Design principles for a system to teach problem solving by modelling

Françoise Le Calvez , Marie Urtasun , Gérard Tisseau (1) , Hélène Giroire (1) , Jacques Duma

1 SYSDEF - Systèmes d'aide à la décision et à la formation

This paper presents an approach to the design of a learning environment in a mathematical domain (elementary combinatorics) where problem solving is based more on modelling than on deduction or calculation. In this approach, we want to provide the student with a presentation which is close to the natural language formulations that she tends to give spontaneously, while ensuring a rigorous mathematical reasoning. To do so, we have introduced three modelling levels: first a mathematical formalisation of the students’ intuitive process, then a conceptual and computational model allowing mathematical reasoning as well as communication with the student, and finally a presentation consisting in several interfaces, each one grouping problems of some class. These interfaces are viewed as nondeterministic “machines” that the student uses to build a configuration satisfying some constraints.

Domaines: Informatique [cs]

Françoise Le Calvez, Marie Urtasun, Gérard Tisseau, Hélène Giroire, Jacques Duma. Design principles for a system to teach problem solving by modelling. ITS 2000 - 5th International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Jun 2000, Montréal, Canada. pp.393-402, ⟨10.1007/3-540-45108-0_43⟩. ⟨hal-01573523⟩