Dialog Issues for a Tutor System Incorporating Expert Problem Solvers

The training of operational skills in the domain under consideration is a key issue for tutor systems. This requires an elaborate presentation of a wide range of examples and associated explanations. However, preparing a documentation of many examples in sufficient variability and detail is an extremely time consuming task. Therefore, we propose the integration of expert problem solving systems (EPSs) that provide the technical competence for solving and demonstrating examples. Moreover, the integration of EPSs provides a basis for exploratory problem solving. In this paper, we elaborate the use of some EPSs integrated into the ACTIVEh’[ATH environment. This environment dynamically and adaptively generates an interactive mathematical document. When working with the interactive document, the EPSs can be employed for computing a solution, checking the user’s solutions or for interactively solving a problem. In particular, for the latter elaborate dialogs are needed. In this paper, we characterize the role of EPSs from the point of view of an educational system, and we discuss the enhancements in the tutorial dialogs.