Designing CIspace: Pedagogy and Usability in a Learning Environment for AI

Designing CIspace: Pedagogy and Usability in a Learning Environment for AI S. Amershi, N. Arksey, G. Carenini, C. Conati, A. Mackworth, H. Maclaren, D. Poole

What is ? • A set of interactive algorithm visualization tools for demonstrating the dynamics of common Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms. • Currently includes 9 Java applets for AI topics such as graph searching, constraint satisfaction, deduction, planning, machine learning, robot control and belief and decision networks.

What are interactive algorithm visualizations? • Type of software visualization. • Use of • images • animation • interface elements to interactively demonstrate algorithm dynamics.

Since 1980’s, hundreds of visualization systems and repositories have developed Despite availability, such tools have not been widely adopted Background • Limited by: • Pedagogical concerns • Usability deficiencies

Overview of design process • Iterative design process: • Identify pedagogical and usability goals • Design and implement features to achieve goals • Revise choices in light of evaluations

Pedagogical Goals • P1 - Increase student understanding of AI algorithms and underlying representations • P2 - Support different types of learners • P3 - Motivate and generate interest • P4 - Promote active engagement • P5 - Support various scenarios of learning

P2 - Support Different Types of Learners • Provide support for students with varying learning styles. • Provide support for novices, and continue to provide support as a student’s expertise increases. • Account for individual learning pace.

P4 - Promote Active Engagement • Support active construction of knowledge and new understandings.

P5 - Support Various Scenarios of Learning • Examples: • in-class demonstrations • assignments • individual exploration

Usability Goals • U1 - Easy to learn • U2 - Straightforward and efficient to use • U3 - Easy to integrate into a course

U3 - Easy to Integrate into a Course • Making visualizations easy to adapt to: • individual teaching approaches • course content • other course resources

Coverage • Coverage of nine different AI topics • Facilitates course integration by: • reducing time and effort needed to find visualizations for each new topic • enabling CIspace to be used as a resource throughout a course

Modularity • Originally modularized based on Computational Intelligence, by David Poole, Alan Mackworth, and Randy Goebel • Each applet is self-contained so can be used to support other popular AI textbooks • Helps to ease course integration by: • giving instructors flexibility in choosing supporting textbooks and other course resources • giving instructors the option to select only those applets that apply to their intended course syllabi

Interactive Simulations • Multi-scaled stepping mechanisms for control of the simulation • Features for exploring different aspects in detail • Supports active engagement • Enables students to learn at their own pace

Sample Problems • Each tool equipped with sample problems • Helpful for beginner students. • For instructors, this means less time searching for examples.

Creation of New Problems • Including: • inputting new data • creating new knowledge bases • constructing new graphs • Supports active engagement • Supports more advanced students • Enables instructors to create their own problems for students.

Consistency • Including: • common applet layout • common menu content and layout • similar graphical entities • modes for creating and solving • analogous methods for executing algorithms • Minimizes learning time and facilitates use

Table Summary • Each goal is supported by at least two design features. We argue that this level of redundancy provides an adequate foundation for a robust and reliable set of tools.

Evaluation • Feedback from users • Usability inspection: • User studies • The applet is at least as effective in increasing understanding as the traditional method of studying sample problems on paper. • Students liked studying with the applet significantly (t-test, p<.007) more than studying with paper sample problems.

Conclusions • Results and feedback about CIspace have been encouraging. • Visualizations can be effective for both educators and students when designed to support pedagogical and usability goals.

CIspace: www.cs.ubc.ca/labs/lci/Cispace • Questions?

Thank You!

Future Work • We continue to update our tools in light of results from our evaluations. • Customizable applets • user customizable • author customizable • Quiz features • Adaptive help

Designing CIspace: Pedagogy and Usability in a Learning Environment for AI