Analogies in an Intelligent Programming Environment for Learning LISP

  • Gerhard Weber
Part of the NATO ASI Series book series (NATO ASI F, volume 111)

Abstract

When learning a new programming language, novices often use remindings of previous problems to solve new problems and to code programs. But, analogies and remindings are only helpful if they are based on elaborated explanations and higher-level structural similarities. ELM-PE, an intelligent programming environment supporting example-based learning, is designed to aid novices learning to program in LISP. For this system, an analogical component is developed to show up structurally similar problem solutions retrieved by an explanation-based retrieval method (EBR). Analogues are retrieved from a case-base where explanations of cases as analyzed by a cognitive diagnosis are stored. Two studies are reported indicating that the EBR-method retrieves analogues as well as the ARCS-model does or even better.

Keywords

Knowledge-based help system intelligent programming environment analogies analogue retrieval explanation-based learning case-based learning. 

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1993

Authors and Affiliations

  • Gerhard Weber
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of PsychologyUniversity of TrierTrierGermany

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