El-Tech: A Performance Support System withEmbedded Training for Electronics Technicians

May 1998

Proceedings of the Eleventh International Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society Conference (FLAIRS 1998)

Volume

Proceedings of the Eleventh International Florida Artificial Intelligence Research Society Conference (FLAIRS 1998)

All Papers

Abstract The integration of modern computer-based inferencing, networking, computer-mediated training and multimedia technology hold the promise of improved training and performance support for personnel in industry and government. This paper reports an effort to develop a network-enabled knowledge editing and modeling environment that offers just-in-time training and performance support, anytime, anywhere. The instructional component of the system is based upon a knowledge model elicited from a domain expert and represented in a pedagngically-motivated multimedia browser. The expert’s diagnostic processes are mapped into an integrated rule-based advisory system that assists the user in task performance. The advisory system is tightly coupled with the knowledge model in a fashion that provides context-dependent explanations of the diagnostic process. The distributed, network-based design allows the system to be accessed any time, on demand, running seamlessly over the Intemet or similar networks. EI-Tech (Electronic Technician) is a first prototype of this approach to next-generation, just-in-time performance support systems with embedded training. EI-Tech is being developed as a joint project with the Navy’s Chief of Naval Education and Training (CNET).