Toward the Development of an Intelligent Tutoring System for Distributed Team Training through Passive Sensing

The development of intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) capable of supporting training experiences for geographically-distributed team members in shared virtual simulation environment presents considerable challenges. Even human tutors face challenges in developing team cohesion, coordinating roles and assessing contributions. Just as a human tutor might assess collective performance, a team ITS must be capable of passively assessing the trainees’ readiness to learn and evaluating their progress toward team objectives. Passive sensing methods offer the opportunity for the ITS to understand the team’s cognitive and emotional state without interfering with the learning process. It also helps determine their any interventions needed to optimize performance. This article reviews challenges and hypothesizes functions for computer-based distributed team tutors.