Immersive Learning in History Education: Exploring the Capabilities of Virtual Avatars and Large Language Models

Alexander Steinmaurer*, Andreas Dengel, Mario Comanici, Josef Buchner, Josef Memminger, Christian Gütl

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference paperpeer-review

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel approach to K-12 history education through the development, implementation, and evaluation of “Artificial Legacy in Virtual Environments” (ALiVE), an immersive chatbot powered by a Large Language Model (LLM). ALiVE simulates interactive conversations with historical figures such as Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Napoleon, and other lesser-known individuals, utilizing various historical sources, including speeches, letters, and diary entries. This innovation addresses the pressing need for engaging educational tools that effectively incorporate historical accuracy and contextual information. ALiVE enhances learning by enabling students to engage in fictional dialogues with these figures, represented as animated NPCs. The system also includes a text-to-voice function that mimics the real-life voices of historical figures, further enriching the user experience. Our evaluation comprises two studies: a system evaluation that assesses the correctness and relevance of the system’s responses using various metrics and an educational evaluation in which history teachers assess the system’s affordances, challenges, and potential for additional functionality. The combined results from these evaluations demonstrate the educational value and feasibility of using immersive virtual environments and LLM-based chatbots in history education, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges. We also present the first heuristic model for Immersive History Education with LLMs (iHELLM), which integrates the role of historical sources and contexts in enhancing both physical and virtual learning environments. Future directions focus on improving educational scenarios for deeper curricular integration and developing more immersive interactions with virtual avatars to significantly enhance both the quality of and engagement in historical education.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationImmersive Learning Research Network - 10th International Conference on Immersive Learning, iLRN 2024, Revised Selected Papers
EditorsJule M. Krüger, Daniela Pedrosa, Dennis Beck, Marie-Luce Bourguet, Andreas Dengel, Rami Ghannam, Alan Miller, Anasol Peña-Rios, Jonathon Richter
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages363-374
Number of pages12
ISBN (Print)9783031804748
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Feb 2025
Event10th International Conference on Immersive Learning, iLRN 2024 - Glasgow, United Kingdom
Duration: 10 Jun 202413 Jun 2024

Publication series

NameCommunications in Computer and Information Science
Volume2271 CCIS
ISSN (Print)1865-0929
ISSN (Electronic)1865-0937

Conference

Conference10th International Conference on Immersive Learning, iLRN 2024
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityGlasgow
Period10/06/2413/06/24

Keywords

  • History Education
  • Immersive Learning
  • Large-language Models

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Computer Science
  • General Mathematics

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