Characteristics of an ITS that evolves from tutor to operator´s assistant

A research project was undertaken to address the problems and issues of operator training in complex engineering systems. The research proposes a tutor/aid paradigm for the design of an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) that evolves from a tutor to an operator´s assistant for supervisory control of complex dynamic systems. The goal is to design a joint cognitive system that achieves a symbiosis of human and computer skills critical in ensuring safe and reliable operation of complex dynamic systems. The implementation of the tutor/aid concept capitalizes on OFMspert, a successful computer-based associate that represents the final end in the evolution of the tutor to an assistant. Characteristics of an intelligent tutoring/aiding system are identified with respect to the representation of domain knowledge, the tutor´s pedagogical structure, and the student knowledge representation. The OFMspert architecture provides preliminary structures for realizing some of these characteristics. Areas in which OFMspert must be augmented to support tutoring are identified. Finally, the architecture is illustrated in the context of a tutor/assistant for NASA satellite ground controllers