Virtual Tutees

The term virtual tutees refers to computer characters that humans (the actual learners) teach in a virtual environment. As Robert P. Taylor noted 30 years ago, the benefits of using a computer as a tutee are that (a) the computer tutee is patient, and (b) human tutors must learn what they teach the tutee. Because learning is required before a student can teach, virtual tutees have been used to enhance student engagement in learning tasks. This entry reviews the emergence of computer-simulated teachable agents and the development of the Virtual Tutee System. The entry also examines the roots of the teachable agent approach in peer tutoring and its theoretical foundations in role theory and self-determination theory. The entry concludes with a look at directions for ...