Algebra Tutor User’s manual

Tutor – Student Dialog Interaction between the Tutor and Student takes the form of a dialog consisting of : Question or direction from Tutor Respons from student which can be : Answer to the question Content question about problem domain Procedural question last Tutor question or direction.

Dialog Template for Tutor utterances Greeting & Prompt for student name Prompt for problem type from pick list Prompt for problem instance from pick list Show problem statement and prompt for equation from pick list Prompt for variable values from problem statement, making substitutions for correct entries and leaving one or zero unknowns Prompt for equation operation from pick list, e.g. “Divide both sides” by input parameter. “Good job” or consolation as a function of student performance.

Initial Screen Student clicks Tutor button to initiate dialog

Greeting Tutor greets student and prompts for student name Greeting Tutor greets student and prompts for student name. Changes Tutor button to End

Student responds with name and picked a problem type : distance

Student then selects a problem (Grand Prix) from distance problems

The next step is to select or type an equation for this problem type. The correct choice is d = s * t.

The analysis phase consists of reading the problem statement and identifying values from the statement for the equation variables.

First the student is asked to identify the value for time t First the student is asked to identify the value for time t. He/she responds by entering 3 in the textbox for the value of t and then clicking the t button. Note: The Tutor is recording the dialog.

Identifying the value of time from the statement.

Then 100 is substituted for speed s.

300 is substituted for d in the equation