E-Drama: An Intelligent Interactive Stage for Improvisation

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Making Learning FunE-Drama Project

• On-line dramatic improvisation (role-play) with
  Artificial Intelligence enhancements

John Barnden, University of Birmingham Amanda
Oldroyd, BT Group CTO Jemima Cattel, Hi8us
Midlands Ltd Jonnie Turpie, Maverick TV Ltd
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Presentation Structure

• Introduction
• Benefits of software
• AI developments
• User study feedback
• 3D interfaces
• Insights

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Introduction What is E-drama
In this presentation, e-drama means dramatic
improvisation or role-play where the actors dont
work on a real stage but instead sit at computers
and operate virtual on-screen characters. Actors
type in speeches which are shown in speech
bubbles. There is usually also a director who
sits at another computer.
Usually a loose scenario is specified, such as a
School Bullying scenario, or an educational
scenario (History, Science, etc.)
from a version of the edrama system from Hi8us
already a proven tool
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Seminar Themes Addressed

• Making learning more motivating and fun
• Challenging game-like activities
• Creativity
• Various types of hard-to-reach learner, and shy
  or disaffected learners
• Next-generation e-learning resources

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The Point of E-Drama

• Complements the use of live improvisation in
  learning and creativity.
• It is anonymous and therefore less intimidating,
  and also more motivating
• 92 of school students in recent test found
  edrama less nervous-making
• 81 found it more enjoyable overall
• Beneficial for emotionally difficult topics.

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Plan of Rest of Talk

• Directorial interventions
• Desirability of semi-automating them
• Current developments towards this
• Points from recent user-testing
• More advanced graphics

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Directorial Intervention

• Director can intervene to keep the drama on
  fruitful tracks,
• incl. with regard to expressed emotions.
• Director can send (written) messages to all
  actors or whisper to an individual one.
• Director can introduce a bit-part character such
  as a policeman to stir the action up.

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A Reason for Directorial Intervention

• Emotional and other affective expression is
  inappropriate, excessive or lacking.
• -- Swearing or out-of-character rudeness
• -- Excessive anger or hostility
• -- Lack of expected hostility
• -- Lack of expected embarrassment
• -- Lack of expected concern about someones
  emotional state

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Artificial Intelligence and Human-Language
Processing

• Problem demands on director are substantial.
• Partial automation would be beneficial.
• We are implementing
• automated detection of affect (e.g., emotion),
  hence
• automated directorial interventions, incl.
  introduction of automated affect-sensitive
  bit-part characters
• Will allow more widespread and untrained use.
• Scalability, distributed interaction

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Artificial Intelligence, contd

• The automation is not intended or expected to
  make the overall experience better.
• It would be a good result if it made it not too
  much worse!

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Automated Bit-Part Character

• EmEliza is our first research-prototype program
  for operating an automated affect-sensitive
  bit-part character
• It detects affective aspects of the other
  characters speeches, makes certain types of
  inference, and makes short response speeches.
• Operating in our demo here.

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EmEliza A Bit-part Character Actor
EmElizas characters replies
EmElizas perception of that character
Why not let your mum talk to his parents
I am scared of Mayid. He is a bully.
A LITTLE BIT SCARED
Oh, dear, Please be more brave. Help will be here
soon.
I can't move my legs and it's killing me! boo hoo
cries
VERY SCARED
You look like a real trouble maker.
I am going to hit you.
A LITTLE BIT THREATENING
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User Testing Pilot RunSwanshurst School,
Birmingham, May 2005

• Methodology
• 39 subjects were involved over two days.
• Each of them participated in both of the two
  selected scenarios, namely School Bullying and
  Crohns Disease, with/without EmEliza.
• One Result
• Nobody suspected that (sometimes) one
  bit-part character was computer-operated.

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Some Preliminary User-Testing Results

• When a certain character Dave was played by
  EmEliza
• Little effect on the proportion of (other) actors
  who regarded Dave as being poorly played.
• NB substantial effect on various other measures
  and on actors comments.

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Having EmEliza as Dave, contd.

• Did raise the proportion of actors who got bored
  from 9 to 18 . BUT
• Reduced the proportion of actors saying they
  disliked playing their own character from 24 to
  12.
• Raised the proportion of actors who wanted the
  improv to be longer from 74 to 88.

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Adding 3rd Dimension

• Dealing with sophisticated user groups
• Experience with gaming technologies
• High expectations
• 3d characters and customisation
• 3d virtual environments

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Realtime 3D Rendering

• Virtual world rendering architecture (TARA)
  realtime 3D engine for avatars and backgrounds
• 3D virtual characters with customisation and
  animation libraries

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Expressive Behaviour - Demeanour System

• Generating expressive body language for virtual
  characters in order to create emotionally richer
  on-line experiences
• Behaviour is generated based on a set of
  parameters representing emotion, mood,
  personality etc.
• Customise characters behaviour in advance.

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Automated Behaviour linked to profiles

• Profiles related to the key character types in
  the role-play structure
• Each avatar animates automatically in response to
  other characters
• No user intervention required during role-play

profiles
Antagonist
Friend
Arbitrator
Bit-parts
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Review

• Hi8us edrama is already a proven tool, used by a
  range of users in a range of settings.
• Building on established role-play techniques
  online.
• AI enhancements provide the opportunity to enable
  more widespread and untrained use.
• 3D enhancements build on existing software to
  provide a richer user experience with low
  overhead.

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Benefits of E-Drama from Learner Point of View

• It was really fun and a change from ordinary
  activities to help understand bullying and
  diseases

I preferred using this to having a conversation
face to face because you can almost hide
behind the character
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Benefits of E-Drama from Teacher Point of View

• Releases learner creativity, free from peer
  pressure
• Encourages learner involvement
• Motivates study of the included background
  material
• Low overhead for teachers to become proficient in
  running sessions

Its fun for the teacher too! can be guide,
actor or director
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Seminar Themes Addressed

• Making learning more motivating and fun
• Challenging game-like activities
• Creativity
• Various types of hard-to-reach learner, and shy
  or disaffected learners
• Next-generation e-learning resources

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Thank you

• Questions

http//www.cs.bham.ac.uk/research/projects/edrama/