Hybrid LLM-Embedded Dialogue Agents for Learner Reflection: Designing Responsive and Theory-Driven Interactions

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Sharma, Paras, Sha, YuePing, Fofang, Janet Shufor Bih Epse, Yan, Brayden, Turner, Jess A., Balay, Nicole, Asare, Hubert O., Stewart, Angela E. B., Walker, Erin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Sharma, Paras
Sha, YuePing
Fofang, Janet Shufor Bih Epse
Yan, Brayden
Turner, Jess A.
Balay, Nicole
Asare, Hubert O.
Stewart, Angela E. B.
Walker, Erin
author_facet Sharma, Paras
Sha, YuePing
Fofang, Janet Shufor Bih Epse
Yan, Brayden
Turner, Jess A.
Balay, Nicole
Asare, Hubert O.
Stewart, Angela E. B.
Walker, Erin
contents Dialogue systems have long supported learner reflections, with theoretically grounded, rule-based designs offering structured scaffolding but often struggling to respond to shifts in engagement. Large Language Models (LLMs), in contrast, can generate context-sensitive responses but are not informed by decades of research on how learning interactions should be structured, raising questions about their alignment with pedagogical theories. This paper presents a hybrid dialogue system that embeds LLM responsiveness within a theory-aligned, rule-based framework to support learner reflections in a culturally responsive robotics summer camp. The rule-based structure grounds dialogue in self-regulated learning theory, while the LLM decides when and how to prompt deeper reflections, responding to evolving conversation context. We analyze themes across dialogues to explore how our hybrid system shaped learner reflections. Our findings indicate that LLM-embedded dialogues supported richer learner reflections on goals and activities, but also introduced challenges due to repetitiveness and misalignment in prompts, reducing engagement.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_20486
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Hybrid LLM-Embedded Dialogue Agents for Learner Reflection: Designing Responsive and Theory-Driven Interactions
Sharma, Paras
Sha, YuePing
Fofang, Janet Shufor Bih Epse
Yan, Brayden
Turner, Jess A.
Balay, Nicole
Asare, Hubert O.
Stewart, Angela E. B.
Walker, Erin
Human-Computer Interaction
Artificial Intelligence
Dialogue systems have long supported learner reflections, with theoretically grounded, rule-based designs offering structured scaffolding but often struggling to respond to shifts in engagement. Large Language Models (LLMs), in contrast, can generate context-sensitive responses but are not informed by decades of research on how learning interactions should be structured, raising questions about their alignment with pedagogical theories. This paper presents a hybrid dialogue system that embeds LLM responsiveness within a theory-aligned, rule-based framework to support learner reflections in a culturally responsive robotics summer camp. The rule-based structure grounds dialogue in self-regulated learning theory, while the LLM decides when and how to prompt deeper reflections, responding to evolving conversation context. We analyze themes across dialogues to explore how our hybrid system shaped learner reflections. Our findings indicate that LLM-embedded dialogues supported richer learner reflections on goals and activities, but also introduced challenges due to repetitiveness and misalignment in prompts, reducing engagement.
title Hybrid LLM-Embedded Dialogue Agents for Learner Reflection: Designing Responsive and Theory-Driven Interactions
topic Human-Computer Interaction
Artificial Intelligence
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.20486