| This research explores design considerations necessary to utilize emergent pedagogical technology in a loosely defined problem domain---creative, collaborative and expansive (CCE) projects. To date, agent-driven technology for education often focuses on rote response and prescribed reaction. This research focuses on technology with situational flexibility.; For CCE educational activity, the process cannot be developed by studying a particular skill and problem set as would be possible in designing technology to teach spelling, music or pronunciation. By definition, the process is less defined, and the technology must adapt to not only the particular problem at hand, the skill set of the professors, students and other publics involved with the project, but other factors such as problem domain, timeline, eventual customers of the design and other factors. The problem is open-ended and major in scope, and the exact role of the pedagogical agent must evolve with the particular situation, which will likely change throughout the process.; The study concludes with the components of a conceptual model for an emergent pedagogical agent. Key to the conceptual model of the emergent pedagogical agent is the term virtual DNA, which refers to the digital artifacts of the participants, environment, project, and related work. The components of the conceptual model include: (1) An environment of touchpoints for virtual DNA. (2) A problem domain developed from virtual DNA. (3) A virtual imprint of all participants, to include: professors, students, clients and other problem-domain experts. The virtual imprint would be developed from verbal and nonverbal data sets. (4) Integration of digital information from the web with appropriate self-generating algorithms. (5) Collective problem solving with recursive solutions. The emergent pedagogical agent developed as a result of this model would have the advantages of portability, shelf life and speed. |
