Say Hello to Your New Automated Tutor – A Structured Literature Review on Pedagogical Conversational Agents

In this paper, we present the current state of the art of using conversational agents for educational purposes. These so-called pedagogical conversational agents are a specialized type of e-learning and intelligent tutoring systems. The main difference to traditional e-learning and intelligent tutoring systems is that they interact with learners using natural language dialogs, e.g. in the form of chatbots. For the sake of our research project, we analyzed current trends in the research stream as well as research gaps. Our results show for instance that (1) there is a trend towards using mobile conversational agents in education, (2) a proper generalization of existing research results (e.g. design knowledge) is missing, and (3) there is a need for comprehensive in-depth evaluation studies and corresponding process models. Based on our results, we outline a research agenda for future research studies

The Virtual Tutor: Combining Conversational Agents with Learning Analytics to support Formative Assessment in Online Collaborative Learning

The objective of this design science research project is to combine Learning Analytics data with a conversational agent communication interface, the Virtual Tutor, which is able to support formative assessment for educators and learners in online collaborative learning (OCL) environments. The main benefit for educators is providing user-adaptable Learning Analytics data requests to fit the information needs for formative assessment. Learners receive semi-automated feedback on their platform activity in form of reports, which shall trigger self-reflection processes. By extracting requirements from the potential users and deriving design principles, a conversational agent is implemented and evaluated in an online collaborative learning course. The results indicate that the Virtual Tutor reduces the task load of educators, supports formative assessment and gives scaffolded guidance to the learners by reflecting their performance, thus triggering self-reflection processes. This research provides a first step towards data supported (semi-)automated feedback systems for formative assessment in OCL courses

Tell Me and I Forget, Involve Me and I Learn: Design and Evaluation of a Multimodal Conversational Agent for Supporting Distance Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted children’s learning routines from schools to their own homes, necessitating learning support solutions. This paper reports on a design science research project that combines augmented reality with a conversational agent to assist schoolchildren in learning complex subjects by providing verbal descriptions and interactive animations. Drawing on the theoretical foundations of multimedia learning, we derive three design principles to resolve seven issues associated with distance learning. The instantiated artifact augments text-based learning resources and facilitates learning in a contextsensitive manner through multimodal output. The proof-of-concept evaluation with 11 experienced teachers and researchers in the field of didactics confirms the usefulness of these design principles and suggests refinements of the artifact

The Virtual Tutor: Tasks for conversational agents in Online Collaborative Learning Environments

Online collaborative learning environments are becoming increasingly popular in higher education. E-tutors need to supervise, guide students and look out for conflicts within the online environment to ensure a successful learning experience. Web-based platforms allow for interactive elements such as conversational agents to disencumber the e-tutor. Repeatable tasks, which do not require a human response, can be automatized by these systems. The aim of this study is to identify and synthesize the tasks an e-tutor has and to investigate the automatisation potential with conversational agents. Using a design science research approach a literature review is conducted, identifying 13 tasks. Subsequently, a matrix is established, contrasting the tasks with requirements for the use of conversational agents. Furthermore, a virtual tutor framework is developed, clarifying the agent type selection, the technical structure and components for a prototype development in an online collaborative learning environment

Conversational Agents in Education – A Systematic Literature Review

Conversational Agents (CAs) are widely spread in a variety of domains, such as health and customer service. There is a recent trend of increasing publications and implementations of CAs in education. We conduct a systematic literature review to identify common methodologies, pedagogical CA roles, addressed target groups, the technologies and theories behind, as well as human-like design aspects. The initially found 3329 records were systematically reduced to 252 fully coded articles. Based on the analysis of the codings, we derive further research streams. Our results reveal a research gap for long-term studies on the use of CAs in education, and there is insufficient holistic design knowledge for pedagogical CAs. Moreover, target groups other than academic students are rarely considered. We condense our findings in a morphological box and conclude that pedagogical CAs have not yet reached their full potential of long-term practical application in education

Towards Conversational Co-Creation of Learning Content in Digital Higher Education

Today formal education like higher education relies on digital learning content like learning videos or quizzes. Using such online learning material enables students to learn independently from time and place. While improvements have been made, there are still many issues as the two-year long crisis in 2020 has revealed. Many offerings do not consider the learners’ needs and can result in unsuccessful learning. One way to address these short comings is to actively include learners in the creation process of learning content. However, co-creation oftentimes relies on face to face and or group settings that may not be possible for all students at all times. Therefore, we undertake a long-term action design research project to investigate the novel concept of conversational co-creation of learning material using a conversational agent and persuasive design to engage and motivate learners. In this article we present an early-stage prototype and concept of conversational co-creation

Deriving Design Knowledge for eLearning Companions to Support International Students

International students often have difficulties in getting connected with other students (from their host country), or in fully understanding the lectures due to barriers such as interacting in a foreign language or adjusting to a new campus. eLearning Companions (eLCs) act as virtual friends, accompany students with dialog-based support for learning and provide individual guidance. We contribute to the lack of prescriptive design knowledge for that specific use case by deriving 16 design principles for eLCs and transferring them into an expository instantiation along the Design Science Research paradigm. We build upon 14 identified literature requirements and 15 condensed user requirements resulting from an empirical study with 76 Chinese-speaking exchange students at a German university. Our objective is to extend the knowledge base and support scientists and practitioners in eLC design for non-native students to initiate further research and discussion