From Priming Modalities to Educational AI Chatbot Engagement: A Study of 67 Learners;




Xuan, Trang; Salminen, Joni; Kaate, Ilkka; Ahmed, Farhan; Amin, Danial; Patil, Rajat; Jung, Soon-Gyo; Azem, Jinan Y.; Jansen, Bernard J.

PublisherTaylor & Francis

2026

 International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction

1044-7318

1532-7590

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2026.2654818

https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2026.2654818

https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/526484363



Learner interactions with AI have become crucial in education. A study with sixty-seven learners in a within-subject quasi-experimental study was conducted. Participants were randomly assigned to counterbalance sequences of visual and audio learning materials about wild species, completing a pre-survey, two learning sessions with an educational AI chatbot called Cipherbot and post session experience surveys. This study focused on learner interactions with Cipherbot, specifically (1) how material modalities influenced recall; (2) chatbot engagement through behavioral patterns; (3) material modalities' influence on task completion; and (4) experiential interaction exploring how prior experiences moderated learning behaviors. Interactions were measured using surveys, audio-transcripts, and chatlogs. Results showed learners achieved higher knowledge recall with visual materials. Experienced AI-users interacted significantly less, whereas task-experienced learners interacted more after audio materials. The audio-butterfly sequence showed order effects, with learners spending more time producing more utterances. Chatbot-user guidelines with multiple modalities are recommended to enhance learning experience.




Artificial intelligence applicationsempirical studies for user behaviormultimodal interaction


This research did not receive any specific grants from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.


Last updated on 12/06/2026 01:58:28 PM