Intelligent Tutoring Goes To School in the Big City

TLDR

The Pittsburgh Urban Mathematics Project (PUMP) has produced an algebra curriculum that is centrally focused on mathematical analysis of real‑world situations and the use of computational tools. This paper reports on a large‑scale experiment introducing and evaluating intelligent tutoring in an urban high‑school setting. The project used a client‑centered design that matched curricular objectives with AI and cognitive psychology expertise, and evaluated the PUMP curriculum and PAT tutor during the 1993‑94 school year. PAT, an intelligent tutor integrated into 9th‑grade algebra in three Pittsburgh schools, led 470 experimental students to outperform comparison students by 15% on standardized tests and 100% on PUMP‑objective tests, demonstrating that laboratory tutoring systems can scale effectively in urban high schools.

Abstract

This paper reports on a large-scale experiment introducing and evaluating intelligent tutoring in an urban High School setting. Critical to the success of this project has been a client-centered design approach that has matched our client's expertise in curricular objectives and classroom teaching with our expertise in artificial inte lligence and cognitive psychology. The Pittsburgh Urban Mathematics Project (PUMP) has produced an algebra curriculum that is centrally focused on mathematical analysis of real world situations and the use of computational tools. We have built an intelligent tutor, called PAT, that su pports this curriculum and has been made a regular part of 9th grade Algebra in 3 Pittsburgh schools. In the 1993-94 school year, we evaluated the effect of the PUMP curriculum and PAT tutor use. On average the 470 students in experimental classes outperformed students in comparison classes by 15% on standardized tests and 100% on tests targeting the PUMP objectives. This study provides further evidence that laboratory tutoring systems can be scaled up and made to work, both technically and pedagogically, in real and unforgiving settings like urban high schools.