The paper deals with the design and implementation of a knowledge-based expert system for tutoring in Structural Engineering. The tutoring domain is limited to plane truss structures, however, the concepts and problem solving skills learned have broader application and are essential for mastering more advanced material. Two tutoring strategies are considered, but the framework exists for implementing more advanced tutoring strategies. A rule-based programming paradigm was selected and the system was implemented on a VAX 11/750 Supermini computer running under a UNIX operating system. The programming language is OPS83, which is primarily rule-based, but permits procedural or imperative coding and interface to modules in other languages. The powerful pattern matching capability of OPS83 is exploited t o provide the tutoring system the ability to recognize complex structural arrangements and make sophisticated decisions. The parser for interpreting student input was developed using the YACC program. The graphical display is on an IRIS terminal and the communication program is in C.

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