Using Conversational Agents to Foster Preschool Children's Science Learning and Engagement from Interactive Science Videos

科学电视节目是学龄前儿童非正式学习和充实的重要来源。然而，电视节目的一个局限性是，它在很大程度上是一种单向的、非互动的媒体。研究表明，孩子通过积极参与内容学习效果最好，父母可以通过与孩子共同观看和交谈，使看电视变得更具互动性。然而，许多父母和其他成年人可能缺乏时间或经验，以及缺乏科学语言和内容的舒适性，无法为他们的孩子提供关键的及时支持。这项研究试图利用人工智能的最新进展，现在可以让孩子们愉快地与自动对话代理互动。研究团队将探索这种以科学视频中屏幕角色的形式嵌入的对话代理，是否可以通过模拟与成年人共同观看节目的好处，与儿童就该节目的科学内容进行有意义的互动。如果成功，该项目可能会为一种新的科学节目类型奠定基础，帮助将观看视频转变为更具互动性和吸引力的学习体验。该项目由推进非正式STEM学习计划(AISL)资助，该计划旨在促进对非正式环境中STEM学习的设计和开发的新方法和基于证据的理解。这包括提供多种途径，扩大获得和参与STEM学习体验的途径，推进对非正式环境中STEM学习的创新研究和评估，以及发展参与者对更深层次学习的理解。该项目将开发互动视频，在未来的儿童动画电视节目的三集11分钟内加入对话代理。这些视频将使孩子们能够与节目中的主要角色交谈，因为这个角色解决了日常的科学谜团，从而引导孩子们通过脚手架对话参与观察、预测、模式发现和解决问题。这项研究将分两个迭代周期进行，目的是开发和测试每一集的嵌入式会话功能。在每个周期中，包括儿童电视制作专家以及教育和人机界面研究人员在内的项目团队将开发情节提示板和对话提示和后续行动，根据修订的脚本创建动画视频，并创建与对话代理集成的互动视频的移动应用程序。将对10名儿童进行现场测试，以反复改善嵌入的会话功能。在先导测试阶段，将对每组30名儿童(N=120)进行对照研究：1)观看嵌入会话功能的剧集；2)与人类伙伴在剧本中而不是虚拟角色中进行对话；3)以伪互动观看剧集，其中动画角色提出问题，但不试图理解或亲自回答儿童的答案；以及4)观看没有对话的剧集。从实验中收集的数据将被用来检验会话主体的使用是否以及以何种方式影响儿童的参与、注意力、交流策略、感知和科学学习，以及这些影响是否因儿童的年龄、性别、社会经济地位、语言背景和英语口语水平而不同。该项目将对将对话代理纳入屏幕媒体以促进幼儿STEM学习和参与的可行性和潜力进行全面评估。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Science television shows are an important source of informal learning and enrichment for preschool-aged children. However, one limitation of television programming is that it is largely a one-way, non-interactive medium. Research suggests that children learn best through active engagement with content, and that parents can make TV watching more interactive by co-viewing and talking with their children. However, many parents and other adults may lack the time or experience and comfort with science language and content to provide critcial just-in-time support for their children. This study seeks to take advantage of recent advances in artificial intelligence that now allow children to enjoyably interact with automated conversational agents. The research team will explore whether such conversational agents, embedded as an on-screen character in a science video, can meaningfully interact with children about the science content of the show by simulating the benefits of co-viewing with an adult. If successful, the project could lay the foundation for a new genre of science shows, helping transform video watching into more interactive and engaging learning experiences. This project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. This includes providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences, advancing innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments, and developing understandings of deeper learning by participants.This project will develop interactive videos incorporating a conversational agent in three 11-minute episodes of a future children's animated television program. The videos will enable children to speak with the main character of the show as the character solves everyday science mysteries, thus priming children to engage in observation, prediction, pattern finding, and problem solving through scaffolded conversation. This study will be carried out in two iterative cycles with the goal of developing and testing the embedded conversational function for each episode. In each cycle, the project team, which includes experts in children's TV production, as well as educational and HCI researchers will develop the storyboard and conversation prompts and follow-ups, create animated videos based on the revised script, and create a mobile application of the interactive video integrated with the conversational agent. Field testing with 10 children will be conducted to iteratively improve the embedded conversational function. In the pilot testing stage, a controlled study will be conducted with 30 children in each group (N=120): 1) watching the episode with the embedded conversational function; 2) watching the episode with a human partner carrying out the dialogue in the script rather than the virtual character; 3) watching the episode with pseudo-interaction, in which the animated character asks questions but does not attempt to understand or personally respond to children's answers; and 4) watching the episode with no dialogue. Data collected from the experiments will be used to examine whether and in what ways use of a conversational agent affects children's engagement, attention, communication strategies, perceptions, and science learning, and whether these effects vary by children's age, gender, socioeconomic status, language background, and oral language proficiency in English. The project will provide a comprehensive evaluation of the feasibility and potential of incorporating conversational agents into screen media to foster young children's STEM learning and engagement.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.