Chair: TESSMER, MARTIN A.
DAI-A 60/03, p. 711, Sep 1999

This exploratory study investigated the question, "Does the creation of an expert system facilitate the formation of an accurate mental model?" Thirty-three participants, who reported no knowledge of the subject domain in which the expert system would be created, read encyclopedia extracts and then created small expert systems. Three measurements were used to assess participants' mental models. At the commencement of the study (pretest), after participants read the text (midtest), and after participants created expert systems (posttest), mental models were measured using the Pathfinder technique and troubleshooting and prediction tests. Scores on all three measures indicated that there were small increases in scores from pretest to midtest, and substantially larger, statistically significant increases in scores from midtest to posttest. In post study surveys and interviews participants indicated that their knowledge in the subject domain had increased, and that the creation of the expert system had been very helpful in learning the material, and that they had fun doing it.