A1 Journal article (refereed)
Pedagogical Agents Communicating and Scaffolding Students’ Learning : High School Teachers’ and Students’ Perspectives (2024)
Sikström, P., Valentini, C., Sivunen, A., & Kärkkäinen, T. (2024). Pedagogical Agents Communicating and Scaffolding Students’ Learning : High School Teachers’ and Students’ Perspectives. Computers and Education, 222, Article 105140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2024.105140
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Sikström, Pieta; Valentini, Chiara; Sivunen, Anu; Kärkkäinen, Tommi
Journal or series: Computers and Education
ISSN: 0360-1315
eISSN: 1873-782X
Publication year: 2024
Publication date: 22/08/2024
Volume: 222
Article number: 105140
Publisher: Elsevier
Publication country: United States
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2024.105140
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/96905
Abstract
Pedagogical agents (PAs) communicate verbally and non-verbally with students in digital and virtual reality/augmented reality learning environments. PAs have been shown to be beneficial for learning, and generative artificial intelligence, such as large language models, can improve PAs’ communication abilities significantly. K-12 education is underrepresented in learning technology research and teachers’ and students’ insights have not been considered when developing PA communication. The current study addresses this research gap by conducting and analyzing semi-structured, in-depth interviews with eleven high school teachers and sixteen high school students about their expectations for PAs’ communication capabilities. The interviewees identified relational and task-related communication capabilities that a PA should perform to communicate effectively with students and scaffold their learning. PA communication that is simultaneously affirmative and relational can induce immediacy, foster the relationship and engagement with a PA, and support students’ learning management. Additionally, the teachers and students described the activities and technological aspects that should be considered when designing conversational PAs. The study showed that teachers and students applied human-to-human communication scripts when outlining their desired PA communication characteristics. The study offers novel insights and recommendations to researchers and developers on the communicational, pedagogical, and technological aspects that must be considered when designing communicative PAs that scaffold students’ learning, and discusses the contributions on human–machine communication in education.
Keywords: teaching aids; virtual learning environments; secondary education; general upper secondary school; intelligent agents; artificial intelligence; learning; human-computer interaction; user-centeredness; user-centered design
Free keywords: pedagogical agent; secondary education; user-centered design; human–machine communication (HMC); human-to-human communication script
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: Yes
VIRTA submission year: 2024
Preliminary JUFO rating: 3
- Learning and Cognitive Sciences (Faculty of Information Technology IT) LEACS
- Human and Machine based Intelligence in Learning (Faculty of Information Technology IT) HUMBLE
- Corporate Communication (School of Business and Economics JSBE)
- School of Wellbeing (University of Jyväskylä JYU) JYU.Well
- Communication (Department of Language and Communication Studies KIVI)
- Emergent work in the digital era (University of Jyväskylä JYU) EWIDE
- Engineering (Faculty of Information Technology IT) OHTE; Formerly Software and Communications Engineering