Computational Intelligence - May 2013 - 51

the same is provided in Section II. Berlyne [17] identified
date, over 500 students in Singapore and over 300 students in
four factors, viz., novelty, uncertainty, conflict and complexity,
Australia have played VS. During the field studies of Virtual
that can stimulate curiosity and determine the stimulation
Singapura, several issues with learning in VLE have been
level. Wundt [18] postulated an inverted U-shape relationship
observed. First, students tend to spend more time exploring
between stimulation level and the arousal of three curiosthe landscape of the virtual world rather than concentrating
ity-related emotions: boredom, curiosity and anxion the learning content. Second, some low-funcety. This relationship demonstrates that
tioning students studying alone in VLE often
too little stimulation results in boredom,
get confused or stuck, and require constant
too much stimulation results in anxiety
guidance from teachers or game designAbstract-Existing Virtual
and only optimal stimulation can
ers to move forward.
Learning Environments (VLE)
have two major issues: (1) students
result in curiosity.
Based on these observations, we
tend to spend more time playing than
Based on these psychological
propose a virtual peer learner to
learning and (2) low-functioning students
background,
curiosity appraisal
reside in VLE and accompany stuoften face difficulty progressing smoothly. To
for
the
proposed
virtual peer
dents in learning. The idea is
address these issues, we propose a virtual peer
learner is modeled as a twoderived from the common edulearner, which is guided by the educational theory
of peer learning. To create a human-like, naturally
step process: (1) determinacational practice of peer learnbehaving virtual peer learner, we build a computational
tion of stimulation level and
ing, where students learn with
model of curiosity for the agent based on human psy(2) mapping from the
and from each other without
chology. Three curiosity-related emotions, namely boredeter mined stimulation
the immediate intervention
dom, curiosity and anxiety, are considered. The appraisal of
level to the corresponding
of a teacher [9]. Benefits of a
these emotions is modeled as a two-step process: determination of stimulation level and mapping from the stimulaemotions. In the decisionpeer learner include: a peer
tion level to emotions. The first step is modeled based on
making system of the
learner can present "learning
Berlyne's theory, by considering three factors that contribvirtual peer learner, curiostriggers", that are interactions
ute to the arousal of curiosity: novelty, conflict and comity-related emotions act as
or experiences causing stuplexity. The second step is modeled based on Wundt's theintrinsic rewards and infludents to try new things or to
ory, by dividing the spectrum of stimulation level into
three aforementioned emotion regions. Emotions
ence the agent's action
think in novel ways; bi-direcderived from the appraisal process serve as intrinsic
strengths. In order to demtional peer relationships can
rewards for agent's behavior learning and influence
onstrate the effectiveness of
facilitate professional and perthe effectiveness of knowledge acquisition. Empiricuriosity-related
emotions, we
sonal growth; and tapping into a
cal results indicate curiosity-related emotions can
simulate virtual peer learners in
learner's own experience can be
drive a virtual peer learner to learn a strategy
similar to what we expect from human stuVS and conduct two sets of
both affirming and motivating
dents. A virtual peer learner with curiosexper iment. The first set of
[10]. Hence, a virtual peer learner
ity exhibits higher desire for exploraexperiment shows that curiosityhas the potential to engage students
tion and achieves higher learning
related
emotions can drive the virtual
and motivate them to spend more time
efficiency than one withpeer learner to learn a natural behavior
on the learning content. Also, a virtual
out curiosity.
strategy similar to what we expect from
peer learner can potentially help low-funchuman students. The second set of experiment
tioning students to think and learn better in VLE.
shows that a curious peer learner exhibits higher
In order to design a virtual peer learner that can
level of exploration breadth and depth than a non-curious
emulate a real student and behave naturally in the learning propeer learner.
cess, we believe a psychologically inspired approach is necessary.
The rest of the paper is organized as follows: Section II
In human psychology, studies have shown that curiosity is an
presents the psychological background for this research.
important motivation that links cues reflecting novelty and
Section III provides a short review on existing curiosity
challenge with natural behavior such as exploration, investigamodeling systems. Subsequently, in Section IV, we state
tion and learning [11]. In Reiss's [12] 16 basic desires that
the key differences between our approach and the existing
motivate our actions and shape our personalities, curiosity is
curiosity modeling systems. Next, we present the prodefined as "the need to learn." Attempts to incorporate curiosposed curious peer learner in Section V. Section VI disity into Artificial Intelligence find curious machines have
cusses the experimental process and the results obtained.
advanced behavior in exploration, autonomous development,
Finally, the major conclusions and future works are sumcreativity and adaptation [13]-[16]. However, as a basic desire
marized in Section VII.
that motivates human active learning [12], the role of curiosity
in a virtual peer learner is relatively unexplored.
In this work, we study the role of curiosity in simulating
II. Psychological Background
human-like behavior for virtual peer learners. To model the
In psychology, a major surge of study on curiosity began in
appraisal process of curiosity, we get inspirations from psy1960s. Loewenstein [19] divided theories on curiosity into
chological theories on human curiosity. A short review on
three categories: incongruity theory, competence theory and

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