GIFT

Abstract: Tutoring research has been ongoing since the 1960s and workable computer-based tutoring systems (CBTS) have been around since the early 1980s. Expectations are on the rise for CBTS to be available to the masses in much the same way that human tutoring is available from a variety of sources today. A limiting factor in the widespread use of CBTS is the cost to: author tutoring systems; author/deliver domain-specific instructional content; and assess the effectiveness of CBTS tools and methods. A structural framework to represent knowledge within the CBTS domain would enhance reuse and streamline processes making them easier to author on production line scale, and opening the entry point for CBTS to non-computer scientists. This paper considers the benefits and challenges in developing an ontology for a Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutors (GIFT) to support the development of authoring, instructional and assessment standards and tools for CBTS.