We explore the effectiveness of a simple algorithm for adaptively deciding whether to further decompose a step in a line of reasoning during tutorial dialogue. We compare two versions of a tutorial dialogue system, Rimac: one that always decomposes a step to its simplest sub-steps and one that adaptively decides to decompose a step based on a…

This article is intended as a companion document to the more focused report provided by the author at the 2017 American Education Research Association (AERA) Conference as part of the Technology, Instruction, Cognition & Learning Special Interest Group's Symposium on Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs). Both the AERA talk and this article…

In this digital era, a fundamental challenge is to design digital reading materials in such a way that they improve children's reading skills. Since reading books is challenging for many fifth graders--particularly for those genetically susceptible to attention problems--the researchers hypothesized that guidance from a digital Pedagogical Agent…

Temporal analyses are critical to understanding learning processes, yet understudied in education research. Data from different sources are often collected at different grain sizes, which are difficult to integrate. Making sense of data at many levels of analysis, including the most detailed levels, is highly time-consuming. In this paper, we…

This paper details the motivation for and the main characteristics of "An Scéalaí" ('The Storyteller'), an intelligent Computer Assisted Language Learning (iCALL) platform for autonomous learning that integrates the four skills; writing, listening, speaking, and reading. A key feature is the incorporation of speech technology. Speech…

Pearson sought to explore whether the use of Mastering Physics, an online tutorial system used in higher education introductory physics courses, is related to students' results in exams and external standardized tests. This Research Report presents findings from two research studies we conducted with Penn State University, a school known for…

Authoring tools have been shown to decrease the amount of time and resources needed for the development of Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs). Although collaborative learning has been shown to be beneficial to learning, most of the current authoring tools do not support the development of collaborative ITSs. In this paper, we discuss an extension…

Advances in computer technology and artificial intelligence create opportunities for developing adaptive language learning technologies which are sensitive to individual learner characteristics. This paper focuses on one form of adaptivity in which the difficulty of learning content is dynamically adjusted to the learner's evolving language…

Agency refers to the level of control the student has over learning. Most studies on agency in computer-based learning environments have been conducted in the context of educational games and multimedia learning, while there is little research done in the context of learning with Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs). We conducted a study in the…

Online courses for high school students promise the opportunity to bring critical education to youth most at need, bridging gaps which may exist in brick-and-mortar institutions. In this work, we investigate a hybrid Massive Open Online Course for high schoolers which includes an in-person coaching component. We address the efficacy of these…

Prior studies on scaffolding for investigative inquiry practices (i.e. forming a question/hypothesis, collecting data, and analyzing and interpreting data [21]) revealed that students who received scaffolding were better able to both learn practices and transfer these competencies to new topics than were students who did not receive scaffolding.…

Students' interactions with online tools can provide us with insights into their study and work habits. Prior research has shown that these habits, even as simple as the number of actions or the time spent on online platforms can distinguish between the higher performing students and low-performers. These habits are also often used to predict…

This paper deals with a problem of digital competence acquisition and certification. In order to overcome the problem of still inadequate number of digitally competent students and the tools that merely focus on skills acquisition, this paper proposes the CRISS platform which is a unique cloud-based digital learning solution, based on the most…

Background/Context: Large-scale randomized controlled experiments conducted in authentic learning environments are commonly high stakes, carrying extensive costs and requiring lengthy commitments for all-or-nothing results amidst many potential obstacles. Educational technologies harbor an untapped potential to provide researchers with access to…

Learning-by-teaching has been identified as one of the more effective approaches to learning. Recently, educational researchers have investigated virtual environments in order to utilize the learning-by-teaching pedagogy. In a face-to-face learning-by-teaching situation, the role of the learners is to teach their peers or instructors. In virtual…