Building Expert Systems in Training and Education

This volume presents a process for developing expert systems. As the field of instructional technology matures it is becoming clear that technological process, not technological devices, is the single most important factor in designing effective instruction. Computers as devices are helpful, but their primary advantage may be the discipline placed on thinking and design processes by using them. The process used when examining a problem determines the quality of information entered into a program and the ultimate effectiveness of the solution. The process in this volume is intended for small-scale expert system solutions that contribute to the solution of instructional problems. Hardware independent, the volume focuses on narrowly defined examples intended for small personal computer systems. Particular attention is paid to problems associated with education and training.

Building Expert Systems in Training and Education has one primary function: to help instructional designers derive the components of a problem and enter it into an expert system shell. It is totally process-oriented and focuses on the front-end knowledge engineering process. It provides a repertoire of practical tools and processes that can be used to select, define, and structure problems. Three types of examples are used to illustrate three ways to use expert systems: for instructional support, for instructional decision making, and for an instructional job aid. Each chapter is followed by a list of learning activities to facilitate practice and consolidation. When appropriate, answers or examples to the learning activities is given. This is a practical guide for instructional technology educators and students, and business and industrial training professionals.

R. SCOTT GRABINGER is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Instructional Technology at the Univerity of Colorado. He focuses his research efforts on the design of computer screens for hypermedia and computer-based training applications and on the use of expert systems as a means of providing instructional feedback to learners.

BRENT W. WILSON is an Associate Professor in the Division of Instructional Technology at the University of Colorado. He teaches courses and conducts research in cognitive psychology, instructional design, and expert systems in education.

DAVID H. JONASSEN is Professor and Chair of Instructional Technology at the University of Colorado. He co-authored The Handbook of Task Analysis Procedures, published by Praeger in 1989.