September 12, 2008
3:30 pm
Byrne 403
DePaul University
Recent studies reveal that human tutoring sessions do not always stop when the student has solved a problem. Instead, tutors and students frequently use a post-practice discussion to bring new topics to the table or to continue problem-solving discussions. One of the roles of post-practice discussions is to support transfer through conceptual understanding - that is, the student's ability to apply concepts and adapt familiar solution strategies to unfamiliar problems. Several developers of intelligent tutoring systems have implemented post-practice modules, with similar aims. Our (Katz, Allbritton, & Connelly, 2003) research suggests that automated planning of reflective activities should be integrated with instructional planning and coaching during problem solving. I will describe some of our work that examined (1) how human tutors use post-practice reflection to promote conceptual understanding and (2) whether even a "dumb" automated reflection module can improve learning when it follows a problem-solving session in the Andes physics tutoring system.