Learning in Informal and Formal Environments (LIFE) Center an NSF Science of Learning Center

The LIFE Center (The Learning in Informal and Formal Environments Center) and the Center for Multicultural Education are proud to present video presentations from two important events related to the work to produce the Diversity Consensus Report. Use the link below to browse the video materials.

The LIFE Center is a research collaboration between the University of Washington, Stanford University, and SRI International focused on transforming our understanding of human learning through a coordinated study of implicit, informal, and formal learning. The LIFE Center shares a common purpose with the Center for Multicultural Education to help all students succeed through education. To this end, we are exploring how we can understand and take into account different forms of learning supported in various contexts, activities, and cultures. The panelists listed as presenters are world-class experts on diversity, education, and learning, and the LIFE Center consensus report, “Learning In and Out of School in Diverse Environments: Life-Long, Life-Wide, and Life-Deep”, is a direct result of their work.

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Authors: Baba Kofi A. Weusijana, Rohit Kumar, Carolyn P. Rosé
Institutions: University of Washington and Carnegie Mellon University

Abstract: Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) such as Second Life can be great tools for educating people and researching how people learn. Utilizing conversational agents automated with artificial intelligence can further enhance MUVEs. They can be used for tutoring students and they can be used to manage or consistently orchestrate environments for research purposes. However, most intelligent tutoring systems are designed for one-on-one conversations, whereas MUVEs usually involve learners studying together in groups to leverage social aspects of learning. We have been working on conversational agents that can talk to learning groups in effective ways. Those at LTI have built the Basilica framework. Basilica is a system to facilitate rapid development of conversational agents that participate in collaborative environments. On top of Basilica, Dr. Weusijana of LIFE developed with LTI a Second Life conversational agent called MultiTalker. We consider our new technology an enabling tool for educators and learning researchers. We discuss its expected utility for educators and their learners, as well as future research directions.

Weusijana, B.K., Kumar, R., & Rosé, C.P. (2008, September). MultiTalker: Building Conversational Agents in Second Life Using Basilica. Second Life Education Community Conference 2008.

Researchers:

• Dr. Baba Kofi A. Weusijana, LIFE Sciences of Learning Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
• Rohit Kumar and Dr. Carolyn P. Rose, Language Technologies Institute (LTI) & Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center (PSLC), Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA

Saturday, September 6, 2008 4:00 PM

The Second Life Education Community Conference 2008, part of the Official Second Life Community Convention 2008 in Tampa, Florida (US) and in the virtual world of Second Life.

Educational Tools and Products (Purple Strand)

Researchers from the LIFE and PSLC Science of Learning Centers have joined forces to enhance learning in virtual worlds while exploring augmenting the architectures and behaviors of conversational intelligent tutors. Together they have developed a Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE) conversational agent called MultiTalker built on top of the Basilica framework to facilitate rapid development of agents that chat with a student group. MultiTalker was demonstrated in Second Life to conference and in-world participants who chatted with it as if they were a student group learning thermodynamics together.

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