Netflix To Go Back Into Price War Mode? >>
<< Would You Install Any Software From Sony At...
 tdicon 

Culture

by Mike Masnick

Wed, Nov 16th 2005 7:14pm





Is Your Virtual Teacher Hot Or Not?

from the does-the-avatar-matter? dept

A researcher in Florida is trying to see if students react better to computerized learning situations if the virtual teacher is more lifelike and attractive to them. Part of the idea is to inject a bit more "soul" into these virtual teachers, and hopefully make it so students feel more interested in what they have to say. While this might seem like something of a gimmick, some of the early results are positive (though, the message seems a bit mixed). A study was conducted using female math and science students, and the ones who interacted with the agents reported more "positive beliefs" about the subject matter than those who didn't use one of these virtual agents. Of course, there are a lot of other variables that could have impacted these results, so it's hard to say much definitive about them just yet. It's also worth noting that the students said they liked a "cool" female agent as a person they'd want to be like, but still preferred a geeky male agent (complete with bow tie) as a teacher when asked to choose.

16 Comments | Leave a Comment

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments (rss)

(Flattened / Threaded)

  1.  
    icon
    TechNoFear (profile), Nov 16th, 2005 @ 7:22pm

    Virtual Helpers

    Did any choose the animated paper-clip?

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    Ed, Nov 16th, 2005 @ 7:43pm

    Re: Virtual Helpers

    This is so stupied

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    Jason, Nov 16th, 2005 @ 7:44pm

    No Subject Given

    somehow i think i'd have trouble learning from someone i couldnt stop thinking about in a sexual manner.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Nov 16th, 2005 @ 7:58pm

    Re: No Subject Given

    That's why I dropped out of your mom's class.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Nov 16th, 2005 @ 8:13pm

    Re: No Subject Given

    LOL

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Nov 16th, 2005 @ 8:15pm

    No Subject Given

    "This cool and attractive virtual agent was seen by
    young women as being a peer, but least like an
    engineer."




    I don't know - looks like a lifeless zombie to me.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Nov 16th, 2005 @ 8:18pm

    No Subject Given

    Here's an idea, how bout they give up on the ghey virtual teacher thing and pump that research money into paying for a decent teacher. HAH! female engineering students! LOLZ

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  
    identicon
    Vap, Nov 16th, 2005 @ 8:22pm

    Re: No Subject Given

    HAHA your mom's class

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  9.  
    identicon
    Logan Haynes, Nov 16th, 2005 @ 9:43pm

    No Subject Given

    Not a chance that I would install any software from Sony. Call me paranoid but it is the same reason I will never install Real Player, even if they cleaned it up it once had spyware and that is enough to deter me.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  10.  
    identicon
    Poochie P, Nov 16th, 2005 @ 10:08pm

    Re: No Subject Given

    HA, yeah ur gonna want the article just below this one logan....

    LOL...ur mom's class.....

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  11.  
    identicon
    Green Glass Jim, Nov 16th, 2005 @ 10:27pm

    No Subject Given

    Putting your kids in front of a television to substitute for parenting... Not the School system wants to do the same...

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  12.  
    identicon
    Green Glass Jim, Nov 16th, 2005 @ 10:27pm

    No Subject Given

    Putting your kids in front of a television to substitute for parenting... Now the School system wants to do the same...

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  13.  
    identicon
    Jared Anderson, Nov 16th, 2005 @ 11:09pm

    Re: No Subject Given

    lol @ AC

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  14.  
    identicon
    Jason, Nov 17th, 2005 @ 2:35am

    Re: No Subject Given

    well, anonymous coward, if 200+ pound fifty year old women covered in surgery scars are your thing i'd say you chances of getting an education or even focusing on a job are pretty low here in the Land of the free and flabby.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  15.  
    identicon
    jp, Nov 17th, 2005 @ 2:55am

    virtual boss

    In the same way, all the comapanies can opt for virtual managers ! we all love it :)

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  16.  
    identicon
    MindTrigger, Nov 17th, 2005 @ 9:11am

    Re: virtual boss

    This might seem stupid on the surface, but if you play video games, and communicate with people who play video games, you will quickly learn that men and boys get a kick out of attractive female computer characters. Lara Croft is probably the most notorious of them all. They should just license her likeness.. lol

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


Add Your Comment

Have a Techdirt Account? Sign in now. Want one? Register here
Get Techdirt’s Daily Email
Save me a cookie
  • Note: A CRLF will be replaced by a break tag (<br>), all other allowable HTML will remain intact
  • Allowed HTML Tags: <b> <i> <a> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <hr> <tt>
Netflix To Go Back Into Price War Mode? >>
<< Would You Install Any Software From Sony At...
 tdicon 
Follow Techdirt
Flattr rss rss
A word from our Sponsors...
Sponsored Resource
Essential Reading
Techdirt Reading List
Techdirt Insider Chat

A word from our Sponsors...
Recent Stories

Tuesday

3:02pm: Google, Without Admitting It Gets FISA Orders, Files Lawsuit To Challenge FISA Gag Orders (1)
2:29pm: NYPD Commissioner Blasts NSA Secret Monitoring For Being Secret (5)
1:43pm: It's Come To This: Commentators Arguing That The Press Commits A Crime In Exposing NSA Surveillance (23)
1:00pm: US Chamber Of Commerce: Bollywood Is So Successful Without Strong Copyrights That It Will Fail Unless India Strengthens Its Copyrights (28)
11:58am: Senator Lindsey Graham Defends NSA Surveillance By Arguing About Something Entirely Different (46)
11:15am: NSA Claims Surveillance Programs Aided The Stopping Of 50 Attacks; Details Lacking (62)
10:31am: The NSA's Lockbox Has No Lock (43)
9:44am: Knowing The Government Is Spying On You Changes How You Act (43)
8:44am: MPAA's Chris Dodd Will Be The Chair Of 'Free Speech Week' (106)
7:46am: Steve Wozniak Speaks Out Against NSA Spying: This Is Not My America (36)
More arrow
A word from our Sponsors...

Close

Email This