Web‐based Intelligent E‐learning Systems: Technologies and Applications

Citation

Barker, P. (2006), "Web‐based Intelligent E‐learning Systems: Technologies and Applications", The Electronic Library, Vol. 24 No. 4, pp. 570-571. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470610689250

There is a broad area of academic endeavour that is often referred to by the acronym “AI‐ED”. This expression refers to the application of artificial intelligence techniques to various aspects of educational computing. To a large extent, this book explores some of the latest developments in the field of AI‐ED that involve the use of the world wide web (and intranet systems) to deliver electronic learning (e‐learning) that embeds various levels of artificial intelligence. The book consists of a collection of edited contributions from an international group of authors. It is organised into two, somewhat unequal, parts. The first of these contains 13 chapters; these are devoted to descriptions and discussions of various issues relating to theories, key technologies and the design of web‐based intelligent learning systems. The second part of the book contains just four chapters. These deal with a range of different topics that are related to the development, implementation and application of web‐based AI‐ED environments.

The opening chapter in the first part of the book deals with adaptive support for inductive reasoning ability within learner‐centred virtual learning systems. This is followed by a chapter that is devoted to a discussion of the automatic authoring of adaptive educational hypermedia (and an illustration of its use). Related to this topic is the issue of automatically selecting objects (from a digital repository) and sequencing them in order to create courseware products; this problem is discussed in some detail in Chapter 3. Naturally, an attractive feature of the internet is its ability to facilitate the creation of online (virtual) learning communities. Techniques for building these are discussed in Chapter 4 – which also contains an interesting section on the use of wikis for this purpose. Chapter 5 then goes on to describe a conceptual architecture for the development of interactive educational multimedia. Of course, the use of online learning systems is likely to have a considerable impact on students and their behaviour; bearing this in mind, Chapter 6 considers ways for exploring the role and impact of students' emotions within computer‐mediated learning environments. Some of the other interesting topics discussed in this section of the book relate to the modelling of adaptive tutoring processes (Chapter 10) and the creation of a system to allow learners to develop their writing skills within the context of language learning (Chapter 13). Undoubtedly, from a “library perspective”, two very interesting chapters in this part of the book are: Chapter 7 – which deals with the use of a bookmark management system (for classifying and sharing learning objects); and Chapter 8 – this describes the development and use of an adaptive hypermedia book for teaching active reading skills. There are also some interesting chapters (9, 11, and 12, respectively) that deal with knowledge representation, ontologies and the use of metadata in intelligent e‐learning systems.

As was mentioned above, the second part of the book (Chapters 14 through 17) is very much shorter that the first. It starts off with a contribution that describes the use of immersive virtual reality environments for the teaching of science at university level. The following chapter is devoted to a description and discussion of the procedures involved in designing and building an integrated platform for the creation of networked, educational virtual environments. The final two chapters also cover topics relating to design and implementation issues. Chapter 16 provides a discussion of the theoretical basis underlying intelligent and adaptive web‐based instruction and uses this for the creation of a number of online tutors. Similarly, Chapter 17 discusses the pedagogic importance of “special purpose” e‐learning environments and how to create them within the context of web‐based education.

Although I am not an expert in this area of teaching and learning, I found that there was much in this book that was of interest to me – and which, I believe would be valuable to many others who are broadly interested in the general area of electronic learning. Interestingly, as well as the paper versions of this book (hard‐back and soft‐back), it has also been published as an e‐book.