CAREER: Implementing and Assessing Human Animation in Pedagogical Agents

该项目的总体目标是(1)通过将新的人物动画方法融入其中来创建更有效的教学代理，以及(2)严格评估这些代理在K-12课堂上的表现。本研究分为两个部分。第一个组件将开发一个系统，用于风格可变的低级动作规范，包括丰满的身体和面部，并将其集成到教学代理的高级认知组件中。将作为研究基础设施的特定教学代理被称为“可教代理”。研究的第二部分将随着每个阶段的发展将该系统部署在K-12教室，并进行受控的多方法研究，以评估动画代理对与学习相关的结果的影响。拟议工作的意义在于它有可能改善儿童的教育，特别是在科学领域。此外，关于动画教学代理在K-12教育领域的价值的对照研究很少。这些研究应该促进对引人入胜的动画的组成部分的科学理解，并导致对图形和动画在学习系统中的适当作用的更广泛的理解。一门计算机科学和教育的跨学科课程正在为网络共同开发，并将与教育领域的教师共同授课。最后，通过将教育作为图形和动画的重要应用，该计划旨在扩大计算机科学对那些传统上代表不足的人的吸引力。

The overall objectives of this project are to (1) create more effective pedagogical agents by incorporating novel methods of figure animation into them, and (2) rigorously assess the performance of these agents in K-12 classrooms. The research is divided into two components. The first component will develop and integrate a system for stylistically variable low-level motion specification, both full-bodied and facial, into the high-level cognitive components of a pedagogical agent. The particular pedagogical agent that will serve as the research infrastructure is called a ``teachable agent.'' The second component of the research will deploy the system in K-12 classrooms as each stage is developed, and conduct controlled multi-method studies to assess the influence of the animated agent on learning-related outcomes. The significance of the proposed work is its potential to improve the education of children, particularly in the domain of science. Additionally, controlled studies on the value of animated pedagogical agents in the area of K-12 education are rare. These studies should further the scientific understanding of the componentsof compelling animation, and result in a broader understanding of the proper role of graphics and animation in learning systems. An interdisciplinary course in computer science and education is being co-developed for the web and will be co-taught with faculty from the field of education. Finally, by introducing education as an important application of graphics and animation, the plan is to broaden the appeal of computer science to those who are traditionally under-represented.