Smart Machines in Education

The emerging widespread use of artificial intelligence in education.

Multimedia, simulation, computer-mediated communication networks, and distance learning have all become part of the educational toolkit. The next major technology to change the face of education will be based on the widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI). Progress in AI has led to a deeper understanding of how to represent knowledge, to reason, and to describe procedural knowledge. Progress in cognitive science has led to a deeper understanding of how people think, solve problems, and learn. AI scientists use results from cognitive science to create software with more humanlike abilities, which can help students learn better. This book looks at some of the results of this synergy among AI, cognitive science, and education. Examples include virtual students whose misconceptions force students to reflect on their own knowledge, intelligent tutoring systems, and speech recognition technology that helps students learn to read. Some of the systems described are already used in classrooms and have been evaluated; a few are still laboratory efforts. The book also addresses cultural and political issues involved in the deployment of new educational technologies.

Paul J. Feltovich is Professor of Medical Education and Psychiatry at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. He is the coeditor of Expertise in Context (AAAI Press/MIT Press, 1997).