Life-long pedagogical agents within a ubiquitous educational system

Abstract

The pervasiveness of technology and the permeation of integrated devices within each aspect of our lives will inevitably affect the evolution of technology-enhanced education as academia struggles to keep abreast of such an inevitable and overwhelming digital wave. The concept of life-long pedagogical agents is not a new one, but now even more than ever the potential and the environment to materialise such educational aides is real and existent. This paper investigates the capacity and prospects of developing these software agents with an intelligent environment that seeks to optimise the academic ecosystem around each individual student. We present a conceptual model of how pedagogical agents can assist and enhance the personal learning process of each unique child from the earliest period of its education and throughout the lifespan of its lifetime. The paper closes with recommendations and future directions of this exhilarating and controversial topical domain that could potentially characterise the future of education as we know it.