Off-Task Behavior in Narrative-Centered Learning Environments

  • Authors:
  • Jonathan P. Rowe;Scott W. McQuiggan;Jennifer L. Robison;James C. Lester

  • Affiliations:
  • Department of Computer Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695;Education Practice, SAS Institute, Inc., Cary NC 27513;Department of Computer Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695;Department of Computer Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 2009 conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education: Building Learning Systems that Care: From Knowledge Representation to Affective Modelling
  • Year:
  • 2009

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Abstract

Recent years have seen increasing interest in narrative-centered learning environments. However, the same qualities that make them engaging can also introduce seductive details that invite off-task behavior. This paper examines off-task behavior in the CRYSTAL ISLAND narrative-centered learning environment. Results from an empirical study examining the relationships between student test performance, individual differences, and off-task behavior are presented. The study found negative correlations between off-task behavior and test performance, as well as significant gender effects on the total amount of off-task behavior. Initial conclusions from a path analysis conducted on students' action sequences are also presented.