A computer-aided learning package (called ConFound) is being developed in order to provide support to students who are carrying out a foundation design. It is part of the GeoCAL project, funded by the Teaching and Learning Technology Programme (TLTP). It represents one of five strands being developed which will form a suite of computer aided learning (CAL) material covering the whole of the geotechnical engineering domain.

ConFound is a knowledge-based system (KBS) being developed for preliminary (conceptual) design of foundations. It is specifically designed for use as a CAL tool and can be used in two modes:

(i)

The system simply presents the options and offers general hints to aid decision making. Students will also have access to context sensitive help on each option but no decision support is given.

(ii)

In addition to general hints prior to the decision the KBS will also offer a critical assessment of the decision after it has been made.

At any stage the student will have the option to go back and reconsider any decision. The KBS is being developed for use within the Microsoft Windows^TM environment. The language for implementation of the KBS is C++. The context sensitive help has been developed as Windows^TM Help files. This hypertext material is also available to students as reference material that they can browse through independently of the KBS.

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