Architecture for animation of affective behaviors in pedagogical agents

Abstract

Abstract:This article introduces an open-source module responsible for the presentation of verbal (speech) and corporal (animation) behaviors of animated pedagogical agents. This module can be inserted into any learning environment regardless of application domain and platform, being executable under different operating systems. It was implemented in Java as a reactive agent (named Body agent) that communicates with the agent's Mind through a language known as FIPA-ACL. Therefore, it may be inserted into any intelligent learning environment that is also capable to communicate using FIPA-ACL. Persistence of information is ensured by XML files, increasing the agent's portability. The agent also includes a mechanism for automatically updating new behaviors and characters once available in the server. A simulation environment was conceived to test the proposed agent.

Can a Learning Companion Be Used to Continue Teaching Programming to Children Even During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

“…On the other hand, the impact of using PCAs on improving students’ satisfaction and motivation is proved [52] , [57] . Given the importance of social and emotional aspects in e-learning [58] , [59] , the evolution of PCAs as learning companions was contemplated. Some authors have considered that PCAs were unable to regulate emotional responses, unlike learning companions that are specifically designed to support the student not only as interactive lifelike characters that guide them but as emotional “friends” [60] , [61] .…”