Deeper modeling via affective meta-tutoring

这些研究通过对亚利桑那州高中暑期项目的学生的调查，阐述了学生如何学习、理解和操纵碳循环和水循环的科学模型。该项目的调查人员发现，在线辅导教师在为学生创造条件来规范自己的行为方面存在问题。一些学生不是利用现有的学习机会，而是寻求提示，直到导师给他们正确的答案。研究人员假设，持久的好处需要改变学生对浅层建模实践与深层建模实践的看法，打破他们的建模习惯并灌输新的习惯。他们打算在在线辅导老师中增加情感学习伙伴。这些模块使用了可教学的代理隐喻，称为贝蒂的大脑。这项研究分析将在亚利桑那州的高中暑期学校进行，学生大多是美洲原住民。这些学生是自己挑选出来参加暑期班的。数据收集将包括来自暑期学校参与者(约30名学生)的学生日志、口头协议和影响传感器数据。将进行三项研究：1.开发元辅导工具，2.开发具有语言和身体手势的情感学习代理，3.衡量新工具是否会导致学习的增加。分析将涉及对学生活动记录的因果推断和数据挖掘。学习的第三阶段将比较使用一个代理的学生和可教代理；第二组将比较两个代理，可教代理和元导师；第三组将比较三个代理。这项研究的结果是一种开发和测试的工具，用于增加学生的学习，并统计分析由学生活动调查人员使用可教学代理维护的记录。这项研究应该有助于表明，如果电脑教师具有模仿人类表现的综合功能，他们是否会更有效。

The studies address through investigation of students in Arizona High School summer programs how students learn, understand and manipulate scientific models of the carbon cycle and the water cycle. The investigators of this project have identified problems that on-line tutors have with creating conditions for students to regulate their own behavior. Instead of taking advantage of the available learning opportunities, some students ask for hints until the tutor gives them the correct answer. The investigators hypothesize that lasting benefits require changing students beliefs about shallow compared with deep modeling practices and breaking their modeling habits and instilling new ones. They intend to add affective learning companions to the on-line tutors. The modules use the teachable agent metaphor called Betty's Brain. The study analysis will be conducted in high school summer schools in Arizona for students that are mostly Native Americans. The students are self-selected for attending the summer school. Data collection will include student logs, verbal protocols and affect sensor data from the summer school participants (approximately 30 students). Three studies will be conducted: 1. to develop a meta tutoring tool, 2. to develop an affective learning agent with verbal and physical gestures, and 3. a measure of whether the new tool results in increases in learning. The analysis will involve causal inference and data mining of student records of their activities. The third phase of the learning will compare students who use one agent with the teachable agent; a second group will compare two agents, the teachable agent and the meta-tutor; and a third group will compare three agents. The outcome of the study is a developed and tested tool to increase student learning and statistical analysis of records maintained by the investigators of student activities with the teachable agent. The study should help indicate whether computer tutors are more effective if they have integrated features that mimic human performance.