Plug-able intelligent tutoring and authoring: an integrated approach to problem-based learning

Intelligent tutoring systems are sought to ease the imbalance created by higher demand of multi-disciplinary knowledge/skill transfer, and increasingly scarce resources in education. Configurable, Incremental and Re-structurable Contributive Learning Environments (CIRCLE) are constructed with the purpose of circumventing the problems of legacy intelligent tutoring systems and facilitates the increasing need of distance education. The two major components, integrated successfully into CIRCLE, are: 1) Plug-able Intelligent Tutor an ITS system that incorporates domain knowledge modules as and when they are available; 2) VRCapture, an authoring tool that is designed to capture the intricate and inter-related conceptual knowledge from the teacher/expert by using an "input-by-example" approach.