Learning by building rule-based models

Abstract

Computer based modelling offers opportunities for the enhancement of the learning environment. A study of teachers' perceptions of the types of modelling activities which they felt could be usefully undertaken by children suggested that many of the tasks fall in the category of qualitative models of logical reasoning. The Modus Project, a collaboration between the Advisory Unit for Microtechnology in Education, Hatfield and King's College, London has implemented a rule based expert system shell, Expert Builder, which makes the knowledge structure and inference mechanism clearly visible to, and manipulable by, the user through a graphical user interface. The shell has been widely tested by the educational institutions which have joined the Modus Club. Results of these investigations have led to an outline of a methodology for expert system modelling as a learning activity. It is hoped that this can be further developed and documented so that teachers can use it with their students and gradually enable the students to undertake more of the modelling process by themselves. The shell, with some minor modifications can be used for a variety of simple modelling activities and the project intends to extend these facilities by combining the environment provided in Expert Builder with that of another modelling environment, Model Builder which provides facilities for quantitative and dynamic modelling.