Parent-teacher meetings : AI avatars train prospective teachers
In order to authentically practise and reflect on challenging conversations with parents and guardians, PH Zurich is currently developing and evaluating a virtual training course for prospective teachers. Students practise conversations in an AI-supported setting that combines practical exercises with targeted reflection.
PHZH lecturer Martin Berger is in charge of the project and is implementing it as part of the IMMERSE project of the Digitalisation Initiative in collaboration with PHZH lecturers Simone Herzog, Tobias Schifferle and Marcial Koch.
Training with AI avatars
In an initial evaluation in early February, virtual training was tested for the first time by Lower Secondary Education students. They used either virtual reality goggles or their laptop to interact with two AI avatars: a first avatar for simulating realistic conversation and a second coach avatar for a structured debriefing.
The training begins with an introduction by the coach avatar, followed by the conversation simulation and a reflective discussion. The discussions with parents and guardians deal with practical scenarios such as school transition issues, school anxiety or cyberbullying, based on Rosenberg’s non-violent communication approach.
Significant learning gains
Initial results indicate a significant effect on students’ communicative self-efficacy. The training enables participants to practice realistic conversation situations and reduce their insecurities towards such conversations after being exposed to the unfamiliar situations and trying out their approaches. The students appreciated the unpredictable reactions of the AI avatars and the reflection phase, which improved their choice of words. The coach avatar picks up on specific and personal phrases, analyses them and also suggests alternative phrases. The quality of the feedback and the variety of the questions were criticised.
The feedback is now being incorporated into the further development of the prototype, with the aim of integrating the training into professional training for Lower Secondary Education. The next tests with around 80 students will take place in March.
