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Representing semantic knowledge with 2-dimensional rules in the domain of functional programming

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Visualization in Human-Computer Interaction (IPsy 1988)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 439))

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Abstract

One of the many difficult problems in the development of intelligent computer aided instruction (ICAI) is the appropriate design of instructions and helps. This paper addresses the question of optimizing instructional and help material concerning the operational knowledge for the visual, functional programming language ABSYNT (ABstract SYNtax Trees). The ultimate goal of the project is to build a problem solving monitor (PSM) for this language and the corresponding programming environment. The PSM should analyse the blueprints of the students, give comments and proposals (SLEEMAN & HENDLEY, 1982). First, we will explain our motivation for choosing this domain of discourse. Second, we will shortly present the programming environment of ABSYNT. Third, we represent the development of two alternative 2-D-rulesets (appendix A, B), which describe the operational semantics of the ABSYNT interpreter. The development of the 2-D-rules was guided by cognitive psychology and cognitive engineering aspects and results of an empirical study. The study showed that the rules were comprehensible even for computer novices.

This research was sponsored by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) in the SPP Psychology of Knowledge under Contract No. MO 293/3-2

We are grateful that Gabriele Janke and Klaus Kohnert implemented ABSYNT in INTERLISP and LOOPS, that Heinz-Jürgen Thole did part of the rule-based programming in LPA-PROLOG and that Klaus-Dieter Frank assisted in empirical research and did the first implementation of the help system in HYPERCARD.

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Peter Gorny Michael J. Tauber

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© 1990 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Möbus, C., Schröder, O. (1990). Representing semantic knowledge with 2-dimensional rules in the domain of functional programming. In: Gorny, P., Tauber, M.J. (eds) Visualization in Human-Computer Interaction. IPsy 1988. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 439. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-52698-6_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-52698-6_5

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