CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
A look at the educational practices many people will
perceive that there are some obstacles besetting the teaching of quantitative
and verbal (English) reasoning in nursery and primary schools now days. Computer
Assisted Instruction today presents new options and opportunities: powerful Machines,
advanced computer science techniques, and input from cognitive psychology.
Using
these tools well is a challenge for which there are few guidelines or examples.
The Purpose of this write up is to describe how we used some simple artificial
intelligence Techniques in a powerful educational programming environment to
capture some of the Expertise of experienced teachers for an instructional
program that runs on advanced Workstations.
HOW
COGNITIVE TUTORS CAN HELP
The above discussion suggests that we
need a “tool” that will engage students with quantitative and verbal
problems covering more than the current week’s topic. Ideally, this tool would
encourage students to use variety of skills and to apply these skills in the
context of real-world data sets. We propose that cognitive tutors offer one
way to do just that. The name “cognitive tutor” refers to a
computerized learning environment whose design is based on cognitive principles
and whose interaction with students is based on that of a (human) tutor—i.e.,
making
comments
when the student errs, answering questions about what to do next, and
maintaining a low profile when the student is performing well.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The basic problems behind this design is the hardship in
passing the knowledge of quantitative and verbal reasoning to nursery and
primary school students. Before building a cognitive tutor for quantitative and
verbal reasoning, it made sense to us to look for data that could help shape
such an endeavor. There is much evidence that students have difficulty applying
quantitative reasoning as a subject. We added to this body of empirical work by
further investigating where (and hopefully why) these difficulties arise in the
context of solving quantitative-reasoning problems.
Quantitative
reasoning domain tests your ability to use numbers and mathematical concept to
solve mathematical problems, as well as ability to analyze data presented in a
variety of ways, such as in table or graph form. only a basic knowledge of
mathematics is required
All the quantitative reasoning problems takes the form of
multiple choice questions that is; questions followed by four responses, of
which only one is the answer.
Quantitative
reasoning questions consist on two categories of questions 1.questions and
problems and graph or table comprehension.
English tutorial in other
words verbal reasoning is multimedia based application intended to help nursery
and primary school students, middle school student, high school student or in
general, anyone interested in learning to learn the basic of English. The
contents of the application are organized into different modules that comprises
of interactive learning programs to develop skills for reading and writing
alphabets, words, and sentences. The animations, pictures and sounds teach the
association of objects and word along their spelling and pronunciation.
1.3
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to design
and implement a computerized tutor for primary school students on quantitative
and verbal reasoning as the subject of focus, and ensure positive performance
of every student involved.
1.4
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
At the end of this study;
1.
We will be able to
understand the effectiveness of using a computerized tutor in the teaching of
quantitative and verbal reasoning in nursery and primary schools
2.
We will understand the
negative and positive impact of implementing this.
3.
Design and
implementation of a computerized tutor for
nursery and primary school will be possible
4.
English tutor helps the learner understand and
practice basic conversation skills with vocabulary, how to greet people,
knowing more about them, how to make use of the language in their daily
routine, how to invite people and how to request or ask for a favour from them.
Making the user aware of the scenarios which the user come across when going
around a place, about basic necessities, making him know the objects he may
come across, things he may need while planning a journey, skills of describing
a place, people the user have across e t c, about the way of answering a
telephone call, basic etiquettes of talking on phone, extempore questions and
their model answers.
1.5
SCOPE OF STUDY
The
study which is to design and implement a computerized tutor for nursery and
primary school students on quantitative and verbal reasoning as the subjects
would have covered a wider scope but for time and financial constraints,
however the findings which is done by
searching for information on the internet and related reviews could be used to
make valid generalizations and implement a computerized tutor in the specified
fields.
1.6
DEFINITION
OF TERMS
Tutor;
A private teacher, especially the one who teaches an individual or a small
group
Computerized;
To provide a computer or computers to do the work of something
Teachers;
A professional that are foundation of quality education, hence teachers
production are retention to effective education as an instrument per excellence
for national development
Students;
A person who is studying at a school. A
boy or a girl attending school or anyone who devotes acquisition to knowledge.
Cognitive;
Connected with mental processes of understanding
Quantitative
Reasoning; Testing
of ones ability to use numbers and mathematical concept to solve mathematical
problems, as well as ability to analyze data presented in a variety of ways
Verbal
Reasoning; Testing of ones ability to use
alphabets and verbal concept to solve English like problems,
Implementation;
To make something that has been officially decided start to happen or be used
Design;
The general arrangement of the different part of something that is made, such
as building books, machines etc.