Pedagogical Agents for Fostering Question-Asking Skills in Children

Question asking is an important tool for constructing academic knowledge, and a self-reinforcing driver of curiosity. However, research has found that question asking is infrequent in the classroom and children's questions are often superficial, lacking deep reasoning. In this work, we developed a pedagogical agent that encourages children to ask divergent-thinking questions, a more complex form of questions that is associated with curiosity. We conducted a study with 95 fifth grade students, who interacted with an agent that encourages either convergent-thinking or divergent-thinking questions. Results showed that both interventions increased the number of divergent-thinking questions and the fluency of question asking, while they did not significantly alter children's perception of curiosity despite their high intrinsic motivation scores. In addition, children's curiosity trait has a mediating effect on question asking under the divergent-thinking agent, suggesting that question-asking interventions must be personalized to each student based on their tendency to be curious.Comment: Accepted at CHI 202

Study of Sandor with a pipe, a Dunera boy at Tatura, Victoria, 30 April, 1942 /

Title devised by cataloguer from acquisition notes.; Part of the collection: Portraits of Dunera Boys, 1941-1943.; Inscriptions: "Sanders"--In pencil lower left; "30/4 Tatura 1942"--In pencil lower right.; Condition: Pin holes, yellowing and suface marks.; Also available online at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn6258877

Study of a Dunera boy, Tatura, Victoria, 1943 /

Title devised by cataloguer.; Part of the collection: Portraits of Dunera Boys, 1941-1943.; Inscriptions: "Dr Mannheirmer"--In pencil lower left; "Theo Engel Tatura 1943"--In pencil lower right.; Condition: Pin holes and creases.; Also available online at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn6255404

Study of Manfred Rosenfeld a Dunera boy, Hay, New South Wales, 1941 /

Title devised by cataloguer based on inscription.; Part of the collection: Portraits of Dunera Boys, 1941-1943.; Inscriptions: "Rosenfeld"--In pencil lower left; "Hay 1941, Theodor Engel"--In pencil lower right.; Condition: Pin holes.; Also available online at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn6255247

Study of Professor Meyer, a Dunera boy at Tatura, Victoria, 1941 /

Title devised by cataloguer from acquisition notes.; Part of the collection: Portraits of Dunera Boys, 1941-1943.; Inscriptions: "Prof Meyer"--In pencil lower left; "Tatura 1941 Theodore Engel"--In pencil lower right.; Condition: Yellowing and surface marks.; Also available online at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn6258910

Study of a Dunera boy, 1942, 1 /

Title devised by cataloguer.; Part of the collection: Portraits of Dunera Boys, 1941-1943.; Condition: Pin holes.; Also available online at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn6252769

Study of a Dunera boy, 1942, 2 /

Title devised by cataloguer from acquisition notes.; Part of the collection: Portraits of Dunera Boys, 1941-1943.; Condition: Pin holes.; Also available online at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn6258824

Study of Ernst Weiss a Dunera boy, 1942 /

Title devised by cataloguer based on inscription.; Part of the collection: Portraits of Dunera Boys, 1941-1943.; Inscriptions: "Ernst Weiss"--In pencil lower left; "Theodor Engel, 42"--In pencil lower right; "Mr. Weiss"--In pencil on reverse.; Condition: Creases.; Also available online at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn6252884