Game-inspired Pedagogical Conversational Agents: A Systematic Literature Review

Pedagogical conversational agents (PCAs) are an innovative way to help learners improve their academic performance via intelligent dialog systems. However, PCAs have not yet reached their full potential. They often fail because users perceive conversations with them as not engaging. Enriching them with game-based approaches could contribute to mitigating this issue. One could enrich a PCA with game-based approaches by gamifying it to foster positive effects, such as fun and motivation, or by integrating it into a game-based learning (GBL) environment to promote effects such as social presence and enable individual learning support. We summarize PCAs that are combined with game-based approaches under the novel term “game-inspired PCAs”. We conducted a systematic literature review on this topic, as previous literature reviews on PCAs either have not combined the topics of PCAs and GBL or have done so to a limited extent only. We analyzed the literature regarding the existing design knowledge base, the game elements used, the thematic areas and target groups, the PCA roles and types, the extent of artificial intelligence (AI) usage, and opportunities for adaptation. We reduced the initial 3,034 records to 50 fully coded papers, from which we derived a morphological box and revealed current research streams and future research recommendations. Overall, our results show that the topic offers promising application potential but that scholars and practitioners have not yet considered it holistically. For instance, we found that researchers have rarely provided prescriptive design knowledge, have not sufficiently combined game elements, and have seldom used AI algorithms as well as intelligent possibilities of user adaptation in PCA development. Furthermore, researchers have scarcely considered certain target groups, thematic areas, and PCA roles. Consequently, our paper contributes to research and practice by addressing research gaps and structuring the existing knowledge base

The design and evaluation of an e-Learning program for church leaders in a multicultural context

This study explores the design and evaluation of an e-learning program to equip church leaders with the theological knowledge and leadership skill for practical Christian ministry. To this end, a model online learning environment, the Multicultural Authentic E-Learning Program (MAELP), was designed, using authentic learning design principles, and implemented on Moodle software to cater to new church leaders working in a global multicultural context. Nine of the instructional design factors of the MAELP were evaluated using student feedback and Kirkpatrick’s level four evaluation model

Modelling a conversational agent (Botocrates) for promoting critical thinking and argumentation skills

Students in higher education institutions are often advised to think critically, yet without being guided to do so. The study investigated the use of a conversational agent (Botocrates) for supporting critical thinking and academic argumentation skills. The overarching research questions were: can a conversational agent support critical thinking and academic argumentation skills? If so, how? The study was carried out in two stages: modelling and evaluating Botocrates' prototype. The prototype was a Wizard-of-Oz system where a human plays Botocrates' role by following a set of instructions and knowledge-base to guide generation of responses. Both stages were conducted at the School of Education at the University of Leeds. In the first stage, the study analysed 13 logs of online seminars in order to define the tasks and dialogue strategies needed to be performed by Botocrates. The study identified two main tasks of Botocrates: providing answers to students' enquiries and engaging students in the argumentation process. Botocrates’ dialogue strategies and contents were built to achieve these two tasks. The novel theoretical framework of the ‘challenge to explain’ process and the notion of the ‘constructive expansion of exchange structure’ were produced during this stage and incorporated into Botocrates’ prototype. The aim of the ‘challenge to explain’ process is to engage users in repeated and constant cycles of reflective thinking processes. The ‘constructive expansion of exchange structure’ is the practical application of the ‘challenge to explain’ process. In the second stage, the study used the Wizard-of-Oz (WOZ) experiments and interviews to evaluate Botocrates’ prototype. 7 students participated in the evaluation stage and each participant was immediately interviewed after chatting with Botocrates. The analysis of the data gathered from the WOZ and interviews showed encouraging results in terms of students’ engagement in the process of argumentation. As a result of the role of ‘critic’ played by Botocrates during the interactions, users actively and positively adopted the roles of explainer, clarifier, and evaluator. However, the results also showed negative experiences that occurred to users during the interaction. Improving Botocrates’ performance and training users could decrease users’ unsuccessful and negative experiences. The study identified the critical success and failure factors related to achieving the tasks of Botocrates

Youth in Lebanon: Using collaborative and interdisciplinary communication design methods to improve social integration in post-conflict societies

In 1995, the World Summit for Social Development identified social integration as one of the three overriding objectives for social and economic development. This priority arose following a century that ended with the collapse of many states and the sharpening of strife around the world. Social integration was seen as a pathway to reinforcing common identities, supporting cooperation and lessening the likelihood of violence and conflict. For the past 20 years, governmental, academic and third sector organisations – with the United Nations at the forefront – sought to improve social integration. However their methods and interventions have commonly been restricted to policymaking and dialogue practices. Peacebuilding and reconciliation are affected by communication within and amongst different groups. Nonetheless, the potential for communication design to contribute towards social integration remains unexplored. This practice-led communication design research focuses on 18 to 30 year old youth in Lebanon – an extreme case of a politically, religiously, geographically, culturally and linguistically segregated post-conflict generation. The research adopts an innovative, interdisciplinary(1.) and collaborative(2.) approach, to explore the contribution of communication design methods towards social integration interventions. The interdisciplinary and collaborative case study process spans seven stages of practice: Discover, Delve, Define, Develop, Deliver, Determine Impact and Diverge. I developed this process with Darren Raven in 2010, and have been testing and refining it over the past five years through the socially-focused design projects of BA Design for Graphic Communication students and staff at the London College of Communication. This process builds on the Design Council’s Double Diamond design process by incorporating stages from the National Social Marketing Centre’s process. Through these stages, the research developed several innovative communication design methods: Explorations, a cultural probes toolkit exploring young people’s local context; Road Trip, an autoethnographic journey preparing the researcher; Connections, an effective method for recruiting stakeholders; Expressions Corner, a confidential diary room for understanding young people’s experiences, attitudes and behaviours; Imagination Studio, a collaborative workshop series for developing social integration interventions; Imagination Market, an efficient platform for piloting these interventions; and a Social Impact Framework; to evaluate the impact of the interventions and research. These methods enhanced candid input from young people, reduced ethical tensions, and improved their engagement with the research. The methods also involved youth and wider stakeholders in understanding and reframing the problem, invited them to generate and deliver solutions, strengthened their sense of ownership and therefore the sustainability of the research outputs, and finally, built their capabilities throughout the process. The social integration interventions developed and piloted through the case-study research ranged from a citizen journalism platform reducing media bias, to a youth-led internal tourism service encouraging geographic mobility. The evaluation of the 24-hour pilot interventions demonstrated a positive shift in young people’s willingness to integrate. The social impact and social value assessment suggests that effective social integration interventions – such as the ones developed and piloted in the case study research – have higher chances of delivering positive social and economic outcomes for the communities involved. This practice-led research presents a number of contributions, the most significant of which is a methodology, process and set of methods highly transferable across social integration challenges worldwide. The research also provides social integration theory and practice with a clear demonstration of the value and potential of communication design to advance interventions from replication to innovation. To communication design theory and practice, the research makes the case for the value of interdisciplinary and collaborative principles in enhancing rigour and social impact. Finally, to the Lebanese context, the research provides in-depth qualitative insights on social group dynamics, segments, and behaviours, which act as an evidence-base to underpin future local interventions. Beyond this thesis, the knowledge gained from this research will be disseminated to the various relevant communities of practice – including researchers, designers, policy makers, and community development workers – in the form of Creative Commons licensed design guidelines, as well as presentations, capacity building workshops, and academic publications. The dissemination of knowledge hopes to inspire and enable these communities to adopt, adapt and build on communication design methods when addressing social segregation challenges within their varying contexts. Notes in the text: (1.) Drawing on disciplines such as social, political, behavioural, and psychological sciences. (2.) Engaging multiple stakeholders including young people, civil society, institutions, topic experts and policy-makers

Digital Education Policies in Europe and Beyond: Key Design Principles for More Effective Policies

This report offers policy-makers in digital education evidence on how, at the national or regional level, policies can be designed and implemented to foster digital-age learning. The presented findings are the result of a mixed methodological design comprising four parts: desk-research on digital education policy, the identification of national and regional policies worldwide, six in-depth case studies, and an expert workshop. The discussion of the cases identified and studied in depth leads to the formulation of eight core-guiding principles, which can serve as a reference point for policy-makers for the design and implementation of digital education policies: 1. Follow a holistic approach targeting systemic change; 2. Establish both a long-term vision and short-term achievable goals; 3. Deploy technology as a means not an end; 4. Embrace experimentation, risk-taking and failure; 5. Consider the importance and the limits of impact assessment; 6. Involve all stakeholders in a structured dialogue; 7. Let schools and teachers have a say; 8. Build up teaching competence.JRC.B.4-Human Capital and Employmen

Collaborative interdisciplinary publication skills education: implementation and implications in international science research contexts.

This portfolio of three research projects addresses at an educational level the increasing pressure on scientists internationally to publish research in highly-ranked, peer-reviewed journals, and thus in English. Building on a tradition of collaboration between language- and content-based expertise in English for Specific/Academic Purposes, the portfolio examines the contribution of a pedagogical approach dubbed Collaborative Interdisciplinary Publication Skills Education (CIPSE) for teaching novice scientist authors who use English as a first or additional language. Project 1 examines CIPSE development from its antecedents in content-based learning and genre analysis, culminating in the production of a teaching text/website package Writing Scientific Research Articles: Strategy and Steps (WSRA) by a collaborative team of the candidate, an applied linguist, and a publishing, refereeing scientist. The aim was to redress the incomplete coverage of existing approaches to produce a resource accessible to novice authors of all language backgrounds and to teachers/mentors within both science and language contexts. The research questions driving Projects 2 and 3 emerged from initial implementation of CIPSE, and were addressed by analyzing evaluative data from selected implementation sites. Project 2 investigates interdisciplinary teams for publication skills development. Part A, framed within the constructs of interdisciplinary higher education, demonstrates that the CIPSE structure, led by an applied linguist working with interdisciplinary collaborators as appropriate/available in each presentation context, was effective at all levels of collaboration. It was important that CIPSE outcomes were 'core business' for collaborators, and a need was identified for terminology that intersects with the agendas of those with power to implement. Part B, framed within English for Specific Purposes, focuses on challenges to interdisciplinary collaboration in China. Recommended strategies for developing collaboration between Chinese scientists and English-language professionals, rather than foreign visitors, include institutional support for collaboration, and training to enhance the ability of English professionals to present themselves as bringing valuable expertise to publication skills education. Project 3 investigates CIPSE effectiveness for Chinese scientists at different career stages. Part A, addressing academic writing instruction, highlights challenges to publication success for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) science researchers as identified by CIPSE workshop participants. Introducing the WSRA package to Chinese scientists who train/mentor students resulted in significantly increased confidence both to write/publish their own articles and to teach others, and a shift in the training methods deemed appropriate. Part B analyses a 4-cycle action research study at the Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 2006-9, to investigate use of CIPSE in an EFL university with early-candidature students from mixed disciplines. The resulting adapted, CIPSE-based course shows potential for use by Chinese teachers. Taken together, the three projects provide a theorised basis and practical steps for building effective training regimes for publication skill development in a wide range of science research contexts. Overall findings are summarised as a matrix of descriptor scales for analysing training contexts to identify cost-effective levels of collaboration: client training goals, trainee research experience, training program type, and English language context. The portfolio findings thus contribute to knowledge of interdisciplinary collaboration in education and context-sensitive implementation of educational innovation.Thesis (D.Ed.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Education, 201

The Power of VPL: Validation of Prior Learning as a Multi-targeted Approach For Access to Learning Opportunities For All

Preface from Ruud Duvekot: Learning is more than ever important and valuable, people are encouraged to invest in their potential throughout their lives, taking into account their prior learning. According to policy papers all across the globe, this should concern all citizens, including the underrepresented groups and non-traditional learners with regard to higher education because everywhere the knowledge-economy needs more higher-educated participation from all..