VDM Barrow, D: Positive Feedback in Constraint-Based Tutors

Across many domains, Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) are used to facilitate practice, providing a customized learning environment and personal tutoring experience for students to learn. Current ITSs are built around cognitive learning theories including Ohlsson's theory on learning from performance errors and Anderson's ACT theories of skill acquisition which focus primarily on providing corrective feedback, facilitating learning by correcting errors. Research suggests that expert and experienced tutors use positive feedback quite effectively. This book investigates positive feedback; learning by capturing and responding to correct behavior, supported by cognitive learning theories. We develop and implement a systematic approach to delivering positive feedback in ITSs in particular SQL-Tutor, a constraint-based tutor teaching design of Structured Query Language (SQL) database queries. We present results from an evaluation study conducted at the University of Canterbury involving approximately 55 students. Results of the study show that positive feedback results in increased amount of learning over a shorter period of time and improves the effectiveness of learning in ITSs.