A Theoretical Framework of Curiosity in Small Group Learning

Abstract Curiosity is a vital socio-emotional skill in educational contexts. Yet, little is known about how social factors influence curiosity in small group learning. We argue that curiosity is evoked not only through individual, but also interpersonal activities in group learning. We are developing what we believe to be the first theoretical framework that articulates an integrated psychological and social infrastructure of curiosity based on literature spanning psychology, learning sciences and group dynamics, and empirical observation of small group science learning across different learning environments. The goal is to lay a foundation for a computational model of curiosity that is capable of guiding the design of learning technology, to recognize and evoke curiosity in small group learning.

Introduction Contemporary pedagogy shows that, in order to be effective, science education must not only teach students scientific facts and principles, but also enable them to create new facts and discover principles, enjoy engaging in scientific processes, and develop intrinsic interests and confidence in working scientifically [1]. Curiosity is essential in science learning as it motivates students to explore and produce knowledge by assuming the role of a scientist. Unfortunately, curiosity is often de-emphasized in traditional teacher-led classes where students are held to the role of knowledge consumer rather than independent and self-motivated groups of knowledge seekers and creators.

Curiosity has traditionally been described as an inherently individual and stable disposition toward seeking novelty and approaching unfamiliarity [2]. Other research also suggests that curiosity can be mediated by and fostered through social interactions with parents, teachers and other children [3]. Yet, there is still lack of understanding of social factors that influence curiosity. To address this research question, we develop a theoretical framework of curiosity that helps us understand how curiosity is evoked and reinforced in social context. This framework makes a tripartite distinction between observable behaviors, their individual and interpersonal functions and

Tanmay Sinha Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA tanmays@cs.cmu.edu Zhen Bai Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA zhenb@cs.cmu.edu

Justine Cassell Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA justine@cs.cmu.edu

corresponding strategies to support those functions. We have conducted observational research across different learning contexts to find ways in which children may naturally express curiosity and evoke curiosity in one another in small group learning (Figure 1). Using a combination of manual and automatic annotation procedures, we are analyzing sequential patterns of these observable signs of high and low curiosity across group members. Specifically, we are looking at verbal, non-verbal and group dynamic related behaviors. Ground truth for curiosity has been obtained using thin-slice technique on a crowdsourcing platform, where raters are presented 10-second video segments in randomized order to provide a rating for curiosity level.

Based on results from these investigations and existing research from psychology, learning sciences and group dynamics, we have articulated a theoretical model of curiosity in small group science learning, and how it can be fostered by tabletop games. We are currently looking into longitudinal latent variable modeling approaches to verify our proposed integrated psychological and social infrastructure of curiosity, and exploring how this theoretical framework can inform the design of intelligent virtual peer, which has demonstrated special capacity in supporting both learning and collaborative skills for young children [4], for supporting and maintaining scientific curiosity in small group learning.

References 1. Von Stumm, S., Hell, B., & Chamorro-Premuzic, T.

(2011). The hungry mind intellectual curiosity is the third pillar of academic performance. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(6), 574-588.

2. Loewenstein, G. (1994). The psychology of curiosity: A review and reinterpretation. Psychological bulletin, 116(1), 75.

3. Engel, S. (2011). Children’s need to know: Curiosity in schools. Harvard Educational Review, 81(4), 625-645.

4. Cassell, J. (2004). Towards a model of technology and literacy development: Story listening systems. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 25(1), 75-105.

Biography Tanmay Sinha is a doctoral student in the School of Computer Science. He is interested in understanding learning mechanisms across cognitive, social and affective levels, and exploring design space of collaborative learning technologies that can balance task and socio-emotional skill acquisition.

Dr. Zhen Bai is a post-doctoral fellow in the School of Computer Science. She is interested in designing interactive and intelligent interfaces that augment cognitive, emotional and social experiences in a playful, collaborative and accessible way.

Dr. Justine Cassell is Associate Dean of the School of Computer Science, and until recently was Director of the Human-Computer Interaction Institute in the School of Computer Science. Her research focuses on understanding natural forms of communication, and then creating technological tools for those forms of

communication and linguistic expression to flourish in the digital world.

(a)

(b)

(c)

Figure 1: Empirical observation of elementary and middle school students engaged in scientific inquiry activities in (1) the lab (2) science classes in public schools (3) informal learning events.