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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 393 425 IR 017 761 Boulet, Marie-Michele AUTHOR Intelligent Advisor Systems and Transfer of TITLE Knowledge. PUB DATE 93 NOTE 5p.; In: Verbo-Visual Literacy: Understanding and Applying New Educational Communication Media Technologies. Selected Readings from the Symposium of the International Visual Literacy Association (Delphi, Greece, June 25-29, 1993); see IR 017 742. PUB TYPE Research/Technical (143) Reports Speeches/Conference Papers (150) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Computer Assisted Instruction; Educational Technology; Foreign Countries; Grade 9; High Schools; *Intelligent Tutoring Systems; Learning Modules; *Music Education; Skill Development IDENTIFIERS Knowledge Acquisition; *Quebec ABSTRACT An intelligent advisor system is an instructional technology designed to further the transfer of knowledge by intervening when the user of any application software performs transfer tasks. In Quebec (Canada), the teaching of music is regulated by a mandatory curriculum which is divided into six modules; the intelligent advisor syttem, MUSIC, relates to the creation module of the ninth grade. Its purpose is to help a student while he or she uses a musical writing software to compose a melody. The advisor MUSIC performs three tyr,es of instructional transactions: (1) explanations requested by a student; (2) comments on the student's composition; and (3) collments on compositions made by the advisor. Twenty-seven ninth grade students from Quebec high schools participated in a study to determine if MUSIC favors the transfer of knowledge. It was found that the transfer of knowledge improved and that MUSIC does what is impossible for the human teacher of an average classperform concurrently fast, individualized, detailed, remedial, and corrective explanations and feedback. (Contains 13 references.) (AEF) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. *********************************************************************** "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS EDUCATION U.S. DEPARTMENT OF MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY and Improvemenl Office 01 Educational Research INFORMATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES CENTER (ERIC) Alirp n_ walkor INTELLIGENT ADVISOR SYSTEMS reproduced aa 0 This document has been organization received from the person or AND TRANSFER OF KNOWLEDGE originating it. made to o Minor changes have been improve reproduction quality. by TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES stated in this Points of view or opinions INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." represent Marie-Michile Boulet document do not necessarily official OEFII position or policy. Introduction one performance to another. They cannot easily be broken down into steps because the activity varies each time the task is In Quebec, the teaching of music is performed. To compose a melody is a regulated by the Quebec Ministry of Education. That corresponds a to transfer task. mandatory music curriculum (Ministère de l'Education, 1981) divided into six An intelligent advisor system is a technology to be used after the initial modules: creation, execution, graphics, learkdng of concepts, principles, and rules. musical language, musical literature, and sound environment. This It aims at providing individualized, fast, research and detailed explanations and feedbacks. concerns the creation module. The main The intelligent advisor system MUSIC objective of this module is to allow the transfer of knowledge of the musical relates to the creation module of the grade 9 high school. Its purpose is to help a language elements. Composing melodies student while he or she uses a musical is the activity proposed by the Ministry of Education (Ministère de l'Education, writing software to compose a melody. 1983). Therefore, in accordance with Burns (1988), the Ministry of Education fletr.-tionsi Piano I considers that the creative process not only synthesizes previous learning but also Process of composition elevates the mind into a higher stage of OArswer (Q-A) reasoning--the problem solving stage. 0Augmentation, diminution, repetition Moreover, in accordance with Moore ()Question - Answer (1990), the tasks are conceived as @Quit "musical problem solving" within a context of implicit as well as explicit musical parameters (an incomplete melody). Figure 1 shows the variety of exercises proposed to students which il 0 correspond to musical composition activities proposed in "Musicontact 3," a Activities Proposed Figure 1. book approved by the Quebec Ministry of Education (Fournier, Milot, Richard, The Requirements Béchard, & De Melo, 1986). Ten years after the implementation of The Technology the music curriculum, many observed that the main objective of the creation module An intelligent advisor system is an was not reached (Boulet, Dufour, & technology especially instructional Lavoie, 1992; Fédération des Associations designed to further the transfer of des Musiciens Educateurs du Québec, Ition activities were not 1990). C knowledge. It is an adaptive system aimed at intervening when the user of any individualized, but group based. Students did not really transfer their own application software performs transfer tasks (Boulet, 1992). According to knowledge of the musical language Leshin, Pollock, and Reigeluth (1992), elements. Consequently, we decided to transfer tasks have great variation from develop the advisor system MUSIC. BEST COPY AVAILABLE 2 145 Transfer of Knowledge word with the mouse, the corresponding The Advisor MUSIC explanation is displayed. of types three are There instructional transactions: IFunctionsl Piano I by a (Accidental ) 1. Explanations requested It is a sign aiming at elevating or language student in regard to musical reducing of a semitone the note it is elements. in front of. There are flat, natural , student's and sharp. 2. Comments on the composition. 3. Comments on compositions 71 6 made up by the advisor. IL to ci Type I Explanation Figure 3. When students perform exercises The student can also see an index of all MUSIC can help them by presenting the explanations available, ask for one or ability explanations on prerequisites. The related to a particular more melodies of to use the question/answer process explanation, see a map of prerequisites, go composition being considered, the analysis the back to the previous window, or go to specialized of the music curriculum, and current composition activity. of 67 books allowed the identification (Boulet, & prerequisites and 29 rules Lavoie, Dufour, 1991; Boulet, Dufour, & Piano I Functions I 1991a, 1991b). Analysis : Answer (Q - A) Your melody being analyzed, I realize that the answer does not have the same Pianol Functions number of bars than the question. The Help question having 4 bars, the answer should Statement L3 * have 4 bars. Playl r * Play2 Do you want an example? NO Analysis WI II 0 Commenting on Melody Figure 4: Functions Menu Figure 2. Type 2 merely For an explanation, the student When a composition is completed, selects the Help option in the menu MUSIC can analyze it. Figure 4 presents Functions (Figure 2). The explanation underlined words an example. Here again, requested is superimposed on the musical give access to prerequisites. writing software (Figure 3). Type 3 As illustrated in Figure 3, there are underlined words within each explanation. MUSIC can also create a composition. They represent corresponding pre- If the student clicks on the "Yes" button requisites. When a student clicks such a illustrated in Figure 4, the advisor Verbo-Visual Literacy 146 .00. Because the group realized a composes. The advisor can also comment statistically significant improvement of the on its own composition. The comment will transfer of knowledge, the hypothesis was be similar to the one displayed to the rejected. student (Figure 4). Table 1 Purpose of the Study Pilot Studies Results The purpose of the study was to determine if the advisor favors the transfer Spearman- Std Mean% KR20 of knowledge. Stated in the null form, the Brown Dev following hypothesis was tested: .9 .9 12.6 58.3 1st .8 .9 28 2nd 11 Hoi. Students exposed to MUSIC will not show any significant improvement Discussion when transferring the knowledge of the musical language elements. Students improved the transfer of knowledge. We think that this result must Procedures be interpreted as the effect of the individualization. As mentioned before, Subjects music teachers have some problems with the creation module. Corresponding The subjects consisted of 27 rarely performed. activities are voluntary ninth grade students from are Corresponding activities not Quebec high schools (at the beginning individualized. The advisor MUSIC eaes there were 29; because of the attrition, what is impossible for the human teacher only 27 completed the study). of a class of thirty-three students, i.e., to perform concurrently the following tasks: Instruments for each learner's composition to generate adaptive, fast, individualized, detailed, The validity and reliability of the test remedial, and corrective explanations and were established in two pilot studies feedbacks. (Boulet, Simard, Lavoie, & Dufour, 1991). 28 ninth grade students participated We also think that the way we Results are summarized in in the first. implemented the advisor MUSIC had an Table 1. The Spearman Brown and KR20 influence on the results. We personally both reached 0.9. We calculated factors of implemented MUSIC in its environment. difficulty and discrimination and removed Consequently, we were there to make sure easy or non discriminant items. We that computers and technical features The new reformulated certain items. related would always be in order. We were i 51 ninth grade version was tested there to make sure that the advisor will be students. Results are summarized in Table used. Therefore, no technical problems 2. The Spearman Brown reached 0.9 and interfered with the use of the advisor. Each item reached a the KR20, 0.8. satisfactory level of difficulty and of To conclude, we would like to recall discrimination. that an advisor system does not aim at It handles the replacing formal teaching. Results issue of the transfer of knowledge. Other studies with different populations and For the pretest, the mean was different advisors will allow to learn more 29.1%, with a standard deviation of 11.9. about the effectiveness of this particular Results of the post test are the following: kind of help. Mean = 66.2%, standard deviation = 14.5. A Two Group Paired t-Test was performed to verify the hypothesis: p = Transfer of Knowledge 147 References Boulet, M. M., Simard, G., Lavoie, L., & Dufour, F. (1991). Elaboration et Boulet, M. M. (1992). Advisor systems: etude de validiti et de fiabilite de l'outil de mesure visant a verifier les The development life cycle illustrated hypotheses formulies en regard des by two case studies. Québec: Edition effets sur l'apprentissage Am systeme Dwayne. conseiller en composition musicale Boulet, M. M., & Dufour, F. (Période de mai 1990 a avril 1991). (1991). Québec: DO. DIUL-RR-9106, Systeme conseiller en composition musicale. Le procédi question- Informatique, Université Laval. reponse: Analyse des connaissances Burns, M. T. (1988). Music as a tool for requises en troisieme secondaire pour enhancing creativity. Journal of com-poser un theme mélodique en utilisant le procédé question-reponse. Creative Behavior, 22, 62-69. DIUL-RR-9107, Québec: Dép. Fédération des Asssociations des Informatique, Université Laval. Musiciens Educateurs du Québec. (1990). Les actes de la biennale du Bouiet, M. M., Dufour, F., & Lavoie, L. Description d'un s, Iteme sommet sur l'avenir de la formation (1992). conseiller en composition musicale. musicale au Quebe,.. Québec: FAMEQ. Recherches en Education Musicale, Fournier, G., Milot, J., Richard, G., 11, 57-69. Béchard, A., & De Melo, D. (1986). Musicontact 3., Boulet, M. M., Dufour, F., & Lavoie, L. Montréal: Les Systeme con-seiller en (1991b). Editions HRW. composition musicale. Le procide question-reponse: Analyse des Leshin, C. B., Pollock, J., & Reigeluth, C. M. (1992). connaissances requises en troisieme Instructional design strategies and tactics. secondaire pour composer une reponse Englewood une question en considerant le Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology. programme de musique du secondaire. DIUL-RR-9102, Québec: Ministere de l'Education. (1983). Guide Dep. pidagogique: Secondaire: Musique. Informatique, Université Laval. Québec: Direction générale du Boulet, M. M., Dufour, F., & Lavoie, L. développement pédagogique. (1991a). Systeme conseiller en Ministere de PEducation. composition musicale. Les procides (1981). Programme d'études secondaires. d'augmentation, de diminution et de Québec: repetition: Analyse des connaissances Musique. Bibliotheque requises en troisieme secondaire pour Nationale du Québec. developper un theme milodique Moore, B. R. l'aide de ces procidis en consi-dirant (1990) The relationship le programme de musique du between curriculum and learner: Music composition and learning style. secondaire. DIUL-RR-9105, Québec: Dép. Informatique, Université Laval. Journal of Research in Music, 38 24- , 38. 5