On-Line Assessment of Expertise.

Abstract

There was one major objective during this report period, to develop the assessment techniques for the qualitative problem solving, problem classification, and difficulty estimation activities. As noted in previous quarterly progress reports, these tasks reflect complex processes for which there are no established fine-grained cognitive models. When solving qualitative problems (no math), our cognitive task analysis suggest that students not only do deductive reasoning common to other physics problems, but they also do proofs by contradiction, extrapolation, interpolation, Forbus-like qualitative process modeling, qualitative algebra, case-based reasoning, and several others. Further, both the difficulty estimation and the problem classification involve planning solutions without actually generating them. Because fine-grained models of all these processes are not yet available, we have developed preliminary assessment techniques using existing cognitive and pedagogical models. We will continue to use such techniques until more fine-grained models are available.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 07, 1994
Accession Number
ADA274684

Entities

People

  • Joel Martin
  • Kurt VanLehn

Organizations

  • University of Pittsburgh

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Classification
  • Cognition
  • Extrapolation
  • Interpolation
  • Mathematical Analysis
  • Mathematics
  • Mental Processes
  • Numerical Analysis
  • Psychological Phenomena And Processes
  • Reasoning
  • Task Performance And Analysis
  • Thinking

Readers

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computational Modeling and Simulation