@inproceedings{fang-etal-2026-persona,
title = "How Persona and Message Type in Conversation Initiation Influence Learners' Experience with Educational Chatbots",
author = "Fang, Jingchao and
Zhu, Qingxiaoyang and
Wang, Hao-Chuan",
editor = "Atwell, Katherine and
Borah, Angana and
Dementieva, Daryna and
Kreiss, Elisa and
Kotonya, Neema and
Liu, Jiarui and
Olson, Liz and
Wan, Ruyuan and
Zhao, Jieyu",
booktitle = "Proceedings of the Fifth Workshop on {NLP} for Positive Impact ({NLP}4{PI})",
month = oct,
year = "2026",
address = "Budapest, Hungary",
publisher = "Association for Computational Linguistics",
url = "https://aclanthology.org/2026.nlp4pi-1.21/",
pages = "232--248",
ISBN = "979-8-89176-495-8",
abstract = "Video-based learning is widely adopted among online learners, but it often lacks interactivity and fails to engage learners. Advances in large language models (LLM) show promise in enabling role-playing characters as learning companion chatbots for interactive learning. While much research has focused on LLM-powered chatbots for question-answering or responding, fewer studies have explored their role as proactive conversation initiators and prompt learners to think and reflect. How do different styles of chatbots' conversation initiation influence learners' video-based learning experience? Through controlled empirical studies with learners ($N=65$), we find that learning companion chatbot{'}s \textit{personas} and \textit{message styles} influence learners' perceptions, reactions, and overall learning experiences. Our findings provide key insights for designing engaging, effective education chatbots."
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<abstract>Video-based learning is widely adopted among online learners, but it often lacks interactivity and fails to engage learners. Advances in large language models (LLM) show promise in enabling role-playing characters as learning companion chatbots for interactive learning. While much research has focused on LLM-powered chatbots for question-answering or responding, fewer studies have explored their role as proactive conversation initiators and prompt learners to think and reflect. How do different styles of chatbots’ conversation initiation influence learners’ video-based learning experience? Through controlled empirical studies with learners (N=65), we find that learning companion chatbot’s personas and message styles influence learners’ perceptions, reactions, and overall learning experiences. Our findings provide key insights for designing engaging, effective education chatbots.</abstract>
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%0 Conference Proceedings
%T How Persona and Message Type in Conversation Initiation Influence Learners’ Experience with Educational Chatbots
%A Fang, Jingchao
%A Zhu, Qingxiaoyang
%A Wang, Hao-Chuan
%Y Atwell, Katherine
%Y Borah, Angana
%Y Dementieva, Daryna
%Y Kreiss, Elisa
%Y Kotonya, Neema
%Y Liu, Jiarui
%Y Olson, Liz
%Y Wan, Ruyuan
%Y Zhao, Jieyu
%S Proceedings of the Fifth Workshop on NLP for Positive Impact (NLP4PI)
%D 2026
%8 October
%I Association for Computational Linguistics
%C Budapest, Hungary
%@ 979-8-89176-495-8
%F fang-etal-2026-persona
%X Video-based learning is widely adopted among online learners, but it often lacks interactivity and fails to engage learners. Advances in large language models (LLM) show promise in enabling role-playing characters as learning companion chatbots for interactive learning. While much research has focused on LLM-powered chatbots for question-answering or responding, fewer studies have explored their role as proactive conversation initiators and prompt learners to think and reflect. How do different styles of chatbots’ conversation initiation influence learners’ video-based learning experience? Through controlled empirical studies with learners (N=65), we find that learning companion chatbot’s personas and message styles influence learners’ perceptions, reactions, and overall learning experiences. Our findings provide key insights for designing engaging, effective education chatbots.
%U https://aclanthology.org/2026.nlp4pi-1.21/
%P 232-248
Markdown (Informal)
[How Persona and Message Type in Conversation Initiation Influence Learners’ Experience with Educational Chatbots](https://aclanthology.org/2026.nlp4pi-1.21/) (Fang et al., NLP4PI 2026)
ACL