Mark G. Core

A 3-Tier Planning Architecture for Managing Tutorial Dialogue

Managing tutorial dialogue is an intrinsically complex task that is only partially covered by current models of dialogue processing. After an analysis of such models identifying their strengths and weaknesses, we propose a flexible, modular, and thus re-usable computational framework, centered around a 3-tier dialogue planning architecture.

The role of initiative in tutorial dialogue

This work is the first systematic investigation of initiative in human-human tutorial dialogue. We studied initiative management in two dialogue strategies: didactic tutoring and Socratic tutoring. We hypothesized that didactic tutoring would be mostly tutor-initiative while Socratic tutoring would be mixed-initiative, and that more student initiative would lead to more learning (i.e., task success for the tutor). Surprisingly, students had initiative more of the time in the didactic dialogues (21% of the turns) than in the Socratic dialogues (10% of the turns), and there was no direct relationship between student initiative and learning. However, Socratic dialogues were more interactive than didactic dialogues as measured by percentage of tutor utterances that were questions and percentage of words in the dialogue uttered by the student, and interactivity had a positive correlation with learning.

A Syntactic Framework for Speech Repairs and Other Disruptions

This paper presents a grammatical and processing framework for handling the repairs, hesitations, and other interruptions in natural human dialog. The proposed framework has proved adequate for a collection of human-human task-oriented dialogs, both in a full manual examination of the corpus, and in tests with a parser capable of parsing some of that corpus. This parser can also correct a pre-parser speech repair identifier resulting in a 4.8% increase in recall.

Feedback Specificity and the Learning of Intercultural Communication Skills

The role of explicit feedback in learning has been studied from a variety of perspectives and in many contexts. In this paper, we examine the impact of the specificity of feedback delivered by an intelligent tutoring system in a game-based environment for cultural learning. We compared two versions: one that provided only “bottom-out” hints and feedback versus one that provided only conceptual messages. We measured during-training performance, in-game transfer, and long-term retention. Consistent with our hypotheses, specific feedback utterances produced inferior learning on the in-game transfer task when compared to conceptual utterances. No differences were found on a web-based post-test. We discuss possible explanations for these findings, particularly as they relate to the learning of loosely defined skills and serious games.

Intelligent Information Presentation for Tutoring Systems

Effective human tutoring has been compared to a delicate balancing act. Students must be allowed to discover and correct problems on their own, but the tutor must intervene before the student becomes frustrated or confused. Natural language dialogue offers the tutor many ways to lead the student through a line of reasoning, and to indirectly notify the student of an error and use a series of hints and followup questions to get the student back on track. These sequences typically unfold across several conversational turns, during which the student can make more errors, initiate topic changes, or give more information than requested. Thus to support tutorial interactions, we require an intelligent information presentation system that can plan ahead, but is able to adapt its plan to the dynamically changing situation. In this paper we discuss how we have adapted the three-layer architecture developed by researchers in robotics to the management of tutorial dialogue.

Developing INOTS to support interpersonal skills practice

The Immersive Naval Officer Training System (INOTS) is a blended learning environment that merges traditional classroom instruction with a mixed reality training setting. INOTS supports the instruction, practice and assessment of interpersonal communication skills. The goal of INOTS is to provide a consistent training experience to supplement interpersonal skills instruction for Naval officer candidates without sacrificing trainee throughput and instructor control. We developed an instructional design from cognitive task analysis interviews with experts to serve as a framework for system development. We also leveraged commercial student response technology and research technologies including natural language recognition, virtual humans, realistic graphics, intelligent tutoring and automated instructor support tools. In this paper, we describe our methodologies for developing a blended learning environment, and our challenges adding mixed reality and virtual human technologies to a traditional classroom to support interpersonal skills training.1 2

Investigating the relationship between presence and learning in a serious game

We investigate the role of presence in a serious game for intercultural communication and negotiation skills by comparing two interfaces: a 3D version with animated virtual humans and sound against a 2D version using text-only interactions with static images and no sound. Both versions provide identical communicative action choices and are driven by the same underlying simulation engine. In a study, the 3D interface led to a significantly greater self-reported sense of presence, but produced significant, but equivalent learning on immediate posttests for declarative and conceptual knowledge related to intercultural communication. Log data reveals that 3D learners needed fewer interactions with the system than those in the 2D environment, suggesting they benefited equally with less practice and may have treated the experience as more authentic.

Situated Pedagogical Authoring: Authoring Intelligent Tutors from a Student’s Perspective

We describe the Situated Pedagogical Authoring (SitPed) system that seeks to allow non-technical authors to create ITS content for soft-skills training, such as counseling skills. SitPed is built on the assertion that authoring tools should use the learner’s perspective to the greatest extent possible. SitPed provides tools for creating tasks lists, authoring assessment knowledge, and creating tutor messages. We present preliminary findings of a two-phase study comparing authoring in SitPed to an ablated version of the same system and a spreadsheet-based control. Findings suggest modest advantages for SitPed in terms of the quality of the authored content and student learning.

Using virtual tour behavior to build dialogue models for training review

We develop an intelligent agent that builds a user model of a learner during a tour of a virtual world. The user model is based on the learners answers to questions during the tour. A dialogue model for a simulated instructor is tailored to the individual learner based upon this user model. We describe an evaluation to track system accuracy and user perceptions.

Workshop on Dialog-Based Intelligent Tutoring Systems: State of the Art and New Research Directions

Within the past decade, advances in computer technology and language-processing techniques have allowed us to develop intelligent tutoring systems that feature more natural communication with students. As these dialog-based tutoring systems are maturing, there is increasing agreement on the fundamental methods that make them effective in producing learning gains. This workshop will have two goals. First, we will discuss current research the techniques that make these systems effective. Second, especially for the benefit of researchers just starting tutorial dialog projects, we will include a how-to track where experienced system-builders describe the tools and techniques that form the cores of successful systems.