An Intelligent Programming Tutor (IPT) is a specific implementation of an intelligent tutoring system that is designed for someone learning to program. It maintains an internal model of the student interacting with the system. The system uses that model in conjunction with programming domain knowledge to give constructive feedback to the student. The goal of a successful IPT is to supplement formal instruction, bridging any gaps in student programming knowledge to bring them to mastery in the language.

For Michael's thesis work, he is particularly interested in the constructive feedback component of an IPT.

1. How effective are current hint generation methods?

• Is there a better way? Anything that hasn't been tried.?

2. What is the student's percieved effectiveness of a given hint?
3. How well is a misunderstoof concept conveyed by a given hint?
4. Did the student take a hint and apply it to the problem correctly?
5. Was the flaw in the student's thinking corrected?

• Can they now solve a similar problem without a hint?