Reconstructive explanation: A case study in integral calculus

摘要

Expert system explanation has been a significant area of research since the inception of expert systems themselves. The traditional approach to explanation involves the generation of a line of explanation (the reasoning presented in the explanation) that is almost exclusively based on the line of reasoning. Recent reports have described a reconstructive approach to explanation in which the line of explanation and the line of reasoning are often quite distinct and largely decoupled. These reports have emphasized the intuitive motivations for such a reconstructive approach. Our article describes an explicit study of the level and type of decoupling between explanation and problem solving. In particular, we present protocol analysis results showing concrete examples of reconstructive explanation within the area of integral calculus. Further, we discuss the implications of these findings on the instruction of integral calculus.