Between AI and Learning Science: The Evolution and Commercialization of Intelligent Tutoring Systems

Abstract

This article traces the history of a class of AI systems known as “intelligent tutoring systems” (ITSes). An ITS is structured like a tutor: A student engages with the system on some educational task (such as creating a geometry proof) and the system can calculate the student's learning and provide interventions that help the student develop a certain skill. The article shows that ITS researchers have been able to navigate the twists and turns in AI patronage as the field fell into its booms and busts. They did so by carefully crafting new identities—most notably as “learning scientists”—while also holding on to their AI credentials. To successfully commercialize ITSes for adoption in schools, they had to reconceive the systems themselves: from standalone aids for students to learning aids for both teachers and students.