14. A networked information management system comprising: model-based user interface generation module residing on a client node of a network, said model-based user interface generation module for generating direct manipulation graphical user interfaces displayable at said client node; specification generation system residing on a server node of said network, said specification generation system for generating a specification corresponding with a software tutoring application, said specification including a collection of entity representations of said software tutoring application, each said entity representation having an associated predetermined entity definition for defining a structure and semantics corresponding with said entity representation; transmitter network for transmitting said specification from said server node to said model-based user interface generation module on the client node; transforming module residing on said client node, said transforming module for transforming said collection of entity representations into a corresponding set of programming entity data types having direct manipulation graphical representations, wherein: (A1) for at least some of said programming entity data types, said user interface generating module on said client node determines a display characteristic not provided in said specification; and (A2) for at least a portion of said entity representations of said collection, prior to receipt of said specification at said model-based user interface generation module on the client node, said associated predetermined entity definitions are unspecified for said user interface generating module, and wherein at least some of said associated predetermined entity definitions for said portion of the entity representations are utilized in the transformation step; display device on said client node for displaying a user interface generated by said user interface generating module using an output of said transforming module on said client node; a subject matter coach module which resides on the server node, which in response to receipt of selected information entered or created by a user at the client node, performs an analysis of the selected information and generates performance information relating to the user, where the performance information is then transmitted to the client node; and wherein said user interface is responsive to each of a plurality of user inputs to said user interface on said client node, each said user input resulting in one of: creating and deleting instantiations of said programming entity data types, and wherein each response to each of the user inputs is independent of communication with said server node.
14. A networked information management system comprising: model-based user interface generation module residing on a client node of a network, said model-based user interface generation module for generating direct manipulation graphical user interfaces displayable at said client node; specification generation system residing on a server node of said network, said specification generation system for generating a specification corresponding with a software tutoring application, said specification including a collection of entity representations of said software tutoring application, each said entity representation having an associated predetermined entity definition for defining a structure and semantics corresponding with said entity representation; transmitter network for transmitting said specification from said server node to said model-based user interface generation module on the client node; transforming module residing on said client node, said transforming module for transforming said collection of entity representations into a corresponding set of programming entity data types having direct manipulation graphical representations, wherein: (A1) for at least some of said programming entity data types, said user interface generating module on said client node determines a display characteristic not provided in said specification; and (A2) for at least a portion of said entity representations of said collection, prior to receipt of said specification at said model-based user interface generation module on the client node, said associated predetermined entity definitions are unspecified for said user interface generating module, and wherein at least some of said associated predetermined entity definitions for said portion of the entity representations are utilized in the transformation step; display device on said client node for displaying a user interface generated by said user interface generating module using an output of said transforming module on said client node; a subject matter coach module which resides on the server node, which in response to receipt of selected information entered or created by a user at the client node, performs an analysis of the selected information and generates performance information relating to the user, where the performance information is then transmitted to the client node; and wherein said user interface is responsive to each of a plurality of user inputs to said user interface on said client node, each said user input resulting in one of: creating and deleting instantiations of said programming entity data types, and wherein each response to each of the user inputs is independent of communication with said server node. 20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14, said subject matter coach module provides historical information to the client node.