A repository that supports teaching and cooperation in the introductory AI course

Abstract

This paper describes the development of FLAIR (Flexible Learning with an Artificial Intelligence Repository), a repository of educational material and of a highly visual computing environment for use in laboratories associated with the introductory undergraduate Artificial Intelligence (AI) course. This repository supports sharing of pedagogic material and of development tools, and cooperation in their use, while allowing diversity in content and in use at different institutions. Thus the development of the repository has stressed the production of system tools, extensible object-oriented libraries, and strong programming frameworks. Some modules currently available are on Search and Automated Reasoning. Examples of the presentation techniques used are conceptual maps, hypertext, and graphic animations of algorithms. Initial experience in the use of the repository in teaching the introductory AI course is taking place in the 1993/94 academic year.