Cognitive Tutors

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Cognitive Tutors

• A Presentation by Elizabeth Cole, Srujana
  Penumetcha, Peter Smith, and Benjamin Strassmann

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What are cognitive tutors?

• Computer models for interactive learning that
  improve skills and ability by providing
  personalized feedback

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A Real Life Situation

• Fraction Example

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How has the technology evolved?

• Transition from actual classes to online classes
• Example AlcoholEdu
• Provides personalized feedback
• Started as an accessory to the class now its
  replacing the class
• Change in the purpose of development

5
History

• Carnegie Learning's Cognitive Tutors were
  developed at Carnegie Mellon University as part
  of a research project by world-renowned cognitive
  scientists who were testing a theory of how
  people learn.

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History (continued)

• Early 1980s Carnegie Mellon takes the work of
  John R. Anderson and begins work on geometry
  tutors.
• Kenneth Koedinger (who is still a professor at
  Carnegie Mellon) completed his dissertation on
  cog. tutors in 1986.
• In 1987, the first case-study is done in Texas.
• 1992-1995, Pittsburgh gets its first sample of
  cog. tutors.
• In 1998, Carnegie Learning, Inc. is founded for
  market-based research.
• In 2004, the Algebra I cog. tutor program is
  extended to 2000 schools across the United States.

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Advantages
8
Advantages (continued)
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Advantages (continued)

• Frees up teacher to focus on more advanced
  courses or to answer any questions that the cog.
  tutor cannot.
• Students who complete the cognitive tutor for
  algebra are more confident of their mathematics
  skills and more likely to see uses of mathematics
  outside of school.

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Disadvantages

• Eliminate the necessary parameter of interaction
  between other students
• No collaboration with peers
• No feedback from actual teachers
• Lack of development of social skills from
  decreased human communication
• Increased sense of isolation from sitting in
  front of a computer screen for long periods of
  time

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Disadvantages (continued)

• Expensive technology
• High start-up fee for installation
• Not applicable to all types of people - i.e. must
  know how to work a computer
• Computers cant compete with a human in terms of
  knowledge
• Costly to buy programs in multiple subjects
• Immovable location (cant do homework without the
  presence of a specific computer)

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Are cognitive tutors are good?

• We as a group agree that it is a much more
  efficient use of time to take rudimentary courses
  like alcohol education online on our own time.
• The use of a cognitive tutor in conjunction with
  the interaction of a real teacher will be
  significantly more effective in promoting
  learning, as shown in the graphs.

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Bibliography

• http//www.learnlab.org/uploads/mypslc/publication
  s/walker-aied-yrt-cameraready.pdf
• http//www.cartoonstock.com/directory/f/fraction.a
  sp
• http//ctat.pact.cs.cmu.edu/index.php?idtimeline
• http//ctat.pact.cs.cmu.edu/index.php?idfraction-
  addition
• http//www.carnegielearning.com/web_docs/summary_o
  f_results.pdf
• http//www.carnegielearning.com/approach_sci_based
  _research.cfm
• http//www.carnegielearning.com/web_docs/Results2
  0Evaluation20Presentation.ppt