Title: Example-based feedback provision using structured solution spaces

Authors: Sebastian Gross; Bassam Mokbel; Benjamin Paassen; Barbara Hammer; Niels Pinkwart

Addresses: Department of Informatics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany ' CITEC Cognitive Interaction Technology Center of Excellence, Bielefeld University, Inspiration 1 (Zehlendorfer Damm 199), 33594 Bielefeld, Germany ' CITEC Cognitive Interaction Technology Center of Excellence, Bielefeld University, Inspiration 1 (Zehlendorfer Damm 199), 33594 Bielefeld, Germany ' CITEC Cognitive Interaction Technology Center of Excellence, Bielefeld University, Inspiration 1 (Zehlendorfer Damm 199), 33594 Bielefeld, Germany ' Department of Informatics, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany

Abstract: Intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) typically rely on a formalised model of the underlying domain knowledge in order to provide feedback to learners adaptively to their needs. This approach implies two general drawbacks: the formalisation of a domain-specific model usually requires a huge effort, and in some domains it is not possible at all. In this paper, we propose feedback provision strategies in absence of a formalised domain model, motivated by example-based learning approaches. We demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of these strategies in several studies with experts and students. We discuss how, in a set of solutions, appropriate examples can be automatically identified and assigned to given student solutions via machine learning techniques in conjunction with an underlying dissimilarity metric. The plausibility of such an automatic selection is evaluated in an expert survey, while possible choices for domain-agnostic dissimilarity measures are tested in the context of real solution sets of Java programs. The quantitative evidence suggests that the proposed feedback strategies and automatic example assignment are viable in principle, further user studies in large-scale learning environments being the subject of future research.

Keywords: example-based feedback; machine learning; intelligent tutoring systems; ITS; prototype-based clustering; feedback provision; structured solution spaces; example-based learning; Java programs; automatic example assignment; learner feedback.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLT.2014.065752

International Journal of Learning Technology, 2014 Vol.9 No.3, pp.248 - 280

Published online: 27 Nov 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article