Teachers implementing pedagogy through REDEEM

Previous research has shown that teachers, working in computer supported cl assrooms, are often unhappy with what they perceive as a diminution of thei r role as educators. One solution to the problem of loss of control over th e teaching and learning process is to provide teachers with tools to develo p their own computer-based learning environments. The investigation present ed here is a case-based evaluation of one such tool, the REDEEM authoring e nvironment. REDEEM is designed to allow teachers to create intelligent tuto ring systems (ITSs) by taking existing computer-based material as a domain model and then overlaying their teaching expertise. Three educators, one su bject matter expert and two practising teachers, were observed using REDEEM to create an ITS for primary mathematics. They were asked to author for a 'virtual' class of students and were given the opportunity to review the co nsequences of their authoring decisions by watching videos of the 'virtual class' interacting with REDEEM. The evidence from an in-depth study of the participants' interactions with REDEEM confirms that the authoring environm ent is usable by authors with no previous experience in computer-based lear ning and that teachers can use it to achieve ITSs which match the perceived needs of their pupils. In addition, REDEEM can provide opportunities for t eachers to reflect upon their professional knowledge. (C) 2000 Elsevier Sci ence Ltd. All rights reserved.