Keynote speakers: Rupert Wegerif, Professor of Education, University of Cambridge and Asbjørn Følstad, Senior research scientist at SINTEF
“Edubot adventures in dialogic space” by Rupert Wegerif:
Can Edubots support the sort of educational dialogues which expand student’s minds? He will look at the arguments against this statement and challenge us with stories from the history of edubotics and his own experiences of supporting educational dialogues with technology over thirty years. He will outline what research has to say about the mechanisms by which we learn from educational dialogues with a view to proposing design principles for edubots. The keynote speaker’s particular focus is on the role of edubots in stimulating, widening and deepening the quality of dialogue in online communities of practice.
“Towards successful chatbots? What research can teach us” by Asbjørn Følstad :
Chatbots are increasingly taken up, for a range of purposes. For information and support, for guidance and coaching, and for socialization and relationship formation. Through interactions in natural language, chatbots represent opportunities not provided in other types of user interfaces – as an intuitive and low-threshold means of accessing information and services. At the same time, successful chatbot deployment depends on identifying relevant user cases and providing good user experiences through efficient and engaging interactions. The keynote will discuss opportunities in chatbots, as well challenges, and provide a research-based view on what it takes to make users take up and benefit from this technology. The point of departure is insight on chatbots in general, but this will be linked to how chatbots may be deployed in the education domain.
Overview of the conference program (Timezone CET):
9.30 – 10.00 Online meeting room opens
10.00 -10.15 Welcome session, with consortium leader Lars Willner.
10.15-11.15 Keynote session “Chatbots in education…really?!” with Prof. Rupert Wegerif and Asbjørn Følstad
11.15 -12.00 Deep dive session “Exploring the student journey with chatbot glasses on” with Marita Skjuve
12.00 – 13.00 Lunch break and networking opportunity.
13.00 – 14.00 Chatbots in action, with Jenni Whitfield and JJ Merelo.
14.00 – 15.00 Exploring the role of chatbots in education, with Dr.Wayne Holmes, Myles Blaney and Chris Dixon.
15.00 – 16.00 Understanding chatbots, with Gregor Jarisch & Loizos Michael
16.00 – 16.15 Concluding remarks and end of conference
