 |
OHIO
BOARD
OF REGENTS
|
Course Inventory Expert System
Revised April 14, 1999
What is the Course Inventory Expert System?
An "expert system" is a computer system that reproduces the decision-making
process of an expert in a certain field of
knowledge. The Course Inventory Expert System is a logical representation
of the decision rules for classifying undergraduate courses, which have
been converted to a step-by-step process.
The Course Inventory Expert System utilizes a series of decision trees
to guide users (i.e., institutional and Regents staff) through the decision-making
process. The goal is to achieve consistent treatment of all undergraduate
courses across the system based on existing decision rules and policies.
For institutional staff, this tool functions as an objective means for
applying the decision rules while developing the Course
Inventory (CI) file submission. Following each step in the process
reduces the possibility of any arbitrary or subjective interpretations
in determining course subsidy assignments and, therefore, has the effect
of creating an audit trail. Once the Course Inventory Expert System is
in the production mode, Regents staff will be able to ensure the proper
application of the decision rules across the system by conducting periodic
reviews of the course data.
From the state perspective, the analysis of subsets of courses would
detect weaknesses in reporting among institutional staff--a
possible indicator of training needs--and for identifying ambiguities
or inequities in the decision rules. Furthermore, the dynamic
nature of academic programs and policy development naturally indicates
the need to devise and implement enhancements or
revisions to the Course Inventory Expert System on a routine basis.
Using the CI Expert System
There are four stages in the Course Inventory Expert System. Each stage
is designed to narrow the universe of courses under consideration. This
"process of elimination" forms the basis for achieving consistent assignments
of courses to subject codes and levels among institutions.
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Stage One--courses for which credit is not awarded, courses specifically
identified for funding at particular levels, developmental courses, and
Transfer Module courses (for technical colleges only)
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Stage Two--courses required for technical degree programs
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Stage Three--courses to which general decision rules apply regardless of
field of study, including capstone courses, General Education Requirements,
personal enrichment or general interest courses, survey courses, student
teaching course, teaching methods courses, calculus-based courses, skill/medium
courses, first-year introductory courses, and courses for non-majors only
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Stage Four--courses to which "discipline-specific" decision rules apply
Please note: While developing this system, the following issues were
acknowledged as requiring further study:
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(1) processes external to the HEI system which are candidates for inclusion
in the data collection efforts of the HEI system (e.g., transfer module
courses and courses required for a technical degree), and
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(2) decision rules, guidelines, or policies which require further clarification
in order to be applied consistently.
Stage One
In this stage, the system begins differentiating particular institution
types and "classes" of courses. The first series of questions in Stage
One are designed to focus on the type of institution and the institutional
staff member; to eliminate certain "classes" of courses from further consideration;
and to guide the user to other stages of the process for all other courses.
Example: A four-year institution representative progresses through the
decision tree via a series of questions. When asked if a course is a Transfer
Module course, the representative who follows the "Yes" path is prompted
to go to Stage Three, thereby removing the possibility that the course
could be subjected to inappropriate criteria. If the "No" path is selected,
a message (triggered by clicking on the hyperlink in the "No" arrow) provides
the criteria for confirming that the course does not function as a Transfer
Module course. Similar "flags" appear for developmental education courses
and for courses required for technical degree programs.
Notice that Stage One reduces the course universe into two types:
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courses identified as a technical degree program requirement in any category--Basic,
Non-technical, or Technical--or as a technical elective within a technical
degree program, and
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courses not identified as a requirement for a technical degree program.
Courses of the first type are eligible only for General Studies or Technical
level funding regardless of institution type--the focus of Stage Two. Those
of the second type would be assigned to the General Studies level at technical
colleges. Four-year university or a community college data reporters would
subject these courses to the decision rules for determining General Studies
or Baccalaureate level subsidy--described in Stages Three and Four.
Stage Two
In order to enter Stage Two, the data reporter determined in Stage One
that the course is required for a Technical Degree program. Note that both
the "Yes" and "No" arrows in Stage One are linked to confirmations of the
relationship of a course to a Technical Degree program.
Once the data reporter arrives at Stage Two, the system reconfirms that
the course was subjected to Stage One criteria. Stage Two further certifies
that the course is a Technical Degree program requirement and guides the
level assignment of these courses.
Stage Three
The data reporter accesses Stage Three through Stage One. This stage is
designed to glean from the remaining universe of courses those in categories
that are not unique to a particular field of study but rather to the type
of course, to the curricular significance of the course, or to aspects
of the course which define its level.
Stage Four
In reaching this stage, the course universe has been considerably reduced.
Now the course is subjected to additional criteria based on the field of
study with which it is associated (generally, a field of study relates
to the UIS Program Code, a relationship that will disappear once a full
transition to the HEI system is accomplished). Some fields of study have
common criteria, and have been combined within one slide.
Go
to Expert System.
http://regents.ohio.gov/hei/ci/Documentation/cisystemoverview.html
Last updated April 14, 1999