Evaluating Spatial Knowledge through Problem-Solving in Virtual Learning Environments

Modeling the cognitive processes of learners is fundamental to build educational software that are autonomous and that can provide highly tailored assistance during learning [3]. For this purpose, many student models have been developed. However to the best of the authors' knowledge there is no model for the evaluation and teaching of spatial reasoning. This paper describes how a knowledge representation model for modeling cognitive processes of learners is applied to represent the knowledge handled in a complex and demanding task, the manipulation of the robotic arm CanadarmII, and more specifically, how a training software for CanadarmII manipulations can benefit from the model to evaluate spatial mental representations and provide customized assistance.