Adaptive On-Line Help for Embedded Instructional Systems

Abstract

The US. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has long recognized the benefits of computer-aided design (CAD) systems, and has encouraged its design architect/engineers (A/Es) to use this technology. However, traditional methods of training A/Es to use CAD have had only limited success, so USACE has investigated and developed various innovative, nontraditional methods. One such method, on-line embedded instruction, uses CAD software as the delivery medium for an on-line tutorial program. This report discusses an on-line tutorial program developed for the Corps' standard CAD system, Intergraph MicroStation. An innovative feature of the Corps' tutorial program is its adaptive on-line help function, which includes both procedural and conceptual help material, presented to the user on the basis of his or her degree of CAD experience. The effectiveness of this tutorial was investigated in a USACE Technology Transfer Test Bed (T3B) demonstration, with particular attention on the adaptive on-line help function. Findings indicate that the adaptive help function was effective for most test participants, but it could probably be modified to better address the needs of certain categories of learners.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA243675

Entities

People

  • Der- Shung Yang
  • Doris S. Shaw
  • Julie L. Webster
  • L. M. Golish

Organizations

  • Construction Engineering Research Laboratory

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Army Corps Of Engineers
  • Computer Programs
  • Computer-Aided Design
  • Computer-Aided Instruction
  • Computers
  • Construction
  • Control Systems
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • Instructions
  • Materials
  • Standards
  • Students
  • Technology Transfer
  • Test Beds
  • Training

Readers

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  • Instructional Design and Training Evaluation.
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