Empathic pedagogical conversational agents: A systematic literature review
Authors: Ortega‐Ochoa Elvis , Arguedas Marta , Daradoumis Thanasis 
Published: December 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing technologies have fuelled the growth of Pedagogical Conversational Agents (PCAs) with empathic conversational capabilities. However, no systematic literature review has explored the intersection between conversational agents, education and emotion. Therefore, this study aimed to outline the key aspects of designing, implementing and evaluating these agents. The data sources were empirical studies, including peer‐reviewed conference papers and journal articles, and the most recent publications, from the ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, Scopus, SpringerLink, Taylor & Francis Online, Web of Science and Wiley Online Library. The remaining papers underwent a rigorous quality assessment. A filter study meeting the objective was based on keywords. Comparative analysis and synthesis of results were used to handle data and combine study outcomes. Out of 1162 search results, 13 studies were selected. The results indicate that agents promote dialogic learning, proficiency in knowledge domains, personalized feedback and empathic abilities as essential design principles. Most implementations employ a quantitative approach, and two variables are used for evaluation. Feedback types play a vital role in achieving positive results in learning performance and student perceptions. The main limitations and gaps are the time range for literature selection, the level of integration of the empathic field and the lack of a detailed development stage report. Moreover, future directions are the ethical implications of agents operating beyond scheduled learning times and the adoption of Responsible AI principles. In conclusion, this review provides a comprehensive framework of empathic PCAs, mostly in their evaluation. The systematic review registration number is osf.io/3xk6a.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

Emotions play a pivotal role in shaping the interaction process, making it essential to consider them when designing methodological strategies or learning tools.

Empathic Pedagogical Conversational Agents (PCAs) have emerged as a crucial approach for enhancing and personalizing the learning experience (24/7) for pupils and supporting human teachers in their teaching process.

Despite the creation of numerous empathic PCAs, there is a scarcity of Systematic Literature Reviews (SLRs) on their application in the educational field, particularly concerning the integration of emotional abilities in combination with the competencies of each subject.

What this paper adds

It offers new insights into the design principles underlying the integration of the empathic field.

It reviews different approaches for incorporating students' prior knowledge in real time.

It provides a comprehensive and up‐to‐date overview of the research designs used for implementation, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods.

It examines the factors that influence the effectiveness of empathic PCA in teaching and learning.

It evaluates the types of feedback that enhance the impact of the empathic field on learning outcomes.

Implications for practice and/or policy

It is crucial to grasp the topics that this paper introduces in order to effectively integrate new learning tools into any context.

Techno‐pedagogical designers seeking to gain insights into empathic PCAs will find immense value in this SLR, as it comprehensively covers each stage of the process.

For future research endeavours, this study offers a wealth of ideas to draw upon, enabling researchers to address the challenges outlined and explore new avenues of investigation.