An expert system shell to teach problem solving

W , hile current educational approaches pose severe problems for the future, already dubbed the information age, expert systems are rapidly becoming common tools in business and training. Very few people have considered using the construction of knowledge systems as an instructional process to facilitate the acquisition of procedural knowledge and problemsolving skills in difficult topics. Formulating the rule-base for such a system forces one to isolate the essential elements and to focus on important relationships in such a way that one comes to a very clear understanding of the structure and organization of the content. Many of the recommendations discussed in current problem-solving research and national reports on the status of education are contained in this new instructional process. The paper presents some data of its effectiveness and benefit, and illustrates the features of the expert system shell that has beenj developed for this purpose. It is a promising instructional process that is both inexpensive and easy to use.