Evaluating the Impact of Learner Control and Interactivity in Conversational Tutoring Systems for Persuasive Writing

Conversational tutoring systems (CTSs) offer a promising avenue for individualized learning support, especially in domains like persuasive writing. Although these systems have the potential to enhance the learning process, the specific role of learner control and inter- activity within them remains underexplored. This paper introduces WritingTutor, a CTS designed to guide students through the pro- cess of crafting persuasive essays, with a focus on varying levels of learner control. In an experimental study involving 96 students, we evaluated the effects of high-level learner control, encompassing con- tent navigation and interface appearance control, against a benchmark version of WritingTutor without these features and a static, non- interactive tutoring group. Preliminary findings suggest that tutoring and learner control might enhance the learning experience in terms of enjoyment, ease-of-use, and perceived autonomy. However, these differences are not significant after pair-wise comparison and appear not to translate to significant differences in learning outcomes. This research contributes to the understanding of learner control in CTS, offering empirical insights into its influence on the learning experience.