The Effects on the Human-Agent Interaction of Users’ Imagination of Sensations Experienced by the Animated On-Screen Agent

今井（2006）は，ロボットの発話を自分自身の感覚と結びつけることが，人間にロボットが自身と同じ感覚を有していることを想像させ，その結果，人間がロボットの意図や状況を推測するというかたちでインタラクションに没入することを示唆している．本研究では，大学生を対象に画面上のアニメーション・エージェントと感覚を共有する演出の効果が検討された．今井（2006）の手続きに基づき，感覚を共有する演出は実験のために準備されたお菓子を参加者が食べると同時にエージェントが「おいしいでしょ」と発話することで行われ，またインタラクションへの没入はエージェントの指示に参加者が従うかどうかを確認することで行われた．感覚共有の演出がある実験群は，演出のない対照群に比べて，エージェントの「髪に何かついていますよ」という単純な指示には従う傾向が示されたものの，「お土産をもって帰ってね」という複雑な指示に対しては群間で特定の傾向は示されなかった．この結果は，参加者がエージェントの備えているであろう機能的な側面をどのように評価していたのかという観点から検討された．Based on Imai (2006) study that conjuring the image of that Robot has same feeling with participants induces the attitude of looking from the Robot’s standpoint, the present study examined the effect in the interaction with an animated agent in the computer screen. In the experiment, participants simply observed that the animated agent simultaneously expressed their taste (“It tastes good!”) when they eat a prepared cookie for the experiment and later whether they follow the instruction by the animated agent was checked. The results showed that the tendency of following agent’s simple instruction (“Have something in your hair?”) was higher for those participants who observed the animated agent simultaneously expressed their taste than those who observed animated agent do not expressed their taste, although this tendency is not shown in case that agent’s instruction is intricate (“Please bring this souvenirs”). That is, the participants who had an opportunity that they imaged the agent had same sensory experience with themselves often followed the agent’s simple instruction. Discussion on this finding is developed in term of how participants perceived the functional competence of animated agent

‘It’s Almost Like Talking to a Person’: Student Disclosure to Pedagogical Agents in Sensitive Settings.

This paper presents findings of a pilot study which used pedagogical agents to examine disclosure in educational settings. The study used responsive evaluation to explore how use of pedagogical agents might affect students’ truthfulness and disclosure by asking them to respond to a lifestyle choices survey delivered by a web-based pedagogical agent. Findings indicate that emotional connection with pedagogical agents were intrinsic to the user’s sense of trust and therefore likely to affect levels of truthfulness and engagement. The implications of this study are that truthfulness, personalisation and emotional engagement are all vital components in using pedagogical agents to enhance online learning

Promoting learning through social cues in learning materials: Design approaches, theoretical explanations, empirical basis, and neglected aspects

Soziale Hinweisreize sind wesentliche Komponenten aller Arten von Lernmaterialien. Sie umfassen verbale, nonverbale sowie paraverbale Reize als auch wechselseitig aufeinander bezogene Reizfolgen. Obwohl soziale Hinweisreize in Lernmaterialien schon seit längerem untersucht werden, ist ihre systematische Erforschung noch jung. Sie umfasst primär kognitive, motivationale, affektive und soziale Prozesse, welche durch die Verwendung sozialer Hinweisreize in Lernmaterial ausgelöst oder beeinflusst werden. Ein Schwerpunkt der empirischen Forschung liegt dabei schon länger auf sozialen Prozessen. Von sozialen Reizen wird dabei angenommen, dass sie den Lernprozess positiv beeinflussen, u.a. indem sie bei den Lernenden den Eindruck sozialer Präsenz einer (Lehr-)Person stimulieren, was in der Folge zu mehr Lernmotivation, mehr Lernen auf Verständnis und letztendlich besseren Leistungen in Lerntests führt. In diesem Beitrag bieten wir eine Klassifikation der Vielfalt an sozialen Hinweisreizen in Lernmaterialien allgemein an, skizzieren ihre Wirkung über soziale Prozesse auf das Lernen, fassen einschlägige empirische Belege zusammen und diskutieren vernachlässigte Aspekte sozialer Hinweisreize.Social cues are an essential component of all types of learning material. They comprise verbal, non-verbal and para-verbal stimuli as well as mutually related sequences of stimuli. Although the investigation of social cues in learning materials has had a long history, systematic research on this topic is limited. The research has primarily included cognitive, motivational, affective and social processes that are triggered or influenced by the use of social cues in learning material. One prominent focus of the empirical research on social cues has been on social processes. Social cues are assumed to have a positive influence on the learning process, for example, by stimulating the impression of a person’s (teacher) social presence, which leads to increased motivation to learn, more learning to understand, and finally to better performance in learning tests. In this paper, we outline the variety of social cues in learning materials, outline their impact on learning via social processes, summarize the relevant empirical evidence, and discuss neglected aspects of social cues

International Summerschool Computer Science 2014: Proceedings of Summerschool 7.7. - 13.7.2014

Proceedings of International Summerschool Computer Science 201

Effects of Pedagogical Agent Design on Training Evaluation Measures: A Meta-Analysis

Pedagogical agents are, conversational virtual characters employed in electronic learning environments to serve various instructional functions (Veletsianos & Miller, 2008). They can take a variety of forms, and have been designed to serve various instructional roles, such as mentors, experts, motivators, and others. Given the increased availability and sophistication of technology in recent decades, these agents have become increasingly common as facilitators to training in educational settings, private institutions, and the military. Software to aid in the creation of pedagogical agents is widely available. Additionally, software use and agent creation often requires little formal training, affording nearly anyone the opportunity to create content and digital trainers to deliver it. While the popularity of these instructional agents has increased rapidly in practice, it has outpaced research into best practices for agent design and instructional methods. The personas programmed into pedagogical agents are recognizable by the people interacting with them, and have been shown to impact various learning outcomes. The form and realism of training agents have also been shown to have substantial impacts on people\u27s perceptions and relationships with these beings. Additionally, agents can be designed in environments that utilize different methods of content delivery (e.g., spoken words versus text), resulting in varying levels of cognitive load (and thus, varying learning outcomes). In an educational setting, agent perceptions and interactions could impact the effectiveness of a training program. This meta-analysis uses the Integrated Model of Training Evaluation and Effectiveness (IMTEE) as an over-arching framework to examine the effects of training characteristics on training evaluation measures (Alvarez, Salas, & Garofano, 2004). Training characteristics refer to any training-specific qualities that may impact learning outcomes compared to other training programs that offer the same or similar content. Training evaluation refers to the practice of measuring important training outcomes to determine whether or not a training initiative meets its stated objectives. The pedagogical agent training characteristics evaluated in this study include agent iconicity (level of detail and realism), agent roles, and agent instructional modalities. The evaluation measures being examined include post-training self-efficacy, cognitive learning, training performance, and transfer performance. The Uncanny Valley Theory (Mori, 1970) suggests that agent iconicity (level of detail and realism) is expected to relate to training evaluation measures differently for human-like and non-human-like agents, such that low levels of iconicity (high realism) in non-human-like agents and moderate levels of iconicity in human-like agents would result in optimal training outcomes. These hypotheses were partially supported in that trainees achieved the highest levels of performance on transfer tasks when working with moderately realistic human-like trainers. No significant effects were seen for non-human-like trainers. Additionally, it was expected that the relationship between instructional modality and all training evaluation measures would be positive and stronger for modalities that produce deeper cognitive processing (Explaining and Questioning) than the modalities that produce shallower processing (Executing and Showing). This hypothesis was not supported. The relationship between agent role and all training evaluation measures was expected to be positive and stronger for modalities that produce deeper cognitive processing (Coaching and Testing) than the roles that produce shallower processing (Supplanting and Demonstrating). This hypothesis was not supported. Additionally, agents that minimize extraneous cognitive processing were also expected to outperform those that require excess cognitive demands. Agents that utilize speech, personalized messages, facial expressions, and gestures were expected to lead to improved training outcomes compared to those that primarily utilize text, speak in monologue, are expressionless, and/or are devoid of gestures. This hypothesis was partially supported in that agents who were merely present on-screen (physically directing learner attention) resulted in the lowest transfer task performance compared to more active agents who delivered actual content (via speech or text). Learner control (versus trainer control) over support delivery was expected to contribute to improved training outcomes, and support that is delayed in its delivery was expected to hinder performance on training evaluation measures. These hypotheses were not supported. This meta-analysis, backed by an integration of theories from computer science and multiple disciplines within psychology, contributes to the field of employee training by informing decisions regarding when and how pedagogical agents can best be used in applied setting as viable training tools

The Effect of Pedagogical Agent Persona on Performance, Self-Efficacy, and Attitudes in Adult Learners in an Online Environment

Pedagogical agents, virtual avatars that are often included in online training or educational modules, have been studied in a variety of disciplines to determine the extent to which their inclusion in online or multimedia learning environments may influence both cognitive and affective outcomes in learners. The present study examined the effect of a peer-like pedagogical agent providing motivational messaging in an online English language learning environment to determine if the agent will positively affect college students’ performance, self-efficacy, and attitude in comparison to a control group. All participants studied an online, self-paced English grammar module, either with (treatment version) or without (control version) a peer-like motivating pedagogical agent. The study also sought to determine if learners would perceive the agent as having a distinct persona. The study found no statistically significant difference between the treatment group and the control group on performance, self-efficacy, and attitude. However, for both the treatment group and the control group, student performance and self-efficacy were significantly improved after the online English module. In addition, the participants perceived the agent as having a distinct persona

A Developmental Study of ASR-Enhanced E-Book Software to Improve on-Task Interaction for First Grade Users

This developmental research study explores the effects of audio-visual feedback and user input mechanisms on user behaviors and satisfaction, through development of a first-grade reading program for the computer. Specific design elements investigated include human vs. synthesized audio feedback, segmented vs. whole-word pronunciation, format of supporting graphic (image vs. animation), use of automatic speech recognition (ASR) to encourage or enforce oral reading of an e-book, and effect of tutorial with mouse-click word identification or ASR-controlled word synthesis games. The study examines a variety of quantitative and qualitative measures including use logs, recorded screen-capture videos of use sessions, one-on-one interviews, and satisfaction surveys. The results of testing for each design element are analyzed and most appropriate design choice is implemented for subsequent design phases in an iterative manner. Design guidelines are given confirm the existing literature\u27s findings of user preference for human speech over computer-synthesized speech (TTS) and that supporting graphics can increase user satisfaction of e-books, but also have the potential for distraction and reduction of active reading tasks. ASR was found to be ineffective as an input mechanism due to user error and low success rate in this study, but was found to be better-suited as a tool for smaller discrete tasks such as word synthesis practice and games, and may be effective for practice or support when offered as an optional tool to be used voluntarily by users. (Keywords: literacy, reading, e-books, CAI, educational technology, elementary education, animation, synthesized speech, TTS, ASR, developmental research