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Off-task Engagement in a Teachable Agent based Math Game

Tärning, Betty LU ; Haake, Magnus LU and Gulz, Agneta LU (2011) The 19th International Conference on Computers in Education
Abstract
A previous study compared two student groups that played a mathematics game based on a teachable agent. One group played with, and the other without, the inclusion of a social conversation module: a chat between the student and the teachable agent. Results were that students who used the game with the chat included had a more positive experience of the game and learned more in the sense of teaching their agent better. However, patterns dif¬fered between sub-groups of students. Low-achievers did not prefer the game with the chat included, whereas high- and mid-achievers did, but simultaneously low-achievers tended to chat more. Low-achievers tended not to use the options of not starting the chat or quitting a chat beforehand as much as... (More)
A previous study compared two student groups that played a mathematics game based on a teachable agent. One group played with, and the other without, the inclusion of a social conversation module: a chat between the student and the teachable agent. Results were that students who used the game with the chat included had a more positive experience of the game and learned more in the sense of teaching their agent better. However, patterns dif¬fered between sub-groups of students. Low-achievers did not prefer the game with the chat included, whereas high- and mid-achievers did, but simultaneously low-achievers tended to chat more. Low-achievers tended not to use the options of not starting the chat or quitting a chat beforehand as much as high- and mid-achievers did. In this paper we pursue a more de¬tailed analysis of the students’ conversational behavior in the chat. The analytic focus is on the notion of engagement. Results point towards differences between the student groups in their engagement in the off-task conversation, that in turn can help explain the previous somewhat paradoxical result. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
low- and high-achievers, engagement, natural language dialogue, off-task conversation, teachable agent, learning, quality of conversation
host publication
Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Computers in Education (ICCE-2011)
editor
Hirashima, T
publisher
Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education
conference name
The 19th International Conference on Computers in Education
conference dates
0001-01-02
external identifiers
  • scopus:84860479158
project
Thinking in Time: Cognition, Communication and Learning
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5e4d5e94-605d-413b-a3ed-4a7f6ab82118 (old id 2220045)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:06:12
date last changed
2022-01-29 19:48:15
@inproceedings{5e4d5e94-605d-413b-a3ed-4a7f6ab82118,
  abstract     = {{A previous study compared two student groups that played a mathematics game based on a teachable agent. One group played with, and the other without, the inclusion of a social conversation module: a chat between the student and the teachable agent. Results were that students who used the game with the chat included had a more positive experience of the game and learned more in the sense of teaching their agent better. However, patterns dif¬fered between sub-groups of students. Low-achievers did not prefer the game with the chat included, whereas high- and mid-achievers did, but simultaneously low-achievers tended to chat more. Low-achievers tended not to use the options of not starting the chat or quitting a chat beforehand as much as high- and mid-achievers did. In this paper we pursue a more de¬tailed analysis of the students’ conversational behavior in the chat. The analytic focus is on the notion of engagement. Results point towards differences between the student groups in their engagement in the off-task conversation, that in turn can help explain the previous somewhat paradoxical result.}},
  author       = {{Tärning, Betty and Haake, Magnus and Gulz, Agneta}},
  booktitle    = {{Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Computers in Education (ICCE-2011)}},
  editor       = {{Hirashima, T}},
  keywords     = {{low- and high-achievers; engagement; natural language dialogue; off-task conversation; teachable agent; learning; quality of conversation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education}},
  title        = {{Off-task Engagement in a Teachable Agent based Math Game}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}