Page 207 - Socially Intelligent Agents Creating Relationships with Computers and Robots

190 Socially Intelligent Agents

room of the future through the development of intuitive hardware and software
designed to develop collaborative skills, perspective taking and literacy skills
in pupils from 5-8years. This chapter focuses on the UK section of the project.
It also builds on the findings of a research project, which looked at the role
of empathy in teacher/pupil relationships. The chapter argues that the quality
of human communication and interaction is central to the ambience in learning
environments and that high quality empathic design can support that ambience.

2. Perspective
The work is situated within a broad framework of educational and techno-
logical research into school ethos [14] and teaching and learning research into
empathy [1, 17], self-esteem [16], communication and dialogue [20, 3], prior
learning [2] and effective teaching and learning. Additionally this chapter con-
siders some recent empirical research into empathy in teaching and learning
[5]. ICT can be liberating but needs careful design and evaluation in the human
contexts in which it will be used, allowing humans and ICT to work creatively
together, maximising the strengths on both sides. One area where technology
can contribute enormously to the problem of time and resources is by the pro-
vision of one to one or small group support [10]. Pupils motivated by the use
of technology, by its practical, flexible, and often, exciting potential, are able
to take greater control of their learning. Teachers are freed up by this to take a
more facilitative role, devolving responsibility for learning to pupils, as found
in Machado and Paiva’s work in a Portuguese school working with ICT to pro-
mote learning through drama for children aged around 8 years old [13]. This
places them in a more empathic position with pupils, with less need for tradi-
tional teacher domination and control and in a better position to work with and
understand individuals, thereby modelling an empathic approach which pupils
are likely to imitate. These closer, more equal, more human, relationships
are likely to promote better assessment practices and through them improve
learning [8]. However the quality and effectiveness of the technology and the
training of teachers in its use are important factors. An irate teacher, strug-
gling with temperamental computers, and/or inappropriate software will find
it difficult to model empathy to anyone or encourage it others — so teacher
involvement in design and training was built into the NIMIS project from the
outset. Intelligent software, which utilises knowledge of teaching and learning
and attends to the varying needs of all learners, at the appropriate moment, is
necessary for optimum learning to take place. Software which appreciates the
significance of the affective elements in teaching and learning and that these
are inseparable from the cognitive aspects [6, 11] is more likely to engage the
learner. Intelligent agents who create a positive atmosphere through affirma-
tion and appropriate feedback to develop language and narrative skills rein-