Seamless Integration of Group Communication into an Adaptive Online Exercise System

Distance learners in traditional online exercise and tutoring systems often get stuck with questions for which they need the help of a tutor or colleague. Learning alone can also be frustrating. In our Communication And Tutoring System CATS we have integrated the possibility to dial up a tutor and/or to setup an immediate group communication with other distance learners using Internet videoconferencing technology. To find the appropriate partner, we have implemented a measurement algorithm that keeps track of the performance level of a learner by measuring the percentage of correct answers at the current level, the reliability with which the learner answers the questions and the time he/she takes. From these measures we derive a unified performance parameter that controls the presentation of the next set of questions. These are then generated dynamically by the exercise applet. The CATS system automatically selects the most appropriate communication partner(s) based on the exercises the learners are currently working on, and on their skill levels. We motivate this approach from a pedagogical point of view and present the architecture and implementation of the CATS