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Learning is facilitated by conversational interactions both with human tutors and with computer agents that simulate human tutoring and ideal pedagogical strategies. In this article, we describe some intelligent tutoring systems (e.g., AutoTutor) in which agents interact with students in natural language while being sensitive to their cognitive and emotional states. These systems include one-on-one tutorial dialogues, conversational trialogues in which two agents (a tutor and a "peer") interact with a human student, and other conversational ensembles in which agents take on different roles. Tutorial conversations with agents have also been incorporated into educational games. These learning environments have been developed for different populations (elementary through high school students, college students, adults with reading difficulties) and different subjects spanning science, technology, engineering, mathematics, reading, writing, and reasoning. This article identifies some of the conversation patterns that are implemented in the dialogues and trialogues. [This article was published in "Current Directions in Psychological Science," v23 n5 p374-380 Oct 2014.]

1Boy Crusoe

By Allan Eric

Also published as" A Yankee Crusoe" . A 15 year old hard working and studious farm boy finds the lure of adventure on the seas as a merchant seaman more than he can resist. This is his story. " I was born in a little town in the State of Maine, near the close of the Civil War. My boyhood life did not differ materially from that of the average farmer's son in the remote country districts of New England--except, perhaps, that I read more and thought more. Hard work on the rugged soil, two terms each year in the little yellow country schoolhouse, a day's fishing now and then filled the early years of my life full to over-flowing. " What he gets is enough excitement and adventure to overflow his wildest dreams. How he experiences disaster and uses his wits and knowledge to overcome every problem makes for a great read. - Summary by Phil Chenevert