Inquiry-based learning environment using intelligent tutoring system

The present study aims to discuss the development of a collaborative inquiry-based learning environment with the support of an intelligent tutoring system for general education. Following an inquiry-based learning approach, the learner-centered activities involve students making questions about a given theme based on a subject proposed by teachers. Here the collaborative nature of interaction is seen as a fertile space for learning since it enables the mobilization, interpretation and coordination of contributions to achieve a common goal. Students may require instruction and feedback to help them exploit the learning environment to its full potential. To provide the necessary assistance, an intelligent tutoring system is proposed. Intelligent tutoring systems are computer programs capable of providing immediate and customized instruction or feedback to students, without the need of human intervention. In our proposal, a text mining tool provides key concepts about the interaction of the student within the environment. This information can be used by a recommender system, which searches for related material in the Internet and in other specific learning repositories. The relevance of the learning environment proposed here lies on its capacity to give assistance through a recommender system, promoting a richer interactive learning.