Modelling Spoken Multimodal Instructional Systems

Instructional Systems

By an (interactive) instructional system, an application whose main purpose is to teach or train the user or help the user solve a particular problem is understood. Although often combined in practical applications, these goals are somewhat different. A teaching system primarily teaches understanding of some subject-matter, such as the periodic system, basics of genetics, astronomy, planet geography, phases in the history of humanity, and so forth. A training system primarily trains practical skills, such as language skills, how to operate some artefact, play golf, or fly a commercial airliner. Teaching and training systems are aimed at long-term learning effects in the learner. By contrast, problem-solving support systems, such as one helping to install IP telephony on a laptop, rarely incorporate ambitions of producing long-term learning effects. If they help solve the problem at hand, they fulfil their purpose.