Selection of a good expert system shell for instructional purposes in business

Expert systems (ES) have become very important tools in making decisions in business. In order to meet the rising demand for both technical and managerial skills for ES, many business schools have started to use ES shells to teach students the concepts and skills necessary to develop various ES applications, but little research has been done in evaluating expert shells for instructional purposes. This paper develops a model for selecting the most appropriate expert shell as an instructional tool for an ES course. The instructional objectives of incorporating expert shells in a learning environment are discussed and a set of evaluation criteria are developed. Then an evaluation model is presented; it is to be used to select the best shell under different class environments. An illustrative example is also presented.