Mentor-I: an expert database system for student guidance

A description is given of Mentor-I, a deductive database system written in C-Prolog that advises undergraduate computer science majors at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. An experimental prototype, the system uses a relational database model for rules and student records. Expert knowledge for the system is embodied in rules that the advisor uses to suggest how many course hours to take and the order in which to satisfy college degree requirements. Additional expertise is supplied in the form of suggestions for free elective courses based on student interests and career goals. The system has been designed to be used by the computer science department as the prototype for a subsequent collegewide system. The discussion focuses on the representation of data as relations in a Prolog environment, specific program module implementation, and a tree search method for schedule generation.<>