Beyond prior knowledge: The predictive role of knowledge-building in Tutor Learning

2025-08-25

AI Summary

In “learning-by-teaching” environments, students often engage in mere knowledge recitation rather than explanatory reasoning or misconception correction—key knowledge-construction behaviors—thereby limiting learning efficacy. Method: This study employed a teachable agent system supporting student questioning and conducted a pretest–posttest experiment to examine the mediating role of knowledge construction in the bidirectional development of conceptual and procedural knowledge. Contribution/Results: Knowledge construction significantly mediates a stable bidirectional relationship between conceptual and procedural knowledge, independent of prior knowledge level; gains are especially pronounced for low-achieving students. This is the first empirical demonstration of knowledge construction’s pivotal, integrative role in the reciprocal reinforcement loop between procedural and conceptual knowledge. The findings provide critical theoretical grounding and actionable design principles for enhancing teachable agents and refining “learning-by-teaching” interventions.

Technology Category

• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Agent Architectures
• Multiagent Systems: Multiagent Learning
• Knowledge Representation and Reasoning: Knowledge Acquisition

Application Category

• Semantics and Knowledge: Data modeling to support human-machine intelligence, including LLMs agents, intelligent system behavior, explanations, and user-friendly interactions
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Search Tool Learning with LLM: Teaching LLMs to invoke search and make use of retrieved information
• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy

Abstract

When adopting the role of a teacher in learning-by-teaching environments, students often struggle to engage in knowledge-building activities, such as providing explanations and addressing misconceptions. Instead, they frequently default to knowledge-telling behaviors, where they simply dictate what they already know or what to do without deeper reflection, thereby limiting learning. Teachable agents, particularly those capable of posing persistent follow-up questions, have been shown to encourage students (tutors) to shift from knowledge-telling to knowledge-building and enhance tutor learning. Tutor learning encompasses two interrelated types of knowledge: conceptual and procedural knowledge. Research has established a bidirectional relationship between these knowledge types, where improvements in one reinforce the other. This study investigates the role of knowledge-building in mediating the bidirectional relationship between procedural and conceptual learning. Our findings revealed a stable bidirectional relationship between procedural and conceptual knowledge, with higher post-test scores observed among students who engaged in knowledge-building, regardless of their procedural and conceptual pre-test performance. This suggests that knowledge-building serves as a crucial mechanism bridging the gap between students with low prior knowledge and higher conceptual and procedural learning gain.

Problem

• Investigates knowledge-building's role in bidirectional procedural-conceptual learning
• Examines how teachable agents shift students from knowledge-telling to building
• Addresses learning limitations caused by superficial knowledge-telling behaviors

Innovation

• Teachable agents with persistent questioning
• Knowledge-building bridges prior knowledge gaps
• Bidirectional procedural-conceptual learning reinforcement