Scratchchat : a block-based chatbot tutoring framework for computational thinking skill development in kids | |
| Author | Wanlipa Thongsuntia |
| Subject(s) | Scratch (Computer program language) Computer programming-Study and teaching (Primary) |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Computer Science |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Chatbots are one of the recently emerging technologies that have become popular and have been applied in various domains including e-business, finance, healthcare and education. In the education domain, chatbots are employed to assist students in learning. However, there exist none or few chatbot applications that was designed to support young learners or students in primary schools. One of the main reasons is because the present chatbot interactions require typing and are considered difficult for kids to communicate. In addition, developing a tutoring chatbot application demands technical skills and can be difficult for school teachers to create ones. To fill such gaps, this thesis proposes and develops a chatbot tutoring framework with new user interface using block-based interaction for helping young learners in learning. In other words, students can make a conversation with chatbots easily by dragging and dropping blocks and does not need to type. In addition, the framework enables teachers to create their classroom chatbots by themselves without having chatbot development skills. Based on the developed framework, we have conducted a preliminary experiment with teachers and students in primary level to use the system and to gather their feedbacks. Most students enjoyed learning with a block-based chatbot when compared to other types of interactions. They were engaged and motivated to learn with chatbots. Furthermore, teachers agreed that a block-based chatbot, having a similar user interface to block-based programming, could further support students to develop their computational thinking skills. |
| Year | 2020 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Information and Communications Technologies (DICT) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Computer Science (CS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Chutiporn Anutariya; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Dailey, Matthew N.;Chaklam Silpasuwanchai; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | His Majesty the King’s Scholarships (Thailand); |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2020 |