A thematic and phonological awareness intelligent tutoring system generator

The objective of this thesis is to investigate the use of computers with artificial intelligence methods for the teaching of basic literacy skills to be applied eventually to the teaching of illiterate adults in Brazil. The main question addressed in this research, consequently is whether these two apparently conflicting approaches could be combined to create a method that would be technically PA oriented but at the same time could concentrate on meaning by using thematic vocabularies as stimuli for teaching. Would it be possible to find words to illustrate all the phonological features with which a PA method deals using a thematic vocabulary? To answer this question diverse concepts, languages and tools have been developed in order to allow the selection of thematic vocabularies, the description of PA curricula, the distribution of thematic words across PA curricula, the description of teaching activities and the definition of the teaching strategy rules to orient the teaching sequence. The resultant vocabularies have been evaluated and the outcomes of the research have been assessed by literacy experts. A prototype that can be started through the Internet for delivering experimental teaching activities has also been developed and demonstrated.