Tutorial dialogues and gist explanations of genetic XXXX risk.

@entity1 @entity5 @entity0
UNASSIGNED: The intelligent tutoring system (ITS) BRCA Gist is a Web-based tutor developed using the Shareable Knowledge Objects (SKO) platform that uses latent semantic analysis to engage @entity1 in natural-language dialogues to teach about @entity0 risk. BRCA Gist appears to be the first ITS designed to assist @entity1 ' health decision making. Two studies provide fine-grained analyses of the verbal interactions between BRCA Gist and @entity1 responding to five questions pertaining to @entity0 and genetic risk. We examined how "gist explanations" generated by @entity1 during natural-language dialogues related to outcomes. Using reliable rubrics, scripts of the @entity1 ' verbal interactions with BRCA Gist were rated for content and for the appropriateness of the tutor's responses. @entity1 researchers' scores for the content covered by the @entity1 were strongly correlated with the coverage scores generated by BRCA Gist, indicating that BRCA Gist accurately assesses the extent to which @entity1 respond appropriately. In Study 1, @entity1 ' performance during the dialogues was consistently associated with learning outcomes about @entity0 risk. Study 2 was a field study with a more diverse population. @entity1 with an undergraduate degree or less education who were randomly assigned to BRCA Gist scored higher on tests of knowledge than those assigned to the National @entity5 Institute website or than a control group. We replicated findings that the more expected content that @entity1 included in their gist explanations, the better they performed on outcome measures. As fuzzy-trace theory suggests, encouraging @entity1 to develop and elaborate upon gist explanations appears to improve learning, comprehension, and decision making.
