Year: 2011
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: virtual agent' to refer to a virtual entity with some autonomous decision making capabilities.Virtual agents can be broadly categorised as being 'authorable' or 'autonomous', with authorable agents requiring someone to observe the user and select from a control panel actions for the agent to take, much like a virtual puppet, and autonomous agents being self-contained and usable without such outside interaction.Examples of both authorable and autonomous agents are discussed in Section 2.2. Virtual tutors and why they can benefit children with autismECAs are used in a range of applications.When used in an educational context, they are often referred to as virtual tutors or pedagogical agents.There are a multitude of reasons why virtual tutors are well suited to use with individuals with autism, including the affinity that many report having with technology (Putnam & Chong, 2008).A technology based intervention for improving social competence appeals to children with autism and allows them to progress through material at their own pace rather than being subjected to the constraints of a classroom.Nothing should aim to replace interaction with peers and others when learning about social interaction, however, an independent learning tool, such as one including a virtual tutor, can be a valuable tool in developing these complex social skills.Autonomous virtual tutors can complement other interventions and allow learners to practice their developing skills independently, reducing pressure on those who work with the student and allowing them to focus on more complex aspects of the learner's education, while general topics are covered by the software.The anxiety connected with interacting with real humans is absent when using a virtual tutor, which can be programmed to ensure that only positive and guiding feedback is provided, rather than the criticism that peers may give.Additionally, using a virtual tutor means that the learner can practice their skills without interfering with others or learning inappropriate responses from incidental people in the environment (Kerr, 2002).Another advantage is that the virtual tutor will never get tired or impatient (Massaro, 2004) and it is available for practice at any time of the day, which may particularly suit those who experience abnormal sleep patterns (Limoges et al., 2005).Virtual tutors provide consistent feedback and behaviours, again helping to control anxiety in sufferers who feel more at ease in predictable situations (Parsons et al., 2000).V i r t u a l t u t o r s c a n b e h i g h l y c u s t o m i z a b l e , a l l o w i n g t h e m t o b e t a i l o r e d t o s u i t a n individual learner's needs.For example, for a learner who finds looking at faces uncomfortable, the tutor's face could start out cartoon-like and, as the learner becomes accustomed to it and their confidence grows, the complexity can be increased.Likewise, the lesson content can be modified to meet the learner's current level of interest and need.Being software-based, a variety of media can be incorporated into the learning material, for example photos, videos, animations and more, which can help to support generalisation of skills to novel situations.In the context of developing nonverbal skills, animated virtual tutors can be particularly useful as they can model behaviours for the learner, such as facial expressions and gaze.This is akin to video modelling, which has had success with many individuals with autism (Marcus & Wilder, 2009;Sherer et al., 2001).Multiple tutor 'personas', with differing appearances and voices, can be used to model the behaviours, encouraging generalisation to novel situations.The flexibility and customisation that virtual tutors offer makes them a cost effective and potentially highly beneficial intervention tool.www.intechopen.
Source: InTech eBooks
Parent work: A Comprehensive Book on Autism Spectrum Disorders
DOI: 10.5772/18688
Institution: Flinders University
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W1577948151