Conferência Internacional realizada em Lisboa de 15-16 de novembro de 2018.Online distance learning introduces several challenges, such as the dependence of online tools, the asynchronous communication between teachers and students, and the lack of synchronous social engagement level that inclassroom teaching can leverage. The existence of an online tutor 24 hours/day would be an interesting asset to potentially work as an additional learning support tool. The Virtual Tutoring project aims at the development of solutions involving anthropomorphic 3D avatars that work as both virtual online tutors in the Moodle e-learning platform as well as coaches in a mobile application that interact empathically with the students by predicting their emotional state and selecting appropriate emotion regulation strategies. This paper presents the current status of the project, preliminary evaluations with students, and future developments.This work was developed in the context of the FCT project PTDC/IVC-PEC/3963/2014 with the support of the R&D units of his authors.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Alves, Catarina Bilé

Barros, Daniela Melaré Vieira

Carmo, Maria Beatriz

Carvalho, Elizabeth

Cláudio, Ana Paula

Costa, Ricardo

Marcos, Adérito

Martinho, Carlos

Morgado, Leonel

Morgado, Lina

Rocio, Vitor

Rodrigues, Ricardo

Seixas, Sónia

Silva, João Balsa da

Varghese, Anila Ann

English

Repositório Aberto da Universidade Aberta

Empathic Mediators for Distance Learning CoursesAna Paula Cláudio, Maria Beatriz Carmo, João Balsa da Silva, Catarina Bilé Alves, Ricardo CostaBioISI & Faculdade de CiênciasUniversidade LisboaLisbon, Portugalapclaudio@ciencias.ulisboa.ptmbcarmo@ciencias.ulisboa.ptjbalsa@ciencias.ulisboa.pt fc43103@alunos.fc.ul.ptfc43123@alunos.fc.ul.ptAdérito Marcos1,2,Elizabeth Carvalho1,2,Vitor Rocio1,2,Leonel Morgado1,2,3,4, Lina Morgado1,3, Anila Varghese1,21Universidade Aberta2CIAC, 3LE@D, 4INESC TECLisbon, Portugaladerito.marcos@uab.ptelizabeth.carvalho@uab.ptvitor.rocio@@uab.ptleonel.morgado@uab.ptlina.morgado@uab.ptanila.varghese@uab.ptSónia Seixas1,3, Daniela Barros1,21Universidade Aberta2LE@DLisbon, Portugal3MARE UC, Coimbra, Portugal,sonia.seixas@uab.ptdaniela.barros@uab.ptRicardo Rodrigues, Carlos Martinho,INESC-ID & Instituto Superior TécnicoUniversidade de LisboaLisbon, Portugalricardo.proenca.rodrigues@tecnico.ptcarlos.martinho@tecnico.ptAbstract Online distance learning introduces several challenges, such as the dependence of online tools, the asynchronous communication between teachers and students, and the lack of synchronous social engagement level that in-classroom teaching can leverage. The existence of an online tutor 24 hours/day would be an interesting asset to potentially work as an additional learning support tool. The Virtual Tutoring project aims at the development of solutions involving anthropomorphic 3D avatars that work as both virtual online tutors in the Moodle e-learning platform as well as coaches in a mobile application that interact empathically with the students by predicting their emotional state and selecting appropriate emotion regulation strategies. This paper presents the current status of the project, preliminary evaluations with students, and future developments.Keywords online distance learning, e-learning, virtual tutor, virtual coach, avatar, online tutor.I. INTRODUCTION Virtual tutoring is a possibility to support students' learning in online platforms [1]. In this project, we want to better evaluate and understand the pedagogical impact and real potential of anthropomorphic user interfaces. This paper describes the two technological approaches based on anthropomorphic 3D models developed in the Virtual Tutoring project at Universidade Aberta (UAb). One approach involves virtual online tutors on the Moodle e-learning platform and the other is based on coaches who empathically interact with students, predict their emotional state, and select appropriate emotion control strategies. Best practices for distance learning generally point to the principles of student-centered learning: learning flexibility (spatial and temporal); and online interaction. The interaction is often asynchronous as it provides students with more flexibility to select appropriate occasions and settings, as opposed to synchronous approaches [2]. In addition, interaction is a key element in supporting student engagement and collaboration [2], becoming a central aspect of the research [3]. Consequently, virtual tutors should strive to provide aspects of these functions.II. VIRTUAL TUTOR: FIRST PROTOTYPE IN UAB S MOODLE PLATFORMThe virtual tutor in the UAb Moodle platform is implemented as a WebGL application (developed using Unity and C #) and the developed solution was based on the pedagogical model (http://hdl/handle/10400.2/2388). João and Maria are the names of the 3D avatars provided by Didimo (www.mydidimo.com). At the beginning of the semester, the student chooses which avatar will play the role of tutor in a course. The tutor window is superimposed on the web page of a Moodle course in a fixed position in the lower modes with the platform (for instance, scrolling up and down over the page). The tutor window displays the avatar with facial expressions, a balloon with his/her speech, a post-it that lists the novelties on the course since the last login of the student and a set of buttons (Figure 1). These buttons allow the student to easily find specific content on the page: the course plan, topics, forums, activities and evaluation exercises. The avatar's facial expressions and speech depend on the student's grades in the evaluation exercises and also on his assiduity on the course page. The teacher of the course sets some threshold values to adjust the avatar behavior in this course. The first prototype of the virtual tutor was tested in a Biology module where all activities were planned day by day. The students solved and uploaded assignments; the teacher Figure 1177corrected and gave a grade with individual comments. There was a forum for each topic covered in the course where students can expose doubts and receive explanation from the teacher. Test results reveal that the majority of the students consider: the virtual tutor interface is easy to use; functionalities are well integrated; avoids that new information goes unnoticed; feels that it is a tool that guides the student in the course and makes the access to the page less monotonous.III. VIRTUAL TUTOR: FIRST MOBILE PROTOTYPEAlthough online learning environments offer more flexibility to the students, external factors may still lead to disinterest in them. To help mitigate this problem, we created Maria and João, two virtual coaches inhabiting an Android application that accompany the students, adapt to their needs, and empathically support them in their tasks.Maria and João is depicted in Figure 2perception is based on subjective factors (i.e. perceived difficulty of a course) and objective factors (i.e. course grades). The value of these variables, when compared to what was expected based on the evolution of the same variables allows for the computation of an affective state associated with the situation of the student at this point in time (e.g. the student grades dropping more than expected) using an adapted version of the emotivector model (Figure 2). The user modeled affective states are then used to select an intervention strategy, which can be task-oriented, focusing on the completion of a specific task or be an strategy state [5]. These strategies are implemented through dialogue trees. Interaction takes place in real time using unlocked speech balloons to convey verbal information as well as providing non-verbal and back-channeling information through gaze, nods and animated speech balloons (see Figure 3)We conducted a preliminary evaluation using a prototype where the 3D avatars interacted with 13 students during a 10-day period to help them prepare for a final exam in an Environmental Sciences course. Students interacted with the virtual tutors on their Android devices, directly providing the tutors with both quantitative and qualitative data on how their of the students opened the app each day, with peaks near assessments. On average, each student interacted with the application 5 out of the 10 days and the most active user interacted with the application during 8 days. These results are encouraging, as they suggest our approach was able to maintain students engaged with the virtual tutors.IV. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE WORK The tests performed with the first prototype of the Virtual tool has on increasingunit. This fact justifies by itself a fine-tuning stage and future enhancements. In particular, the Question & Answering functionality is under development.The results of the preliminary tests with the Virtual Tutors acting as coaches in the mobile application suggest that the creation of a model capturing important elements of empathic behavior such as perspective taking and emotion expression, when complemented with online qualitative and quantitative information provided by the student, was able to maintain student engagement on a regular basis. We are preparing a longitudinal study to better understand the impact of interacting with empathic virtual tutors that are aware of the This work was developed in the context of the FCT project PTDC/IVC-PEC/3963/2014 with the support of the R&D units of his authors.REFERENCES[1] T. Anderson, J. Dron (2011). Three generations of distance education pedagogy. The International Review of Research In Open And Distance Learning, 12(3), pp. 80-97.[2] S. Hrastinski, S. (2009). A theory of online learning as online participation. Computers & Education, 52(1), pp. 78-82.[3] T. Anderson (2003). Modes of interaction in distance education: recent developments and research questions. In M. G. Moore & W. G. -144.[4] S. Oncu, H. Cakir (2011). Research in Online Learning Environments: Priorities and Methodologies, Computers & Education, 57(1), 1098-1108.[5] C. Martinho and A. Paiva (2006): Using Anticipation to Create Believable Behaviour, Proceedings of the 21st AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI'16), AAAI Press. pp. 175-180.[6] K. Niven, P. Totterdell, and D. Holman (2009). A Classification of Controlled Interpersonal Affect Regulation Strategies. Emotion, 9(4), pp. 498 50.Figure 2- Conceptual architecture of the virtual tutors acting as coaches.Figure 3- Interaction example in the preliminary prototype.178 ICGI2018,Lisbon,Nov1516

Empathic mediators for distance learning courses

The Repositório Aberto

Empathic Mediators for Distance Learning Courses
Ana Paula Cláudio, 
Maria Beatriz Carmo, 
João Balsa da Silva, 
Catarina Bilé Alves, Ricardo Costa
BioISI & Faculdade de Ciências
Universidade Lisboa
Lisbon, Portugal
apclaudio@ciencias.ulisboa.pt
mbcarmo@ciencias.ulisboa.pt
jbalsa@ciencias.ulisboa.pt 
fc43103@alunos.fc.ul.pt
fc43123@alunos.fc.ul.pt
Adérito Marcos1,2,
Elizabeth Carvalho1,2,Vitor Rocio1,2,
Leonel Morgado1,2,3,4, 
Lina Morgado1,3, Anila Varghese1,2
1Universidade Aberta
2CIAC, 3LE@D, 4INESC TEC
Lisbon, Portugal
aderito.marcos@uab.pt
elizabeth.carvalho@uab.pt
vitor.rocio@@uab.pt
leonel.morgado@uab.pt
lina.morgado@uab.pt
anila.varghese@uab.pt
Sónia Seixas1,3, Daniela Barros1,2
1Universidade Aberta
2LE@D
Lisbon, Portugal
3MARE UC, Coimbra, Portugal,
sonia.seixas@uab.pt
daniela.barros@uab.pt
Ricardo Rodrigues, Carlos Martinho,
INESC-ID & Instituto Superior Técnico
Universidade de Lisboa
Lisbon, Portugal
ricardo.proenca.rodrigues@tecnico.pt
carlos.martinho@tecnico.pt
Abstract Online distance learning introduces several 
challenges, such as the dependence of online tools, the 
asynchronous communication between teachers and students, 
and the lack of synchronous social engagement level that in-
classroom teaching can leverage. The existence of an online tutor 
24 hours/day would be an interesting asset to potentially 
work as an additional learning support tool. The Virtual 
Tutoring project aims at the development of solutions involving 
anthropomorphic 3D avatars that work as both virtual online 
tutors in the Moodle e-learning platform as well as coaches in a 
mobile application that interact empathically with the students 
by predicting their emotional state and selecting appropriate 
emotion regulation strategies. This paper presents the current 
status of the project, preliminary evaluations with students, and 
future developments.
Keywords online distance learning, e-learning, virtual tutor, 
virtual coach, avatar, online tutor.
I. INTRODUCTION 
Virtual tutoring is a possibility to support students' learning 
in online platforms [1]. In this project, we want to better 
evaluate and understand the pedagogical impact and real 
potential of anthropomorphic user interfaces. This paper 
describes the two technological approaches based on 
anthropomorphic 3D models developed in the Virtual 
Tutoring project at Universidade Aberta (UAb). One 
approach involves virtual online tutors on the Moodle 
e-learning platform and the other is based on coaches who 
empathically interact with students, predict their emotional 
state, and select appropriate emotion control strategies. Best 
practices for distance learning generally point to the 
principles of student-centered learning: learning flexibility 
(spatial and temporal); and online interaction. The interaction 
is often asynchronous as it provides students with more 
flexibility to select appropriate occasions and settings, as 
opposed to synchronous approaches [2]. In addition, 
interaction is a key element in supporting student engagement 
and collaboration [2], becoming a central aspect of the 
research [3]. Consequently, virtual tutors should strive to 
provide aspects of these functions.
II. VIRTUAL TUTOR: FIRST PROTOTYPE IN UAB S 
MOODLE PLATFORM
The virtual tutor in the UAb Moodle platform is implemented 
as a WebGL application (developed using Unity and C #) and 
the developed solution was based on the pedagogical model 
(http://hdl/handle/10400.2/2388). João 
and Maria are the names of the 3D avatars provided by 
Didimo (www.mydidimo.com). At the beginning of the 
semester, the student chooses which avatar will play the role 
of tutor in a course. The tutor window is superimposed on the 
web page of a Moodle course in a fixed position in the lower 
modes with the platform (for instance, scrolling up and down 
over the page). The tutor window displays the avatar with 
facial expressions, a balloon with his/her speech, a post-it that 
lists the novelties on the course since the last login of the 
student and a set of buttons (Figure 1). These buttons allow 
the student to easily find specific content on the page: the 
course plan, topics, forums, activities and evaluation 
exercises. The avatar's facial expressions and speech depend 
on the student's grades in the evaluation exercises and also on 
his assiduity on the course page. The teacher of the course 
sets some threshold values to adjust the avatar behavior in this 
course. 
The first prototype of the virtual tutor was tested in a Biology 
module where all activities were planned day by day. The 
students solved and uploaded assignments; the teacher 
Figure 1
177
corrected and gave a grade with individual comments. There 
was a forum for each topic covered in the course where 
students can expose doubts and receive explanation from the 
teacher. Test results reveal that the majority of the students 
consider: the virtual tutor interface is easy to use; 
functionalities are well integrated; avoids that new 
information goes unnoticed; feels that it is a tool that guides 
the student in the course and makes the access to the page less 
monotonous.
III. VIRTUAL TUTOR: FIRST MOBILE PROTOTYPE
Although online learning environments offer more flexibility 
to the students, external factors may still lead to disinterest in 
them. To help mitigate this problem, we created Maria and 
João, two virtual coaches inhabiting an Android application 
that accompany the students, adapt to their needs, and 
empathically support them in their tasks.
Maria and João is depicted in Figure 2
perception is based on subjective factors (i.e. perceived 
difficulty of a course) and objective factors (i.e. course 
grades). The value of these variables, when compared to what 
was expected based on the evolution of the same variables 
allows for the computation of an affective state associated 
with the situation of the student at this point in time (e.g. the 
student grades dropping more than expected) using an 
adapted version of the emotivector model (Figure 2). The user 
modeled affective states are then used to select an 
intervention strategy, which can be task-oriented, focusing on 
the completion of a specific task or be an 
strategy state [5]. 
These strategies are implemented through dialogue trees. 
Interaction takes place in real time using unlocked speech 
balloons to convey verbal information as well as providing 
non-verbal and back-channeling information through gaze, 
nods and animated speech balloons (see Figure 3)
We conducted a preliminary evaluation using a prototype 
where the 3D avatars interacted with 13 students during a 10-
day period to help them prepare for a final exam in an 
Environmental Sciences course. Students interacted with the 
virtual tutors on their Android devices, directly providing the 
tutors with both quantitative and qualitative data on how their 
of the students opened the app each day, with peaks near 
assessments. On average, each student interacted with the 
application 5 out of the 10 days and the most active user 
interacted with the application during 8 days. These results 
are encouraging, as they suggest our approach was able to 
maintain students engaged with the virtual tutors.
IV. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE WORK 
The tests performed with the first prototype of the Virtual 
tool has on increasing
unit. This fact justifies by itself a fine-tuning stage and future 
enhancements. In particular, the Question & Answering 
functionality is under development.
The results of the preliminary tests with the Virtual Tutors 
acting as coaches in the mobile application suggest that the 
creation of a model capturing important elements of empathic 
behavior such as perspective taking and emotion expression, 
when complemented with online qualitative and quantitative 
information provided by the student, was able to maintain 
student engagement on a regular basis. We are preparing a 
longitudinal study to better understand the impact of 
interacting with empathic virtual tutors that are aware of the 
This work was developed in the context of the FCT project 
PTDC/IVC-PEC/3963/2014 with the support of the R&D units 
of his authors.
REFERENCES
[1] T. Anderson, J. Dron (2011). Three generations of distance education 
pedagogy. The International Review of Research In Open And Distance 
Learning, 12(3), pp. 80-97.
[2] S. Hrastinski, S. (2009). A theory of online learning as online 
participation. Computers & Education, 52(1), pp. 78-82.
[3] T. Anderson (2003). Modes of interaction in distance education: recent 
developments and research questions. In M. G. Moore & W. G. 
-144.
[4] S. Oncu, H. Cakir (2011). Research in Online Learning Environments: 
Priorities and Methodologies, Computers & Education, 57(1), 
1098-1108.
[5] C. Martinho and A. Paiva (2006): Using Anticipation to Create 
Believable Behaviour, Proceedings of the 21st AAAI Conference on 
Artificial Intelligence (AAAI'16), AAAI Press. pp. 175-180.
[6] K. Niven, P. Totterdell, and D. Holman (2009). A Classification of 
Controlled Interpersonal Affect Regulation Strategies. Emotion, 9(4), 
pp. 498 50.
Figure 2- Conceptual architecture of the virtual tutors acting as 
coaches.
Figure 3- Interaction example in the preliminary prototype.
178 ICGI2018,Lisbon,Nov1516


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Empathic mediators for distance learning courses

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