The Teachable Agents Group @ Vanderbilt University

The Teachable Agents Project combines research from computer science, psychology, and education to develop computer-based learning environments. These environments utilize animated pedagogical agents to facilitate science learning and the development of self-regulated learning skills. The use of animated agents allows us to extend the cognitive scaffolding provided by various computer tools and representations (e.g., searchable text, simulations, concept maps, etc.) by embedding them in productive and motivating social-constructive interactions (e.g., peer teaching, collaboration, and assessment). Current projects include Betty's Brain, a learning-by-teaching environment for science learning; CTSiM, an environment for understanding science through a computational thinking framework; SimSelf, a relatively new project that focuses on teaching students about self-regulation and metacognition in the context of science learning; and C3STEM, a community-situated, challenge-based, collaborative STEM learning environment. Our learning environments also include extensive logging of students' interactions with the system and agents.