Checking Conditions for Graph Based Collaborative Modeling Systems Niels PINKWART Kai HERRMANN University Duisburg Essen Faculty of Engineering Institute for Computer Science and Interactive Systems Lotharstr. 63-65, 47048 Duisburg, Germany
[email protected] phone: (++49) 203 379 1403 1. General Description of the Event Cooperative systems with a special focus on enabling sharing and commenting of resources and material are a prominent subject in the research area of computer technology in education. The representation mode of these shared resources plays an important role for the learning process, one frequently used mode is a graph based notation. Here, the shared visual representation consists of objects (nodes) and relations (edges) between them. With a focus on argumentation support, this representation mode has been used in a number of successful environments like Belvedere [1] or gIBIS [2]. Belvedere also aimed at teaching the students scientific argumentation – the system contained constraints that had to hold for the graph structure developed by the users. This approach of enriching cooperative graph based environments with rules and interpretation patterns goes in line with pedagogic approaches like “discovery learning in science” that show the possible benefit of integrating computer based modeling methods and intelligent techniques with cooperative environments. As many modeling languages (like, e.g., Petri Nets) make use of a graph based notation, this integration step seems possible smoothly – yet, generic approaches for the integration of modeling languages and interpretation systems with discussion or group knowledge elicitation support are missing. Current environments are, like COLER [3], written for one domain (in this case, database modeling), or, like Microsoft Visio, lack simulation and/or cooperative features. In the first part of the event, we will interactively show a system called Cool Modes (Collaborative Open Learning and MODEling System) [4] that includes domain semantics and AI functionality as plug-ins. The second part of the event deal with the “Checker” plug-in for Cool Modes, a configurable independent analysis tool. It checks objects of visual languages with respect to different parameters. These are user-defined and easily expandable; they vary from the geometric orientation of components to the number of marks in a Petri Net place. The Checker enables teachers or educational designers to precisely define conditions that a workspace content has to fulfill. During the event, we will demonstrate the condition types of the Checker and interactively construct a set of guiding rules for the domain “Petri Nets” and the example task “traffic light simulation” (see figure 1).
Figure 1: Traffic light simulation within Cool Modes In case of a 60 minute event, we will also shortly present the cooperative features of Cool Modes (offering the sharing of representations) and collaboratively construct a special traffic light simulation, making use of advising conditions produced by the Checker. 2. Script outline The event will be divided in three or four parts, dependent on the time available. 1. The Cool Modes environment will be presented, focusing on the following issues: - definition and structure of plug-ins and their interpretation mechanism - examples of plug-ins - practical usage of the system The participants will use system during the presentation 2. The Checker plug-in will be introduced with some easy examples. Then we will focus on the domain of Petri Nets and develop some “guidance advices” for Petri Nets. An easy illustrating example, expressed in natural language, might be : IF a place is not connected to any transition at all THEN give feedback “This place is unconnected. Do you really need it?”
We will present how to express these constraints within the Checker environment and then start a hands-on phase in which the participants can define and try out their own rules and advices. This phase will allow for both generic rules (valid for every
Petri Net) and, taking a traffic light simulation as an example, task specific ones. A plenary discussion of the system will follow the hands-on phase. 3. In case of a 60 minutes event, we will present how to synchronize Cool Modes workspaces and thus supporting collaboration. The participants will have the chance to try this out, solving a traffic light example task collaboratively. We expect a very high level of interactivity in this phase and would close the event with a discussion on the collaborative features of the system and how they go together with the guiding rules and checking mechanisms presented in part 2. 3. Technical Requirements We need computers (ideally one for two participants) with Java 1.4 or higher running. Wacom tablets would be ideal to use the system, but keyboard and mouse will also do. For the third part of the event, the computers have to be networked. For the demonstration parts, we need a data projector (or, ideally, an electronic whiteboard). 4. Related Conference Contributions There are two related AIED 2003 contributions: 1. The full paper #885 “A Checking mechanism for Visual Language Environments” 2. The YRT paper #827 “A Plug-In Architecture for Graph Based Collaborative Modeling Systems” References [1] Suthers, D., Weiner, A., Connelly, J. & Paolucci, M. (1995) Belvedere: Engaging students in critical discussion of science and public policy issues. In Proceedings of AIED 1995 (ed. Greer), pp. 266-273. AACE, Washington. [2] Conklin, J. & Begemann, M. L. (1987). gIBIS: A hypertext tool for team design deliberation. In Proceedings of Hypertext’87 (pp. 247-251). Chapel Hill, NC (USA). [3] Constantino-González, M. & Suthers, D. D. (2000). A Coached Collaborative Learning Environment for Entity-Realationship Modeling. In Gauthier, G., Frasson, C. & VanLehn, K. (Eds.): Intelligent Tutoring Systems (Proceedings of ITS 2000, Montreal, Canada, June 2000). Berlin: Springer. [4] Pinkwart, N., Hoppe, H.U., Bollen, L. & Fuhlrott, E. (2002) Group-oriented modeling tools with heterogeneous semantics. In Proceedings of ITS 2002 (eds. Cerri, Gouardères & Paraguacu), pp. 21-30. Springer, Berlin.
