Tag: Learning

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Teaching and Learning with GPTs

In the spring semester of 2024, Prof Dr Oliver Bendel integrated virtual tutors into his teaching. These were ‘custom versions of ChatGPT’, so-called GPTs. Social Robotics Girl was available for the elective modules on social robotics, created in November 2023, and Digital Ethics Girl from February 2024 for the compulsory modules “Ethik und Recht” and ‘Ethics and Law’ within the Wirtschaftsinformatik and Business Information Technology degree programmes (FHNW School of Business) and “Recht und Ethik” within Geomatics (FHNW School of Architecture, Construction and Geomatics). The virtual tutors have the “world knowledge” of GPT-4, but also the specific expertise of the technology philosopher and business information scientist from Zurich. It has been shown that the GPTs can provide certain impulses and loosen up the lessons. They show their particular strength in group work, where students no longer have to consult their lecturer’s books – which is hardly useful when there is a lot of time pressure – but can ask them specific questions. Last but not least, there are opportunities for self-regulated learning. The paper “How Can GenAI Foster Well-being in Self-regulated Learning?” by Stefanie Hauske and Oliver Bendel was published in May 2024 – it was submitted to the AAAI Spring Symposia in December 2023 and presented at Stanford University at the end of March 2024.

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When Alpha Mini Meets Navel

Learntec is the leading e-learning trade fair and conference in Europe. For decades, it has been the meeting place for education managers, HR staff, heads of e-learning institutions, university lecturers, teachers, and all interested parties. It is shaped by experts such as Sünne Eichler and Prof. Dr. Peter A. Henning. In the Future Lab “Social Robots and GPTs” on June 6, 2024 at LEARNTEC, you can interact and communicate with Navel and Alpha Mini. For example, you can make them move their bodies, admire their gestures and facial expressions or have a conversation with them. Both models are state-of-the-art social robots that can be used in a learning context. The three sessions will be introduced by Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel from the FHNW School of Business with his keynote speech “Social robots and GPTs in the learning sector”. The contact persons for the two robots are Claude Toussaint from navel robotics in Munich and Rainer E. Becker from BECKER ROBOTICS in Wuppertal. You will also have the opportunity to communicate with a GPT called Social Robotics Girl, which Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel uses in his teaching.

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Little, Great Teacher

July 14, 2023 was the final presentation of the “Little Teacher” project, in which Alpha Mini plays a leading role. The initiator was Prof. Dr. Oliver Bendel, who has been researching conversational agents and social robots for a quarter of a century. Andrin Allemann contributed to the project as part of his thesis and carried out the implementation. In this application, Alpha Mini is intended for school or learning in a child’s room. It was connected to a tablet or laptop (a Microsoft Surface). It can teach simple learning material on geography and biology with the help of pictures and text on the display, and motivate children through verbal, gestural, and mimic feedback. It is therefore a small teacher with great possibilities. Alpha Mini is a social robot characterized by small size (and thus good transportability) and extensive natural language and motor skills. It is much less expensive than other humanoid robots with comparable capabilities. However, unlike Pepper, it does not have an integrated tablet. The project showed that it is possible to connect different components of a learning environment and to support learning success and learning enjoyment. The project was launched on March 8, 2023. Project completion is August 11, 2023. Until then, minor bugs will be fixed and several tests will be performed. The results will be published in a paper.