Two Approaches for Providing Adaptive Support for Discussion in an Ill-Defined Domain

Intelligent tutoring systems have increased student learning in many domains with well-structured tasks such as math and science. As these successes may be applicable to ill-defined domains, is important to investigate how to apply tutoring paradigms for tasks that are ill-defined. We focus on the domain of intercultural competence, where asynchronous online discussion is a typical instructional task. We explore two methods of assessing student contributions and delivering feedback: an adaptive support system that provides individual feedback, and a peer moderator from the class supported by adaptive assistance. We report on our initial experience in two pilots of these systems, where we found promise that students may benefit from each approach.