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Bringing Chatbots into education: Towards Natural Language Negotiation of Open Learner Models

  • Conference paper
Applications and Innovations in Intelligent Systems XIV (SGAI 2006)

Abstract

There is an extensive body of work on Intelligent Tutoring Systems: computer environments for education, teaching and training that adapt to the needs of the individual learner. Work on personalisation and adaptivity has included research into allowing the student user to enhance the system’s adaptivity by improving the accuracy of the underlying learner model. Open Learner Modelling, where the system’s model of the user’s knowledge is revealed to the user, has been proposed to support student reflection on their learning. Increased accuracy of the learner model can be obtained by the student and system jointly negotiating the learner model. We present the initial investigations into a system to allow people to negotiate the model of their understanding of a topic in natural language. This paper discusses the development and capabilities of both conversational agents (or chatbots) and Intelligent Tutoring Systems, in particular Open Learner Modelling. We describe a Wizard-of-Oz experiment to investigate the feasibility of using a chatbot to support negotiation, and conclude that a fusion of the two fields can lead to developing negotiation techniques for chatbots and the enhancement of the Open Learner Model. This technology, if successful, could have widespread application in schools, universities and other training scenarios.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK

    Alice Kerlyl & Susan Bull

  2. Elzware Ltd, 70 Mendip Road, Windmill Hill, Bristol, BS3 4NY

    Phil Hall

Authors
  1. Alice Kerlyl
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  2. Phil Hall
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  3. Susan Bull
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Stratum Management Ltd, UK

    Richard Ellis BSc, MSc

  2. Nottingham Trent University, UK

    Tony Allen PhD

  3. Department of Computing, City University, London

    Andrew Tuson MA, MSc, PhD, MBCS

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© 2007 Springer-Verlag London Limited

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Kerlyl, A., Hall, P., Bull, S. (2007). Bringing Chatbots into education: Towards Natural Language Negotiation of Open Learner Models. In: Ellis, R., Allen, T., Tuson, A. (eds) Applications and Innovations in Intelligent Systems XIV. SGAI 2006. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84628-666-7_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84628-666-7_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-84628-665-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-84628-666-7

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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