specificity for this organ involvement and dysfunction in SSc. An increased MPAD, measured in the HRCT of these patients, didn’t seem to be related with the presence of PH assessed by echocardiogram. References Pandey AK et al. Oesophageal dilatation on high-resolution CT chest in systemic sclerosis:what does it signify? J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol. 2011 Dec;55:551-5 Disclosure of Interest None Declared