Combining rule-based reasoning with multi-criteria decision-making in the context of adaptive tutoring for health issues. (2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kabassi, Katerina; Virvou, Maria; Tsihrintzis, George A.
• Is Part Of: International journal of computational intelligence studies. Volume 4:Number 3/4(2015)
• Page Start: 211
• Page End: 230
• Publication Date: 2015
• Subjects: personalisation systems -- user modelling -- knowledge-based systems -- KBS -- educational systems -- distance learning -- computer reasoning -- rule-based reasoning -- multicriteria decision making -- MCDM -- adaptive tutoring -- health issues -- atheromatosis -- inference mechanism; Computational intelligence -- Periodicals; 006.305
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1755-4985

Abstract

This paper describes the development of an inference mechanism that is based on a hybrid combination of rule-based reasoning of double stereotypes and decision-making techniques. This inference mechanism has been applied in an intelligent medical tutor for atheromatosis. The tutor is called intelligent atheromatosis tutor (INTATU). INTATU provides adaptive tutoring on atheromatosis for various classes of users depending on their interests, background medical knowledge and computer skills. The adaptivity results from user modelling that is based on stereotypical knowledge about potential users (i.e., patients, patients' relatives, doctors, medical students, etc.). For the design of the system reasoning mechanism, and, thus, the successful incorporation of the decision-making theory, an empirical study was conducted. As soon as the full functionality of the reasoning mechanism of the system was implemented, it was evaluated in comparison to the reasoning of human experts. The results of the evaluation offer strong evidence about the effectiveness of the reasoning mechanism and the overall operation of the system.