LUNCH TALK: Beyond Chatbots: Immersive Educational Experiences with Embodied Conversational Agents

This presentation examines the groundbreaking role of Embodied Conversational Agents (ECAs) in educational technology. By combining natural language processing with human-like interactions, ECAs offer a highly personalized and engaging approach to education. These agents stand out by using verbal and non-verbal communication—such as gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice—to simulate immersive, human-like conversations that enhance learning experiences.

The discussion will emphasize the technical implementation of ECAs, including their integration with advanced Large Language Models (LLMs). These models enable ECAs to adapt dynamically to user inputs, assessing interests, skills, and aspirations to deliver customized educational guidance. Key technical aspects, such as designing multimodal interactions and incorporating explainability features, will also be covered.

Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how ECAs can transform educational applications by fostering trust, increasing student engagement, and making learning more accessible and effective through cutting-edge AI technologies.