Design and Implementation of an Artificial Intelligence System for Guidance and Counseling
Chapter One
Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of the study is to develop a counseling management system for secondary school. The following are the specific objectives of the study
- To design and implement an automated career guidance and counseling .
- To capture the O level courses grades of students in order to determine if they are fit for a science or arts career.
- To design a system that will maintain a database of counseling records.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
This chapter is concerned with the literature review. The contributions of other researchers on the subject of career guidance and counseling is examined in this chapter.
The Concept of Career Guidance and Counseling
Career counseling is very fundamental to students’ successful and meaningful living. Every student desire to be identified with a good profession, but this could only be achieved through effective counseling on the choices of career to maximize their potential. Career, though crucial to mankind, occupies almost all entire human life. This is due to the fact that career contribute enormously to all human activities, building individuals high self esteem, satisfaction and adjusting to healthy life. It equally assists students to discover their innate potentials and acquire the needed knowledge for building lifelong profession. The word ―career‖ refers to the activities and position involved in vocation, occupation, and jobs as well as to related activities associated with an individual’s life time of work. In view of this, adequate utilization of career counseling is required in public secondary schools in Nigeria if the nation’s goals are to be attained. According to BAC, the term counseling includes work with individuals and with relationships which may be developmental, crisis support, psychotherapeutic, guiding or problem solving.
A good number of adolescent and youths in many Nigerian secondary schools have incongruent patterns between their aspirations and subject combination for the school certificate examination. The implication is that most Nigerian youths today engage in occupations not on the basis of ―reasonable‖ choice but on the basis of fate. Case of maladaptive behaviors like violation of school rule and regulation, bullying, truancy, drug abuse, alcohol addition, sexual abuse, rape is on the increase among our school adolescents. Managing and modifying adolescent maladaptive behavior is still a big challenge facing teachers, student caregivers and the society at large. Students have variety of interest and abilities. This makes it difficult for them to choose a career. In vocational counseling, students should be provided with detailed up- to-date useful information about different careers. The information should be centered on careful planning for a career, getting and retaining the career and adjusting effectively to it. The reason for all these is to let the students consider the various areas in harmony with their potentials and consequently choose the best career.
Artificial Intelligence Overview and its Role in Guidance and Counseling
Artificial Intelligence (AI), the study and engineering of intelligent machines capable of performing the same kinds of functions that characterize human thought. The concept of AI dates from ancient times, but the advent of digital computers in the 20th century brought AI into the realm of possibility. AI was conceived as a field of computer science in the mid-1950s. The term AI has been applied to computer programs and systems capable of performing tasks more complex than straightforward programming. According to Shaw (2008), AI might be simplistically described as an attempt to use computers to mimic the functioning of human intelligence and may include knowledge acquisition, reasoning and adaptation to experience. However, the realization of such a concept lies in the future. Current experimental developments use large, fast and expensive computers. A branch of AI that is specifically systems that mimic human experts is expert system
Expert systems are computer programs which represent explicit human knowledge, are capable of explaining their reasoning and are easily modified. The justification for applying expert systems techniques to training can be stated very simply: they allow you to do some things which could not be done any other way, or could not be done as economically or as effectively. Implicit in this is the claim that expert systems, properly applied to training, can:
- Significantly enhance existing training;
- Produce cost savings;
- Alleviate or avoid the consequences of failure provide effective training.
Examples of computer-based training (CBT) were analyzed to see how they could be enhanced through the application of expert systems. All the examples tested were of well-acclaimed courseware which has been validated and is in wide use within the organization for which they were produced. The expert systems approach is therefore being measured against good-quality courseware. A comparison of a videotape and a CBT fault-finding exercise on an industrial plant illustrated one essential difference in the approach which expert systems make possible; they can be used for guidance and counseling far more effectively than the more usual CBT approaches. There is, however, a clear similarity of style between the fault-finding approach and many expert systems approaches and the question then arises as to which is superior. Part of the answer lies with the types of application for which expert systems are not suitable. They are not particularly good for simulation work and setting up ‘what happens if …’ investigations. They are, however, very good where:
- Advice is required.
- Explanations or reasons for decisions are desirable.
- The ability for the trainee to identify the chain of reasoning is useful.
- The advice of, or consultation with, an expert or experienced person would improve effectiveness in use.
- Further enhancement is envisaged.
An analysis of an expert system application for the application of rules and regulations governing statutory sick pay illustrated that expert systems can provide these features more readily and more cheaply than many authoring languages for CBT. They also have an additional advantage. Most CBT, when written in a standard authoring or programming language, presents a fixed approach to a topic and once the training has taken place there may be little value in retaking the training course. With expert systems, however, the material can be designed to be part of the initial training and to then provide ongoing support after the training has finished by way of their expert consultant facilities.
A videotape presentation of an expert system used in the role of counselor and advisor demonstrated that expert systems can also be designed to provide, through their role of expert consultant, continuous on-the-job training and enhancement of performance. This can be tailored for use by the novice, the experienced and the expert employee alike. The value here lies not merely with the increase in efficiency deriving from the constant availability of the expert tutor, but also from the rapid (and almost incidental) acquisition by the trainee of the expert knowledge of the expert system. Once the tremendous potential of this aspect of expert systems is recognized it will be apparent that there is a very diverse range of applications where an expert system, taking on the role of the expert counselor, can be used to provide ongoing training in the work environment. This avoids the costs associated with removing personnel from their work and transporting them to central training locations, but does assume the availability of appropriate hardware, such as IBM PCs at the work locations. The expert counselor will also be available to provide advice in the future—to be used for refresher training, consolidation of knowledge and experience or for reference on specific issues. These are features which are very difficult to achieve by other CBT methods. A second example of CBT, this time in the realm of the selection and use of measurement devices in chemical engineering, illustrates these points. This approach is satisfactory for producing an awareness level of competence, but it cannot guarantee understanding or retention of information or the accurate and appropriate application of that knowledge. Replace, or better still add to, this piece of CBT with an expert system containing the new knowledge, but is structured to:
CHAPTER THREE
SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
Introduction
This chapter presents the research methodology, system design, input file specification and program flow chart.
Research Methodology
The source of data methods of collection, the evaluation of the existing system and the organizational structure of the system are presented. The software development model used is waterfall model. The Waterfall model is a sequential development approach, in which development is seen as flowing steadily downwards (like a waterfall) through the phases of requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing (validation), integration, and maintenance.The data used for the development of the research was gotten from the internet, textbooks and articles. The contributions of other researchers on the subject were examined so as to gather relevant information. The case study also provided useful information for the development of the system. The necessary fields involve in recording court cases was retrieve from the case study.
System Analysis
System analysis entails examining a system in order to understand its step by step operations so as to identify its benefits and areas of limitation that require improvements.
CHAPTER FOUR
SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION AND DOCUMENTATION
Introduction
This chapter presents the system flow chart, analysis of modules, choice of programming language and programming environment.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction
This chapter presents the, constraints of the study summary, conclusion and useful recommendations.
Constraints of the study
In carrying out the research work, some challenges were faced that limited the study such as:
Time: The time given for the completion of the research work was too short hence the researcher had speed up the research work to meet up and this has an impact on the study.
Limited Materials: few materials were found pertaining to the research area and this limited the bulk of the literature review.
Finance: The high cost of textbooks, internet browsing and transportation to different libraries to gather materials stood as a constraint to the research work.
Summary
The essence of incorporating guidance and counseling into the school system was to eliminate overwhelming ignorance of many young people on their choices of career prospects and personality maladjustment among school children. The role of artificial intelligence in guidance can be seen in three ways: as a tool, as an alternative, or as an agent of change. In the absence of a human expert, the system can be used. The importance of guidance and counseling programme in secondary schools, include bringing to the students an increased understanding of the educational, vocational and social information needed to make wise choices.
Conclusion
An artificial intelligence based system for guidance and counseling is a very important system. This is true because a human counselor may not always be around but with a software system that is programmed to have the artificial intelligence of what a counselor would do, the problem of limited counselors will be solved as the system only needs to be used with a functional computer system and all the specifications of the hardware and software.
Recommendation
The following recommendations are offered based on the findings of the study: given the benefits of an artificial intelligence system for guidance and counseling, secondary schools should acquire such software to aid counseling, computer programmers should be employed as staff in institutions of learning, research in the area of artificial intelligence system for guidance and counseling should be encouraged, staff of secondary schools should be trained to be computer literate.
REFERENCES
- Afia, N. J. (2005). The Influence of Counselling Services on Educational Development of Secondary School Students in Awka-Ibom State. Journal of Counselling and Communication, 1 (2) (94-100).
- Akinboye, J. O. (1987). Guidance and Counselling Strategies for Handling Adolescent and Youth Problems. Ibadan: University press.
- British Association for Counseling BAC, (1984). Code of Ethics and practice for Counsellors. Rugby: BAC
- Egbochukwu, E. O (2008). Guidance and Counseling; A Comprehensive Text. Benin City. University of Benin Press.
- Ifelunni, C. S. I (1997). Psychometric and Ethical Consideration in Counseling. Enugu: Auto-Century Publishing Company Limited.
- Nwaokolo, C. (2006). Appraisal of the Implementation off Guidance and Counseling Services at the Post-Primary level. Paper presented at the 2006 Annual Conference of Education.
