Cognitive Tutor Authoring Tools 2.6 > Using the Tools > Example-tracing Tutors > AnnotateWhen a student requests a hint, the first (top-level) hint from the relevant link is displayed. A link can have multiple levels of hints, where each successive hint request by the student displays the next level of hint.
![[Tip]](images/tip.gif) | Tip |
|---|---|
The last hint is commonly a 'bottom-out' hint, a hint that informs the student of the correct answer so that they can continue. This approach, however, can facilitate students 'gaming' of the tutoring system by clicking through to the final hint for each step of the problem. |
![[Note]](images/note.gif) | Note |
|---|---|
Only correct action links can have hints associated with them. If you switch the action type of a correct action link to one of the other types, you will be prompted to choose what to do with the existing hints—you can convert them to buggy (error) messages or remove them from the link. |
To define hints for a correct action link:
Click a correct action link in the Behavior Recorder.
Select .
Enter hints into the hint message text areas. Alternatively, you can copy hints from another link or rule by selecting the link or rule name from the combo boxes at the bottom of the Edit Hint and Success Messages dialog box.
(Optional) Click to define more than three levels of hints.
Click .
Feedback for a student action can be specified on all types of links. It is given after a student action is evaluated by the tutor.
For correct action links, feedback is a success message. For an incorrect or suboptimal action, feedback is an error ("buggy") message.
To define a success message:
Click a correct action link in the Behavior Recorder.
Select .
Click .
Enter a success message in the Please Edit Success Message text area.
(Optional) Choose whether or not the success message should be copied to links with a) the same selection/action/input, and/or b) the same production rule.
Click .
To define a 'buggy' (error) message:
Click an incorrect or suboptimal action link in the Behavior Recorder.
Select .
Enter a buggy (error) message in the text area of the dialog box. Alternatively, you can copy the buggy message from another link in the graph by selecting the link's description from the combo box.
(Optional) Choose whether or not to copy the buggy message to all links with the same selection/action/input.
Click .
Each link on a behavior graph can have any number of skill labels associated with it. A skill label is a tag used to describe a piece of acquired knowledge that is associated with a step (link) in the graph. When applied consistently to steps in a problem, skill labels facilitate many types of analysis on the data generated by student use of the tutor. Such analysis based on knowledge components can be accomplished using the PSLC DataShop, a web application that facilitates learning science research through advanced reports and queries. Using the DataShop, you can easily produce learning curves and other reports from log data coded with knowledge component labels.
To collect this data for later analysis, logging must be turned on for the tutor. See Logging for instructions on configuring and enabling logging, including logging to the PSLC DataShop.
| Note |
|---|---|
If Knowledge Component labels are not visible in the graph, click . |
To associate a knowledge component with a step:
Single-click the default skill ('unnamed') or another existing skill that you'd like to change.
Select .
In the Edit Skill Name dialog (figure below), enter a new skill name in the combo box or select an existing skill name from the drop-down menu.
(Optional) Enter a new skill set name or select an existing one from the drop-down menu.
Click .
To disassociate a knowledge component from a step:
Single-click the knowledge component that you'd like to disassociate from the step.
Select . You'll be asked whether or not you'd like to delete the skill name.
Click to remove the skill name from the link; to leave the skill association as is, click .
With knowledge component labels applied, you can view a matrix of knowledge component usage by problem.
To view a knowledge component matrix:
Select .
Using the Problems Organizer, select a subset of problems (or a single problem) by selecting course, unit, section, and problem name from the drop-down boxes.
Click to view the skill matrix for the problems you've selected.
The Skill Matrix (pictured below) shows problem names vertically along the left-hand side of the table and skill names horizontally across the top. As skill names are often long, shortened identifiers are used (S1, S2 ...) to represent skills; these are defined below the table. The numbers in the table are counts of the number of times each skill appears in each problem.
