The Student Becomes the Master: Integrating Peer Tutoring with Cognitive Tutoring

Combining peer tutoring with an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) holds the promise of augmenting the current benefits of the ITS. We designed and implemented a peer tutoring approach as an addition to the Cognitive Tutor Algebra (CTA), an ITS for high school algebra. We then used 30 students to evaluate the potential of the peer tutoring addition to increase learning. Although students learned and interacted positively, peer tutors lacked the necessary expertise to adequately help their tutees.