E-LEARNING: INTEGRATING ADAPTIVE HYPERMEDIA AND INTELLIGENT TUTORING SYSTEMS

Web-based education has been implemented widely in recent years. However, one limitation of most current web learning systems is that they provide the same page content and same set of links to all users. There is a need to add “intelligence ” to web based learning to tutor the students intelligently and adapt to their needs. Adaptive hypermedia systems offer a solution by using of adaptive methods such as adaptive presentation, adaptive content selection and adaptive navigation support to enable users to navigate through or search interlinked items based on a user ’s needs, knowledge, goals and interests. The Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) is defined as a “computer based training systems that incorporate techniques for communicating or transferring knowledge and skills to students”. Initially ITS provided users with questions and answers to evaluate their level of understanding. It did not provide access to a lecturer’s notes and reading materials. Its main functions were to act as a support mechanism for students. The required knowledge is assumed to have been acquired from outside the system. It is possible to integrate technologies and techniques from both adaptive hypermedia and ITS to create an intelligent online learning systems. Therefore this research aims to investigate the feasibility of integrating adaptive hypermedia and intelligent tutoring systems to produce an intelligent adaptive hypermedia on-line learning system. This system will take into account users ’ learning methods and styles in its user model. An investigation into the relationship(s) between adaptive methods such as navigation support and content selection techniques, and users ’ characteristics such as learning methods and styles will also be carried out.