GSE/RES: Pedagogical agents as social models: Challenging gender-related stereotypes of engineering

佛罗里达州立大学将研究教学代理人作为社会模式影响女孩对工程的信念和定型观念的有效性，以及使用教学代理人改变信念的潜力。正如Muller（2002年）所述，这些误解是由我们社会中普遍存在的社会结构引起的，并导致对工程和科学领域的陈规定型观念，认为它们是“极客”，特别不适合女孩和妇女。因此，年轻女性需要更多地接触有关工程的生产性信念，最好是通过某种形式的社会模式（例如，Bandura，1986）。虽然人体模型可以帮助弥合差距，但安排这种机会的后勤工作很难协调，现有的导师不一定最符合特定年轻妇女的需要。通过实施基于计算机的社会模式，可以控制人类导师无法控制的因素，并通过互联网等渠道进行推广。教学代理人，这是三维的，动画的计算机为基础的字符，是特别有利的，作为这样的模型，因为有强有力的证据表明，学生，特别是女性，很容易与他们发展社会关系。本跨学科项目的目标是：（1）系统地研究教育代理人作为社会模型对影响女孩工程信念和刻板印象的有效性;同时，2）使用教学代理人作为工具，系统地检查信仰改变过程的性质。两个人口，代表两个年龄组（中学女生，大一女大学生从传统和历史上的黑人机构），将抽样进行研究。将实施三种类型的研究设计（选择，构建和系统控制研究（实验和适应性）），以提供更全面的理解。具体来说，第一年将侧重于调查代理外观;第二年代理消息/交付;第三年代理角色（综合因素）。因变量包括学生对工程的信念和动机，追求工程的意图，以及对代理人的看法。将通过自我报告（例如，Likert量表项目）、表现和行为指标。智力优点。 鉴于对教学代理作为社会模型的可供性和学习者偏好知之甚少，该项目对于推进几个跨学科领域（例如，教学系统、社会心理学、人机交互、教育/培训、电子商务和营销以及游戏设计师）。该项目融合了多种研究方法，具有创新性和原创性，并借鉴了两位PI进行教育代理和社会心理学研究的经验。重要的是，它将为影响女性对工程的信念和陈规定型观念提供见解。研究结果还将补充教学代理和其他技术介导的学习，如智能辅导系统的持续发展。沿着这条线，研究也将有助于更好地阐明代理作为一种信息技术的社会影响，这是重要的，因为社会正变得越来越信息驱动。更广泛的影响。 预计该项目将在这一领域建立一个强大的实证研究基础，指导设计代理人，以支持工程（或其他类型）的信念采用。这些研究结果将有可能广泛影响计算机界面设计，学习环境中的代理实现，并对其他涉及向女性“销售”工程的项目产生营销相关的影响。根据调查结果，下一步将是制定和实施一个高度胜任的（例如，人工智能）和有说服力的代理人，将积极影响年轻女性对工程的信念。

Florida State University will study the effectiveness of pedagogical agents as social models to influence girls' beliefs and stereotypes about engineering, the potential for using pedagogical agents to change beliefs.Many females have negative and unconstructive beliefs regarding engineering. As stated by Muller (2002), these misperceptions are prompted by a social fabric that pervades our society and results in stereotypic perceptions of engineering and scientific fields as "geeky" and particularly inappropriate for girls and women. Consequently, young women need more exposure to productive beliefs about engineering, ideally through some form of a social model (e.g., Bandura, 1986). While human models can help to bridge the gap, the logistics of arranging such opportunities are difficult to coordinate, and available mentors may not necessarily best match a particular young women's needs. By implementing computer-based social models, factors can be controlled that cannot be in human mentors, with a greater potential for outreach through avenues such as the Internet. Pedagogical agents, which are three-dimensional, animated computer-based characters, are particularly advantageous for serving as such models given that there is strong evidence that students, particularly females, easily develop social relationships with them. However, there is limited evidence to guide the design of such agents for the purpose of influencing beliefs about engineering.The goals of this interdisciplinary project are as follows: 1) to systematically investigatethe effectiveness of pedagogical agents as social models to influence girls' beliefs and stereotypes about engineering; and, in parallel, 2) to use pedagogical agents as a vehicle to systematically examine the nature of the belief-changing process. Two populations, representing two age groups (middle school girls, and freshman female undergraduates from both a traditional and a historically-Black institution), will be sampled for the research. Three types of research designs (Choice, Construction, and System-Controlled Studies (experimental and adaptive)) will be implemented to provide a more integrative understanding. Specifically, the first year will focus on investigating agent appearance; the second year on agent message/delivery; and, the third year on agent persona (combined factors). Dependent variables include student beliefs about and motivation toward engineering, intentions to pursue engineering, and perceptions of the agent. Dependent variables will be assessed by a combination of self-report (e.g., Likert-scale items), performance, and behaviorally-indicated measures.Intellectual Merit. Given that little is known as to the affordances and learner preferences for pedagogical agents as social models, this project is critical for advancing several interdisciplinary fields (e.g., instructional systems, social psychology, human-computer interaction, education/training, ecommerce and marketing, and game designers). By integrating multiple research approaches, the project is creative and original and draws on the two PIs' experience conducting pedagogical agent and social psychology research. Importantly, it will provide insight for influencing females' beliefs and stereotypes regarding engineering. Results will also complement ongoing development of pedagogical agents and other technology-mediated learning, such as intelligent tutoring systems. Along this line, the research will also help better illuminate the social impact of agents as an information technology, which is important given that society is becoming increasingly more information-driven.Broader Impact. It is expected that the project will build a strong empirical research base in this area with guidelines for designing agents to support engineering (or other types of) belief adoption. These findings will have the potential to broadly influence computer interface design, agent implementations in learning environments, and have marketing-related implications for other projects that involve "selling" engineering to females. Based on the findings, the next step would be to develop and implement a highly competent (e.g., artificially intelligent) and persuasive agent that would positively impact young women's beliefs about engineering.