Week 3 anthropomorphic agents Flashcards
Why robots in education?
- Classroom sizes are increasing
- Robots are becoming more common, more advanced, more social
- Robots can engage in natural communication, verbally, and non-verbally
What are the 4 types of anthropomorphic agents?
- Chatbots
Usual no visual representation, communication via text. - Voice assistants
General-purpose support agent (e.g., Siri) often uses voice to communicate. Underresearched in eduction, although you can ask it questions. - Virtual characters
Adding a character to a chatbot. Benefits: beter social relationship formation, engagement, helps to frame the agent and convey personality/emotion. However, The more human-like cues, the higher the expectations. - Social robots
Physical embodiment, presence in the learner’s educational context. Resulting in more engagement, enjoyment, compliance. Direct effect on cognitive learning outcomes
What is the overlap [3 things] between chatbots, robots, virtual characters, and smart assistants?
- We use natural language (speech, text) to interact with them.
- They add a social layer to learning (action in interaction)
- Always available, synchronous communication, proactive interaction, and monitoring of the learner’s progress allows for personalized interactions.
What are the 4 main advantages of anthropomorphic agents?
- Save costs
- Increase satisfaction
- Interact proactively
- Analysis (big data) - individual support
What is the novelty effect?
The performance will initially improve (new technology. However, students lose interest in agents (compared to human alternatives).
How do elements of anthropomorphic agents affect motivation?
Mainly intrinsic — trigger curiosity, provide feedback to
boost competence, leave the student in control.
Do these results hold after using them for a longer
time? [Novelty effect)
How do elements of anthropomorphic agents affect cognition?
Students generally show strong engagement with agents, due to the social interaction.
Do these results hold after using them for a longer
time? [Novelty effect)
How do elements of anthropomorphic agents affect emotion?
Enjoyment is high, especially with robots.
Do these results hold after using them for a longer
time? [Novelty effect)
What are the 3 benefits of the physical presence of robots
- Can work in physical education (handwriting, physical education)
- Users show more social behaviors that are beneficial for learning compared to virtual agents
- Users show increased learning gains compared to virtual agents
Which of Bloom’s taxonomy levels can be supported by anthropomorphic agents, and how?
Likely higher order because the agent, if smart enough, can act as a facilitator like how a human teacher would do this (the social part of these agents helps)
How do elements of anthropomorphic agents link to the different
theories of learning (behaviorist, cognitivist, constructivist)?
Behaviorist: social learning where the agent is the ‘model.’
Cognitivist: Guidance in metacognitive skills (e.g., thinking aloud with a robot.
Constructivist: Building knowledge together with the agent and
leaving the learner in charge of the educational process
Group-led discussion. What are the concerns of teachers if social robots are used for education?
- Data collection [face and voice recognition]
- Disruptive in the classroom
- Privacy and security [parents knowing everything]
Should we provide options (choice) for agents?
No, users tend to choose agents who are not the most beneficial for them (often choose the one that seems attractive not
functional).
BUT! Customization can be beneficial (social model).