Research On Application Of ITutor To Basic Computer Courses In Academy

Basic computer courses in academy aims at developing students' ability ofcomprehensive computer application, promoting their positive emotion andattitudes, creative thought and ability to practice. However, the generalinstruction in the basic computer courses in academy now loses sight of thestudents' individualized learning needs, and cannot effectively deal with theproblems of much information for learning and insufficient skill practice. Thisstudy conducts individual interviews and literature survey to find that theapplication of Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) can effectively resolve theproblems in theory However, the application of ITS is not satisfying in practice.The meaning of ITS application is dissertated based on constructivism learningtheory, problem-based learning theory, instructional design theory andblending learning theory. And then the study conducts an in-depth analysis ofthe structure and function of the IT skills tutoring system iTutor which has beenstrictly tested by the national institution and designs the iTutor applicationproject based on the teaching and learning theory, technical advantages andthe transform of learning model. The study takes 'foundation for computerculture' given by the South China Normal University for an example andconducts a quasi-experiment over a 8-week semester with 180 students in twosections of the same course—one section using iTutor and one usingtraditional lectures. The data is analyzed by several mathematical andstatistical methods, including F-test, t-test, models of unilateral andbi-directional assess table, model of multi-factor compositor assess table, etc.It shows that the iTutor section's grades are significantly higher than thetraditional lecture section, and the iTutor section reported strong positiveattitudes about the intervention. The contribution of this study is a novel use ofexisting technology to improve learning and a quasi-experimental evaluation ofits use in context.