Web Passive Voice Tutor: An Intelligent Computer Assisted Language Learning System over the WWW

In this paper we describe Web Passive Voice Tutor (Web PVT), an adaptive web-based Intelligent Computer Assisted Language Learning (ICALL) program that is aimed at teaching non-native speakers the passive voice of the English language. The design of the system has been largely based on the results of an empirical study that was conducted at schools with the collaboration of human teachers. Web PVT incorporates techniques from Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) and Adaptive Hypermedia (AH) technologies to provide students with individualised instruction and feedback. The system uses a combination of stereotypes and the overlay technique for the initialisation of the student model, which is then refined by observing the student while working with the system. The resulting student model is used for the annotation of the links to topics presented to the student. In addition, it is also used in the process of error diagnosis and the adaptation of feedback and advice provided to the student.