Interaction tactics for socially intelligent pedagogical agents

ABSTRACT

Guidebots, or animated pedagogical agents, can enhance interactive learning environments by promoting deeper learning and improve the learner's subjective experience. Guidebots exploit a person's natural tendency to interact socially with computers, as documented by Reeves, Nass, and their colleagues. However they also raise expectations of social abilities, and failure to meet those expectations can have unintended negative effects. The Social Intelligence Project is developing improved social interaction skills for guidebots. This paper describes efforts to model and implement interaction tactics for guidebots, i.e., dialog exchanges that are intended to achieve particular communicative and motivational effects. These are based on analyses of student-tutor interaction during computer-based learning

REFERENCES

• 1: Dessouky, M.M., Verma, S., Bailey, D., & Rickel, J. A methodology for developing a Web-based factory simulator for manufacturing education. IEE Transactions 33, 167--180, 2001.
• 2: DSouza, A., Rickel, J., Herreros, B., & Johnson, W.L. An automated lab instructor for simulated science experiments. In J.D. Moore, C.L. Redfield, and W.L. Johnson (Eds.), Artificial Intelligence in Education, 65-76. IOS Press, Amsterdam, 2001.
• 3: eDrama Learning. eDrama Front Desk FAQ. http://www.edrama.com/Products/productFAQ.asp.
• 4: Johnson, W.L. Using agent technology to improve the quality of Web-based education. In N. Zhong and J. Liu (Eds.), Web Intelligence. Berlin: Springer, 2002. Also available at ftp://ftp.isi.edu/isd/johnson/si/.
• 5: Pilkington, R.M. Analysing educational discourse: the DISCOUNT scheme. Technical report No. 99/2, Computer Based Learning Unit, Univ. of Leeds, 1999.
• 6: Reeves, B. and Nass, C. The Media Equation. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
• 7: Paola Rizzo , Erin Shaw , W. Lewis Johnson, An Agent That Helps Children to Author Rhetorically-Structured Digital Puppet Presentations, Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems, p.903-912, June 02-07, 2002
• 8: W. Lewis Johnson , Erin Shaw , Andrew Marshall , Catherine LaBore, Evolution of user interaction: the case of agent adele, Proceedings of the 8th international conference on Intelligent user interfaces, January 12-15, 2003, Miami, Florida, USA [doi>10.1145/604045.604063]

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)

Additional Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.2 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
      I.2.0 General

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.3 COMPUTERS AND EDUCATION
      K.3.1 Computer Uses in Education

General Terms:
Human Factors

Keywords:
conversational interfaces, interface agents