Modeling curiosity for virtual learning companions

Curiosity is an emotional motivation that drives knowledge acquisition in learning context. Studies have shown that curiosity positively influences social learning and a peer learner’s curiosity may elicit the curiosity of other learners. Hence, modeling curiosity in learning companions may improve human learners’ learning experience in virtual environments. However, curiosity has not been explored as one key personality trait in existing learning companions. In this paper, we propose a novel model of curiosity for learning companions to capture salient curiosity stimuli based on human psychology. Our model is based on Silvia’s theory and considers three most salient appraisal variables in virtual learning environments, including novelty, surprise, and uncertainty.