BOX 9.8 Intelligent Tutoring in High School Algebra A large-scale experiment evaluated the benefits of introducing an intelligent algebra tutoring system into an urban high school setting (Koedinger et al., 1997). An important feature of the project was a collaborative, client-centered design that coordinated the tutoring system with the teachers' goals and expertise. The collaboration produced the PUMP (Pittsburgh urban mathematics program) curriculum, which focuses on mathematical analyses of real-world situations, the use of computational tools, and on making algebra accessible to all students. An intelligent tutor, PAT (for PUMP Algebra Tutor) supported this curriculum. Researchers compared achievement levels of ninth- grade students in the tutored classrooms (experimental group) with achievement in more traditional algebra classrooms. The results demonstrated strong benefits from the use of PUMP and PAT, which is currently used in 70 schools nationwide.. FIGURE 9.5 PUMP Algebra Tutor end-of-course evaluation. SOURCE: Adapted from Koedinger et al. (1997).