TCE     
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The Chemical Educator
ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)
Abstract Volume 7
Issue 6 (2002) pp 379-383
Quantitative Impact of a Cognitive Modeling Intelligent Tutoring System on Student Performance in Balancing Chemical Equations
Mary Beth Walsh,† Connie M. Moss,‡ Benny G. Johnson,§,* Dale A. Holder,§ and Jeffry D. Madura†
†Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and ‡Department
of Foundations and Leadership, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282;
§Quantum Simulations, Inc., 5275 Sardis Road, Murrysville,
PA 15668, johnson@quantumsimulations.com
Received June 24, 2002. Accepted October 5, 2002
Published online: 24 October 2002
Abstract. The need for
improved interactive tutoring capabilities in educational software for
chemistry problem solving is an important one clearly articulated by
teachers and students. To deliver the next generation of individualized
interactive capabilities users demand, it is necessary to go beyond
the conventional computer-assisted instruction methodology. The focus
of this paper is the assessment with first-semester general chemistry
students of a recently developed artificial intelligence (AI) tutor
for balancing chemical equations. This is the first such assessment
of an AI-based learning tool in chemistry. Students in CHEM 121 in the
Fall 2001 semester at Duquesne University (N = 273) participated
in the study. Students were divided into a test group that used the
AI tutor as part of their study activities and a control group that
did not use the tutor. It was found that the tutor improved the performance
of the test group students to a statistically significant degree, helping
the weakest students the most. This study establishes the feasibility
of an AI-based approach to creating advanced new tutoring software for
chemistry problem solving. Access to a Web-based demonstration of the
equation-balancing tutor may be obtained by emailing the corresponding
author.
Key Words: Computers in Chemistry; general chemistry; high school chemistry; artificial antelligence; cognitive apprenticeship; computer assisted instruction
(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: johnson@quantumsimulations.com)
Article in PDF format (435 KB) HTML format
Issue date: December
1, 2002
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