Managing Learner’s Affective States in Intelligent Tutoring Systems

Abstract

Abstract. Recent works in Computer Science, Neurosciences, Education, and Psychology have shown that emotions play an important role in learning. Learner's cognitive ability depends on his emotions. We will point out the role of emotions in learning, distinguishing the different types and models of emotions which have been considered until now. We will address an important issue concerning the different means to detect emotions and introduce recent approaches to measure brain activity using Electroencephalograms (EEG). Knowing the influence of emotional events on learning it becomes important to induce specific emotions so that the learner can be in a more adequate state for better learning or memorization. To this end, we will introduce the main components of an emotionally intelligent tutoring system able to recognize, interpret and influence learner's emotions. We will talk about specific virtual agents that can influence learner's emotions to motivate and encourage him and involve a more cooperative work, particularly in narrative learning environments. Pushing further this paradigm, we will present the advantages and perspectives of subliminal learning which intervenes without conscious perception. Finally, we conclude with new directions to emotional learning. Emotions and LearningLearning involves mainly two processes: reasoning and memorizing. Reasoning is developed during cognitive tasks in which a learner tries to solve a problem using deductions or inductions. If a new knowledge (fact, rule) is obtained then the knowledge will be memorized in long term memory. Memorizing is also triggered when a learner tries to remember a previously acquired element using several means such as similarity, imagery, case-based analysis, etc. The two processes work alternatively and can be considered as a "Cartesian" approach of brain functions. Recent researches in neurosciences, education, and psychology have shown that emotions play an important role in learning. People often separate emotions and reason, believing that emotions are an obstacle in rational decision making or

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