A New Approach to Compositional Adaptation Based on
Optimizing the Global Distance Function and its
application in an intelligent tutoring system
Nima Reyhani, Kambiz Badie, and Mahmood Kharrat
Info Society Dept.
Iran Telecom Research Center, End of North Karegar
Tehran, Iran
{nreyhani, k-badie, kharrat) @itrc.ac.ir
Abstract. In this paper, we propose a new approach to
compositional adaptation based on the idea of constituting
the$nal solution in a way that its global difference with a
set of solutions belonging to the retrieved cases can get
minimized. Within this respect, the normalized distance
between the current problem and each retrieved case is
taken into account, using U global distance function, which
makes use of the normalized local distances between the
candidate final solution and the retrieved cases' solutions
as the variables, and some coef3cients as its parameters.
Here, an approach based on secondary CBR can be used
to determine the optimal values of these coefficients based
on their past experiences in characterization ofthe global
distance function. An example is illustrated in the paper,
which shows the utility of this approach for rearranging
the necessary course-wares for students in the realm of
intelligent tutoring systems.
Keywords: Case Based Reasoning, Global Distance
Function, Compositional Adaptation, two layered CBR,
Intelligent Tutoring Systems
1 INTRODUCTION
Out of the existing approaches to case adaptation in case-
based reasoning is compositional adaptation, which can be
particularly significant in the situations where a variety of
similar cases can at the same time be retrievable, due to a
variety of facts, such as homogeneousness of the cases
domain, or infeasibility of having a reliable similarity
assessment formalism that can lead to a unique similar
case.
With respect to compositional adaptation, a number of
approaches have been developed [ I , 2, 31, mainly focusing
either on the idea that the components of the final solution
can he provided from different cases based on the status of
the features in the current problem, or the idea that the total
solution can be regarded in terms of some attributes whose
values can he separately determined through a sort of
averaging, aggregation, or centeroidization [4, 5 , 61 on the
values of these attributes in the retrieved cases.
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With respect to the second view, there exist situations
where the attributes can not hold quantitative values and
the idea of averaging, aggregation, or centeroidization is
not therefore workable in a straightforward manner.
To circumvent the above problem, in this paper we
propose a new approach to compositional adaptation based
on the idea of constituting the final solution in a manner
that its global difference with the set of the solutions
belonging to the retrieved cases can get minimized. Within
this view, the normalized distance between the current
problem and each retrieved case is to be taken into
account. In this regard, we need to define a global distance
function which makes use of the normalized local distances
between the final solution and the solutions belonging to
the retrieved cases as the variables, and the coefficients
being applied to these variables as its parameters. We then
apply the above approach to the problem of rearranging the
necessary course-wares for students as a major issue in
intelligent tutoring systems. Since the possibility of
knowing the appropriate parameters values of the global
distance in an omine way is far enough, in this paper we
propose a method for determination of these coefficients in
an adaptive manner. In this view, we start from some
arbitrarily defined coefficients as the initial bias values,
and then try to adjust these bias values through learning
from past experiences of minimizing the global distance
function.
2 RELATED WORKS
In compositional adaptation, solutions from multiple cases
are combined to produce a new composite solution [I, 21.
Compositional adaptation can be applied in two distinct
situations:
1. When the solution consists of different
independent components, then each of these
components can be adapted more or less
precisely. This method is effective if there are few
conflicts between these components [l]. For
example, Prodigy/Analogy constructs a new
solution from a set of guiding cases as opposed to
 a single past case. Here, complex problems may
he solved by resolving minor interactions among
simpler past cases [8].
2. The solution could not he divided into
independent parts, so the solutions in the similar
cases should he combined in some way. In
Airquap, which is a CBR system for predicting
the pollution levels, the solution to the target
problem is the mean value of the solutions
belonging to the most similar cases in the library
[9]. Also, in the Tutoring Library System for
generating a new set of chapters (to provide a new
hook), the solution to the target problem is the set
of the chapters that exists in the most of the
retrieved cases [3]. In the meantime, in adaptive
hypermedia for Internet portals, the solution to the
target problem is a personalized hypermedia
document which is obtained through user-profile
driven selection of generic information snipers
from an ensemble of past compiled hypermedia
documents [IO]. In Personalized Health
Information Generation Delivery System, relevant
health information elements from the solution
component of multiple similar past cases are
carefully selected and systematically combined to
yield a new personalized health information
package [I I].
3 THE PROPOSED GLOBAL DISTANCE
li"CTI0N
Our proposed approach to compositional adaptation is
based on the fact that the final solution, which is a product
of composing the solutions belonging to the retrieved cases
(cases whose similarity with the current problem is higher
than a certain threshold), should he constructed in a such a
manner that its normalized distance with respect to these
solutions can be as close as possible (though not
completely equal to "0") to the normalized distances
between their corresponding case situations and the current
problem.
Suppose that the normalized distance values between
the current problem and the retrieved cases, and the
normalized distance values which should exist hetween the
final solution and the solutions in the retrieved cases are
respectively indicated by woni and h""i. Also, suppose that
the status of the k-th and I-th attribute belonging
respectively to the situation and solution of the i-th
retrieved case is shown by Sitik, and Solil/. Taking the
above fact into account, the final solution is constructed at
the stage where the function
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is minimized.
Since in reality the different attributes in a solution
bold different contributions to the solution, some
coefficients are required to reflect these contributions.
Taking this fact into account, the function (1) will turn into
the following form:
Here, Sol"" is the composite solution or the final result, and
Lk(.,,)
is defined as follow:
\/=I J
where, is the contribution coefficient for the 1-th attribute
in the solution, and wan, in (2) can be obtained using
expression (4), within which pk indicates the weights of k-
th attribute in measuring the distance value, M is the
number of retrieved cases, C is the number of attributes in
the situation, and N is the number of attributes in the
solution, t and t' values depends on the dimensionality of
the problem and solution space [12, 13, 141.
j=1 \ k=l
Where sitonkis the k-th feature of the ongoing/current
problem, and sit'k is k-th feature of the i-th retrieved case.
It is to be noticed that, there would be situation where Sol'l
and Sol0", take qualitative value, (the value of each
attribute in the solution belongs to a discrete set of
predefined values), Ix-y/s can in general be determined
using a table lookup method within which the table can
hold a predefined format.
In case that the number of retrieved cases andior the
number of attributes in the solutions areiis high, optimizing
the global distance function may become time-consuming.
To overcome this problem, optimization techniques such as
"dynamic programming" [ 151, "genetic algorithm" [16,
171, or "greedy algorithm" [15] can be utilized to make
limitation on the essential search space.
4 ANEXAMPLE
To show how the proposed approach to compositional
adaptation works, let consider an example in the domain of
intelligent tutoring systems (ITS), within which the
 objective is to rearrange the necessary course-wares for secondary CBR is first activated to estimate the optimal
students (or learners), preferably based on leamer models formats for the modules, here, case adaptation’s
available [IS, 19, 20, 211. In the example, “pattem parameters. This means that the very parameters being
recognition” has been selected as the focal subject for used for this modules should first be optimized (using past
tutoring. One of the strategies in this respect is case-based experiences), in order to make the primary CBR as
reasoning in which different situations in tutoring, together immune as possible. Obviously, 6,s, which actively
with their corresponding formats of courseware and the participate in the module of case adaptation, can be fairly
related performance are stored in terms of some cases, and adjusted through the above process. For the moment, we
the objective is to adapt the solutions of the retrieved cases assume that all the SI s have the same contribution and all
in such a way that the final solution can fit the current are equal to “1”.
problem in a plausible manner.
In our approach, the situation in a case is considered to
consist of the predicates regarding the learner model Age: 24
(belief, desire, intention, and learning style), which itself Sex: Male
consists of items such as background knowledge, Intention: Researcher
capabilities, essential mode for leaming (whether the Desire: Hierarchical Classifier
learner wants to learn as a researcher, practitioner, Systems
Belief: (Fuzzy Set Theory)
operator, or in general as a person who wants to gain
Perception Level: 0.1
general knowledge), and the essential format for teaching Input Level: 0.1
the courseware to himiher (audio, visual, graphical, textual, Organization Level: 0.2
...) as well. Also, the solution is considered to consist of Understanding Level: 0.3
the basic attributes of the texts to be given to the user, and Processing Level: 0.2
the text accessories like applet and images, as well. Decision Making Level: 0.7
Figure 4 illustrates an example within which a current Attitude to Outside World Level: 0.4
problem is demonstrated together with a number of similar Organization to Life Level: 0.8
cases retrieved. To decide which retrieved cases should
remain, we go through the following procedure: Cases are
first ranked according to their normalized distance (in an
ascending trend). Here, Euclidian distance function [12, C0”CUb
131, as mentioned in section 3 with t’=2, is used as an Sex: Male
option for distance measurement. Next, starting from the Intention: Researcher
case with the highest rank (lowest normalized distance), Desire: Classifier Systems
the gradients of the similarities calculated. We consider Belief: (Structural Pstfem
Recognition)
the set of cases whose gradients is less than standard Perception Level: 0.1 More Sensitive
deviation of the whole cases’ distance, see Figure 2. This Input Level: 0.7 More Verbal
set is considered to stand for the set of similar cases, which Organization Level: 0.2 More Inductive
should later be subject to compositional adaptation. As it is Understanding Level: 0.7 More Global
Processing Level: 0.2 More Active
seen, the parts of the solution are qualitative in their nature, Decision Making Level: 0.7 More Feeling
to the extent that one can not rely on a compositional Attit. l o Outside World Level: 0.4 More Judgment
adaptation based on averaging or centeroidization [6] to Organization to Lire Le\el: U X More Introvert
obtain the final solution. Solutio”
Now, applying the proposed compositional adaptation Difficulty Level: 4
approach, the final solution can be obtained through Depth Level: 6
minimizing the global distance function of expression (l), Example Bared: Yes
as illustrated in Figure 3, where the initial values 61 s are Exercise Based: Yes
Problem Based: No
considered to be any positive value less than “1”. It should ImsgeLDimcultyLLe~el:4
be noticed that these initial values can be set somewhat AppletLDiffieulty_Level:4
arbitrarily, or according to the past experiences of using the Image-Deplh_Level: 3
corresponding coefficients (as bias values) in similar types AppletLDepth_Level: 3
of global distance functions. With respect to the later, a
secondary CBR [7] has been proposed in which the
objective of solution adaptation is to determine new bias
values based on past experiences of using them. The
general architecture of the secondary case-based reasoning
for bias adjustment is illustrated in Figure 3 [7]. As it is
seen from the figure, once a new problem is faced, the

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Belief: [Stochastic Process)
Perception Level: 0.1
Input Level: 0.7
Organization Level: 0.8
Understanding Level: 0.9
Processing Level: 0.2
Decision Making Level: 0.1
Organization to Life Level: 0.8
“pattern recognition” as a subject. The final solution
obtained in the above manner should then be exposed to
the learner, and evaluated in some way based on the
performance that the learner may exhibit in subsequent
actions of problem-solving or question-answering. The
performance determined in such a manner together with
the problem situation and the set ofthe values 6,s constitute
a new case in the secondary case-base, to denote how
much these bias values have been successful with respect
Mom Deductive
to the corresponding problem.
Now, confronting a new problem in courseware
rearrangement, the secondary case-base is first consulted to
decide the optimal bias values, and these bias values will
then activate the global distance function to yield the final
arrangement of the courseware (the final solution) required
for tutoring.

Difficulty Level: 2 5 CONCLUDING REMARKS

Depth Level: 4
Example Based: yes In this paper, we proposed an approach to compositional
Exercise Based no
Problem Based: no adaptation based on minimizing a global distance function,
Image_Difficulty~Levei:2 which takes into account the local distances between the
Appiet_Diffiiculty_Level:2 current problem and the situations in retrieved cases. As it
Imagel)epth_Levei:3 is seen, both the parameters being used in measuring the
Applet_Depth_Level:3
distances between the current problem and stored cases,
and the contribution coefficients 6, can play an efficient
role in conducting compositional adaptation most
Figure 4. Illustrates an example for solution adaptation
successfully. Hopefully, the secondary CBR, discussed in
s i n g the proposed compositional approach.
the paper as a method for bias adjustment, can enhance
such an opportunity. We therefore expect that a
Considering this, the final solution for the above example
combination of the approach based on global distance
will be obtained as follows:
function and the secondary CBR, can provide a conducive
medium for handling complex adaptation issues.
The proposed approach, can be particularly effective
for the problems where the solutions are described in terms
Difficulty Level: 4 of some qualities or nominal. Examples can be mentioned
Depth Level5 for intelligent tutoring system, mining qualitative data,
Example Based: yes
Exercise Based: no system design, and action planning as well.
Problem Based yes
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 Figure 1. Illustrates the components involving in computing the value of the Global Distance Function

1.2

1
similar cases( retrieved cases)
0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 5 10 15 20 25

Figure 2. This figure demonstrates how we fmd the most closely cases to the current problem. The source of this data are
those evaluated for solving problem mentioned in Figure 4.

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