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For the past several years Lynchburg College has developed Microsoft tutorials for use with academic classes and faculty, student and staff training. The tutorials are now used internationally. Last year Microsoft and Verizon sponsored a tutorial web site at http://www.officetutorials.com. This website recognizes ASCUE members for their wonderful efforts in spreading the tutorials throughout higher and K-12 education. Because of this effort, the tutorials became a 2003 Microsoft Model Professional Development Award recipient. Since our last meeting, the Office 2003 tutorials have been created, and are available, through the website. One of our ASCUE members, Bernadette Ortiz-Brewster, is translating the tutorials into Spanish. Karen Fraser of Hendrix College, Arkansas is MACing the tutorials. Several other ASCUE members have also published tutorials, from their institutions, on this website. Currently, a Microsoft Producer tutorial is being created. As this is being written, the tutorials are being considered by the National Forum on Information Literacy, the Department of the Navy Information Literacy Toolkit, the Virginia Department of Education, and the Teaching, Learning, Technology Roundtable. This presentation will furnish an update on all of these initiatives, as well as some others, which are "unfolding" at this time. [For complete proceedings, see ED490093.]

This report demonstrates how one predominantly low-income school district dramatically improved student engagement in the classroom and increased high school graduation rates through project-based learning (PBL) and the effective use of technology. The report, which includes short video segments with educators and students, focuses on Talladega County Schools in Alabama, where technology is an important component that builds students' abilities to solve real-world problems; master college- and career-ready academic standards; and develop skills in communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and other deeper learning competencies. "Building a Foundation" describes how Talladega implemented a PBL model using a digital learning framework to engage students with an extended inquiry learning process that paired complex questions with carefully designed tasks. It also identifies key factors that supported the county's transformation and includes several recommendations for schools and school districts interested in changing their own learning models. [Contains endnotes.]

This paper is based on the idea that designing a knowledge representation for an intelligent physics computer tutoring system depends, in part, on the target behavior anticipated from the student. In addition, the document distinguishes between qualitative and quantitative competence in physics. These competencies are illustrated through questions that students are expected to answer for two problems (a crane boom and a stone throw problem) and approaches are described that are consistent with each type of competence. An example is described which demonstrates that an approach that leads to competence in qualitative reasoning emphasizes pedagogic and conceptual knowledge, and an approach that leads to competence in quantitative reasoning is an expert system which emphasizes problem solving and factual knowledge. Two ways to categorize the knowledge of a physics tutor are presented. The first consists of facts, skills, and concepts, and the second distinguishes between expert and pedagogic knowledge. Several figures are provided. (TW)

Described is a computer tutor designed to help students gain a qualitative understanding of important physics concepts. The tutor simulates a teaching strategy called "bridging analogies" that previous research has demonstrated to be successful in one-on-one tutoring and written explanation studies. The strategy is designed to remedy misconceptions by appealing to existing correct intuitions, and extending these intuitions by encouraging analogical thinking. The strategy was motivating and successful for some learning situations. Analysis of the data indicates those situations in which the strategy worked well and those where alternatives are needed. Implications for improving the tutor using artificial intelligence technology to incorporate a representation of student beliefs and intelligent sequencing of example presentations are outlined. (Author/RH)

This paper evaluates the strengths and limitations of a computer tutor designed to help students understand physics concepts. The tutor uses a teaching strategy called "bridging analogies" that previous research has demonstrated to be successful in one-to-one tutoring. The strategy is designed to remedy misconceptions by appealing to existing correct intuitions, and extending these intuitions by encouraging analogical thinking. Through a pretest (N=180) and a video-taped interview study, (N=25), subjects who answered the target for which a misconception existed incorrectly with high confidence and the analogous anchor correctly with high confidence were chosen to participate. Three types of data were collected: (1) notes taken by the interviewer during the sessions; (2) a computer trace of the tutor's actions and user responses; and (3) videotaped recordings of the sessions (which totaled 15 sessions, 3 of which involved student pairs). Results of this formative evaluation indicates that most of the subjects improved their understanding of Newton's third law. Suggestions for improving the computer tutor using artificial intelligence technology were discussed. Appendices include the program data structures and algorithm, and an example section of a trace file. (YP)

Discusses evaluation methods applicable to exploratory research areas, provides an overview of qualitative and formative methods for exploratory research on intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) and describes an exploratory study in ITS knowledge acquisition which involved working with three educators to build an ITS for high school physics. (Contains 56 references.) (LRW)

Describes an intelligent tutoring system designed to help students remedy misconceptions of physics concepts based on a teaching strategy called bridging analogies. Highlights include tutoring strategies; misconceptions in science education; the example situation network; confidence checking; formative evaluation with college students, including videotaped interviews; and improvement suggestions using artificial intelligence. (Contains 33 references.) (LRW)