Application of Conceptual Graph Structures in the Design of an Adaptive System: An Initial Concept and Exploration

This paper presents initial work on an adaptive trainer for basic helicopter flight skills. The work was performed by Bevilacqua Research Corporation, Inc., the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and Cognitive and Behavioral Systems. The project was performed for the U. S. Army Research Institute of the Behavioral and Social Sciences, Ft. Rucker Field Unit. In this initial phase of the project, the project team: 1) created initial student conceptual models, 2) created initial instructor conceptual models, 3) identified methods to dynamically update and evaluate student models, 4) identified methods to modify instructional models in response to student behavior, and 5) developed a top-level adaptive trainer design. The conceptual models were designed using conceptual graph structures as described by Sowa (1984) and were applied as an adaptive trainer would to an example instructional sequence to prove the utility of the employed methodology.