Design and Development of a Socratic Intelligent Tutoring System: Leveraging Agentic AI for Asynchronous Online Learning

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dc.contributor.authorKayanuma, Bryce Platten
dc.contributor.committeechairLockee, Barbara B.en
dc.contributor.committeechairHolmes, Glen A.en
dc.contributor.committeememberJohnson, Alicia Leinaalaen
dc.contributor.committeememberScales, Glenda R.en
dc.contributor.departmentEducation, Vocational-Technicalen
dc.date.accessioned2025-06-17T08:01:08Zen
dc.date.available2025-06-17T08:01:08Zen
dc.date.issued2025-06-16en
dc.description.abstractgeneralImagine having a personal tutor available anytime who asks thoughtful questions to help you gauge how well you understand ideas you are studying in class, without telling you the answers. This research developed and tested an artificial intelligence system called "Gadfly" that does exactly that. The tool uses the Socratic method, an ancient teaching approach where learning happens through questioning rather than lecturing, to have a conversation with the student in a casual text-based exchange. The study was based in a longstanding educational challenge: how to give students the benefits of one-on-one tutoring when there aren't enough human tutors available. The tutor was designed to work in online courses where students and teachers aren't online at the same time, creating meaningful learning conversations that ideally could promote critical thinking. When seven education and technology experts tested the system, they found it particularly good at asking open-ended questions, maintaining logical conversations, and being easy to use. They suggested improvements around helping students connect ideas to real-world situations and presenting different viewpoints on complex topics. This research shows that modern AI technology can effectively implement time-tested teaching methods in online environments. While not meant to replace human teachers, systems like Gadfly could provide valuable opportunities for students to check their understanding and practice critical thinking at their own pace, potentially making quality educational experiences accessible to many more learners.en
dc.description.degreeDoctor of Philosophyen
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.othervt_gsexam:43039en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10919/135529en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/en
dc.subjectSocratic methoden
dc.subjectArtificial Intelligenceen
dc.subjectPersonalized Instructionen
dc.subjectGenerative AIen
dc.subjectIntelligent Tutoring Systemen
dc.titleDesign and Development of a Socratic Intelligent Tutoring System: Leveraging Agentic AI for Asynchronous Online Learningen
dc.typeDissertationen
thesis.degree.disciplineCurriculum and Instructionen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.leveldoctoralen
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophyen

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