Inquiry Skills Tutoring System

Abstract

An assessment engine includes a definition of inquiry skills being assessed. Assessment models are used to infer skill demonstration as one or more students engage in inquiry within computerized simulations and/or microworlds. A pedagogical agent and/or help system provides real-time feedback to one or more students based on the assessment model outputs, and/or based on additional models that track one or more students developing proficiency across inquiry tasks over time. A pedagogical agent and/or help system for science inquiry tutoring responds in real-time on the basis of knowledge-engineered and data-mined assessment and/or tracking models.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method, comprising:
 in a computer, collecting information from a subject person;   defining, by the computer, one or more measurable science competencies by constructing at least one of a knowledge-engineering based model and data mining based model; and   in the computer, providing, based on the constructed at least one of a knowledge-engineering based model and data mining based model, a real-time communication indicating whether the one or more science competencies of the subject person as assessed within a virtual environment match the collected information of the subject person, when the subject person performs at least one of:   generating hypotheses;   collecting data to test the hypotheses;   interpreting the collected data;   warranting claims with data; and   communicating respective findings.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the real-time communication is based on a comparison between: (i) a first scoring of at least a portion of the collected information of the subject person within at least one of a simulation or microworld, the first scoring based on the constructed at least one of a knowledge-engineering based model and data mining based model; and (ii) a second scoring of word-processing frame information of the collected information of the subject person. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein at least one of:
 defining, by the computer, the virtual environment including one or more simulations or microworlds;   generating hypotheses includes at least one of forming questions, asking questions, and defining problems;   collecting data to test the hypotheses includes planning and carrying out investigations using models;   interpreting the collected data includes at least one of analyzing the collected data, using mathematics, and using computational thinking;   warranting claims with data includes engaging in arguments from evidence; and   communicating respective findings includes generating or constructing explanations from the collected data and designing solutions from the collected data.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one of a knowledge-engineering based model and data mining based model includes at least one of: (i) a classifier and (ii) a regressor. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising a tracking model that tracks the one or more science assessed competencies of the subject person across one or more science topics or science domains including at least one of physics, physical sciences, chemistry, life sciences, geosciences, biological sciences, nursing, medicine, medical sciences, physiological sciences, natural sciences, formal sciences, social sciences, technical domains, vocational domains, computer sciences, computational thinking, engineering, electronics, and troubleshooting. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising generating a real-time communication to another person based upon measuring of the one or more science competencies, and responsive to the real-time communication, the another person providing at least a portion of the real-time feedback to the subject person. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more science competencies include at least one of, a skill of, or any subskill of: data collection, data interpretation, forming hypotheses, question-asking, claim warranting, communicating findings, communicating explanations, argumentation, identifying an independent variable, identifying a dependent variable, defining a relationship between variables, designing a controlled experiment, testing a stated hypothesis, warranting an interpretation, relating an interpretation to a hypothesis, reasoning, critical thinking, problem solving, using mathematics, simulation exploration, microworld exploration, simulation evaluation, microworld evaluation, simulation refinement, microworld refinement, simulation creation, microworld creation, using simulations or microworlds to describe or support claims or explanations, using simulations or microworlds to make predictions, testing to determine if outputs are as expected by comparing the outputs of the simulations or microworlds with real-external datasets, determining closeness of a fit of a simulation or microworld to external datasets, using data fit to justify appropriateness of the simulation or microworld, refining simulations or microworlds to better capture a phenomenon based on new data, recognizing, interpreting, and using appropriate units for data in graphs and tables during a simulated inquiry, making summary representations of data including graphs and tables, using multiple representations, estimating best fit lines or curves through data, recognizing dimensional quantities, using appropriate units in scientific applications of mathematical formulas, translating trends in data, graphs, or tables into algebraic equations, describing relationships between scientific phenomena modeled within simulations or microworlds algebraically, organizing and searching data yielded from simulations or microworlds, identifying variables, constants, or assumptions in simulations or microworlds, selecting features to incorporate in a microworld or simulation, time stepping using a simulation or microworld as an experimental testbed, determining whether abstractions made for a simulation or microworld are correct, debugging simulations or microworlds, and understanding why simulations or microworlds produce actual results that mismatch with expected results. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising at least one of:
 measuring the one or more science competencies of the subject person, the measuring being in real-time and using at least one of an assessment model and a tracking model programmed to infer science competency demonstration from interactive engagement by the subject person with the virtual environment; and   providing to the subject person real-time feedback through the virtual environment.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising providing the real-time communication to another person, the real-time communication including at least one of:
 an alert associated with the one or more science competencies of the subject person or a group of subject people; and   an assessment of the one or more science competencies of the subject person or the group of subject people.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising at least one of:
 providing the real-time communication to the subject person, the real-time communication including tutoring of the one or more science competencies for the subject person;   providing the real-time communication indicating whether the subject person is attending to one or more aspects of at least one of a text or diagram associated with the virtual environment based upon the subject person's understanding of a target domain and based upon the real-time assessment;   providing a real-time assessment of the one or more science competencies of the subject person, the real-time assessment including at least one of: (i) guidance on how to better conduct scientific inquiry; (ii) evaluations of proficiency at science inquiry of the subject person, or (iii) estimates of proficiency at science inquiry of the subject person;   providing the real-time assessment of the one or more science competencies of the subject person based upon data measured from an eye tracking system monitoring the subject person;   providing the real-time assessment of the one or more science competencies of the subject person based upon at least one of a pattern of the subject person and a decision of the subject person; and   providing any of a certification for licensure, a certification for a course, and a certification for a lesson.   
     
     
         31 . A system, comprising:
 a computing module configured to collect information from a subject person;   a processing module configured to define one or more measurable science competencies by constructing at least one of a knowledge-engineering based model and data mining based model; and   a user interface module configured to provide, based on the constructed at least one of a knowledge-engineering based model and data mining based model, a real-time communication indicating whether the one or more science competencies of the subject person as assessed within a virtual environment match the information collected from the subject person, when the subject person performs at least one of:   generating hypotheses;   collecting data to test the hypotheses;   interpreting the collected data;   warranting claims with data; and   communicating respective findings.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the real-time communication is based on a comparison between: (i) a first scoring of at least a portion of the collected information of the subject person within at least one of a simulation or microworld, the first scoring based on the constructed at least one of a knowledge-engineering based model and data mining based model; and (ii) a second scoring of word-processing frame information of the collected information of the subject person. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein at least one of:
 the processing module is further configured to define the virtual environment including one or more simulations or microworlds;   generating hypotheses includes at least one of forming questions, asking questions, and defining problems;   collecting data to test the hypotheses includes planning and carrying out investigations using models;   interpreting the collected data includes at least one of analyzing the collected data, using mathematics, and using computational thinking;   warranting claims with data includes engaging in arguments from evidence; and   communicating respective findings includes generating or constructing explanations from the collected data and designing solutions from the collected data.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one of a knowledge-engineering based model and data mining based model includes at least one of: (i) a classifier and (ii) a regressor. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the processing module is further configured to track the one or more science assessed competencies of the subject person across one or more science topics or science domains including at least one of physics, physical sciences, chemistry, life sciences, geosciences, biological sciences, nursing, medicine, medical sciences, physiological sciences, natural sciences, formal sciences, social sciences, technical domains, vocational domains, computer sciences, computational thinking, engineering, electronics, and troubleshooting. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the user interface module is further configured to generate a real-time communication to another person based upon at least one of measurement and tracking of the one or more science competencies by the computing module, and responsive to the real-time communication, the another person providing at least a portion of the real-time feedback to the subject person. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more science competencies include at least one of, a skill of, or any subskill of: data collection, data interpretation, forming hypotheses, question-asking, claim warranting, communicating findings, communicating explanations, argumentation, identifying an independent variable, identifying a dependent variable, defining a relationship between variables, designing a controlled experiment, testing a stated hypothesis, warranting an interpretation, relating an interpretation to a hypothesis, reasoning, critical thinking, problem solving, using mathematics, simulation exploration, microworld exploration, simulation evaluation, microworld evaluation, simulation refinement, microworld refinement, simulation creation, microworld creation, using simulations or microworlds to describe or support claims or explanations, using simulations or microworlds to make predictions, testing to determine if outputs are as expected by comparing the outputs of the simulations or microworlds with real-external datasets, determining closeness of a fit of a simulation or microworld to external datasets, using data fit to justify appropriateness of the simulation or microworld, refining simulations or microworlds to better capture a phenomenon based on new data, recognizing, interpreting, and using appropriate units for data in graphs and tables during a simulated inquiry, making summary representations of data including graphs and tables, using multiple representations, estimating best fit lines or curves through data, recognizing dimensional quantities, using appropriate units in scientific applications of mathematical formulas, translating trends in data, graphs, or tables into algebraic equations, describing relationships between scientific phenomena modeled within simulations or microworlds algebraically, organizing and searching data yielded from simulations or microworlds, identifying variables, constants, or assumptions in simulations or microworlds, selecting features to incorporate in a microworld or simulation, time stepping using a simulation or microworld as an experimental testbed, determining whether abstractions made for a simulation or microworld are correct, debugging simulations or microworlds, and understanding why simulations or microworlds produce actual results that mismatch with expected results. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein at least one of:
 the computing module is further configured to perform at least one of measurement and tracking, in real-time, of the one or more science competencies of the subject person and to use at least one of an assessment model and a tracking model programmed to infer science competency demonstration from interactive engagement by the subject person with the virtual environment; and   the user interface module is further configured to provide to the subject person real-time feedback through the virtual environment.   
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the user interface module is further configured to provide the real-time communication to another person, the real-time communication including at least one of:
 an alert associated with the one or more science competencies of the subject person or a group of subject people; and   an assessment of the one or more science competencies of the subject person or the group of subject people.   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the user interface module is further configured to perform at least one of:
 provide the real-time communication to the subject person, the real-time communication including tutoring of the one or more science competencies for the subject person;   provide real-time communication indicating whether the subject person is attending to one or more aspects of at least one of a text or diagram associated with the virtual environment based upon the subject person's understanding of a target domain and based upon the real-time assessment;   provide a real-time assessment of the one or more science competencies of the subject person, the real-time assessment including at least one of: (i) guidance on how to better conduct scientific inquiry; (ii) evaluations of proficiency at science inquiry of the subject person, or (iii) estimates of proficiency at science inquiry of the subject person;   provide a real-time assessment of the one or more science competencies of the subject person based upon data measured from an eye tracking system monitoring the subject person;   provide a real-time assessment of the one or more science competencies of the subject person based upon at least one of a pattern of the subject person and a decision of the subject person; and   provide any of a certification for licensure, a certification for a course, and a certification for a lesson.   
     
     
         41 . A computer program product providing a tutoring agent comprising:
 a non-transitory computer useable medium having a computer readable program;   wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:   collect information from a subject person;   define one or more measurable science competencies by constructing at least one of a knowledge-engineering based model and data mining based model; and   provide, based on the constructed at least one of a knowledge-engineering based model and data mining based model, a real-time communication indicating whether the one or more science competencies of the subject person as assessed within a virtual environment match the information collected from the subject person, when the subject person performs at least one of:   generating hypotheses;   collecting data to test the hypotheses;   interpreting the collected data;   warranting claims with data; and   communicating respective findings.