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Virtual Voice Assistants Chapter 2 Library and Educational Use Cases Erin Rivero n a world increasingly powered by machine learning, self-guided classroom reading stations of yesteryear, library and education environments alike share an formerly featuring vinyl record albums, cassette tapes, Iemerging focus on artificial intelligence (AI). With and compact discs of children’s audiobooks. an eye toward cultivating AI literacy and leveraging While the outlook for early learning educational the twenty-first-century boom of voice assistant tech- applications is promising, reported drawbacks to inter- nology, a number of related library and educational active skills such as those of Bamboo Learning include applications have emerged. Such applications span an awkward processing lag and the more potentially all phases of education, from early learning through harmful presence of language bias—errors in detect- higher education institutions and beyond, into the ing correct answers when a skill fails to recognize a realm of lifelong learning. child’s pronunciation or word order.2 In the United States, English language learners or children with speech language deficits are likely to encounter such Commercial Product Applications difficulties more than peers without disabilities or for K–12 Environments whose primary language is English. Thus, educational applications of voice assistant technology should be K–12 classroom and school library environments are used with thoughtful adult supervision to mitigate the rife with promise for AI development in support of risk of disadvantaging children who are likely already learning initiatives. A few potentially useful voice facing marginalization from human interaction. assistant technology applications developed by com- AskMyClass is another emerging commercial ven- May/June 2020 May/June mercial vendors include storytime and related com- dor developing classroom activity–based Alexa skills prehension quizzes to check for understanding and for teachers and students in pre-K through fifth grade. 3 emphasize the reading and listening aspects of liter- Activities include community-building icebreakers, acy development. One such commercial vendor dedi- transitions from low energy to focused attention, cated to the primary school education market is Bam- thought starters for sharing during circle time, and at- boo Learning, whose Highlights Storybooks skill is a desk yoga or meditation exercises.4 While the Teacher alatechsource.org collaboration with the well-established Highlights for and Classroom Helper Alexa skill is free to enable, Children and features animated story narration with users can purchase individual or district-level plans accompanying exercises to support language acqui- to program personalized activities for their unique sition.1 Bamboo Learning’s collection of Alexa skills classroom environment, such as a random, bias-free can serve as self-guided educational activities, supple- student name picker.5 Such activities have the benefit menting traditional teaching and learning. These and of providing educators with exciting and helpful tools other similar learning-oriented Alexa skills could be to support daily classroom routines with minimal risk useful in the elementary school classroom or school of problematic or harmful interaction. library, in public library programming, in home- In the arena of mental health and education psy- Library Technology ReportsLibrary Technology schooling environments, or in after-school enrich- chology, Kickboard is a commercial vendor with edu- ment programs. Such applications are not unlike the cation products and services focused on response to 14 Virtual Voice Assistants Win Shih and Erin Rivero intervention (RTI), positive behavior intervention sup- or place holds on library materials; find an item loca- port (PBIS), social-emotional development, and restor- tion in book stacks; or ask about library hours and ative practices to reduce chronic absenteeism and events.15 Similarly, EBSCO has developed an interface suspension.6 Schools using Kickboard can optionally that allows users to access content from its discovery link to an accompanying Alexa skill offering real-time service via Alexa and Google Home.16 Communico behavior information for families who wish to more offers a suite of library products and can interact with closely monitor their children by engaging in daily Alexa for patron account management.17 Demco has communication with education professionals.7 In this also developed an app for its discovery service that use case, the Kickboard Alexa skill makes it possible lets patrons use Alexa to check library hours and ser- to streamline parent-teacher communication, reducing vices, place holds and renew items, discover and reg- time, paperwork, and the possibility of lost behavioral ister for library events, or reserve meeting rooms.18 records. In turn, families have the opportunity to be Lastly, Ex Libris has a “Hey Primo” feature, which is more involved in their child’s behavioral progress at a voice search assistant allowing users to enter search pivotal developmental moments, toward the mutual terms using their device’s microphone.19 goals of improving performance and decreasing deten- In sum, public, academic, and school libraries tions or suspensions associated with poor achievement. can benefit from engaging with commercial vendor– A mobile version of the free Alexa skill is available for developed voice assistant technology to support, parents or families who do not own an Amazon device. enhance, or complement existing commercial library In addition to the communication advantages for products. the aforementioned use case, proponents of voice assistants in K–12 classrooms also recognize the poten- tial upside of leveraging AI technology to support the Noncommercial Applications to challenge of large class sizes, particularly when the Support Learning and Library Use oft-cited benefits of reduced teacher-student ratios are not feasible.8 Moreover, technology in the classroom is One blueprint for educational success in the twenty- broadly tied to positive learning outcomes; recent data first century is not merely to learn how to navigate from the Center for Public Education underscores the existing structures, but rather to learn how to invent positive association of digital resources in classrooms new structures. As one educational administrator with student achievement in both reading and math.9 noted, “It’s bad for higher education and society at large if most students at universities are content to play within the existing system and lack the skills to Commercial Product Applications challenge it.”20 What if the ubiquitous presence of AI for Libraries and smart speaker technology gives us the opportu- nity to forge new structures rather than merely inhab- Library vendors also recognize the potential of voice iting old or emerging ones? assistant technology for use with commercial product Educators are trying just that. At MIT Media Lab, ReportsLibrary Technology applications geared toward public, academic, or school Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s interdisciplin- library environments. One such vendor is Hoopla Dig- ary research lab is examining the trajectory of technol- ital, whose Alexa skill allows public library patrons ogy creation and adoption, toward the goal of positive to borrow and play audiobooks and full music albums social change. For example, a new middle school cur- using their linked Hoopla account.10 Another public riculum developed through the lab illuminates what’s or school library–oriented application is Beanstack under AI’s hood and how AI can be leveraged for the tracker, an Alexa skill for use with schools or librar- future—teaching and learning efforts that could incor- ies leveraging Beanstack’s data measurement tool for porate voice assistant technology exploration or skill 11 21 reading challenge events. development. What if forward-looking Alexa skill alatechsource.org In terms of public and academic libraries, Libro design could be leveraged to combat problems facing from ConverSight.ai is a versatile voice-based mobile library and education environments, from childhood application option with a smartphone voice product obesity and bullying to fake news in today’s post- for libraries.12 Current customers include Iowa State truth era? In a classroom, experimenting with Alexa and the University of Iowa, whose Alexa skills are could offer lessons in information literacy, such as 13 among the most robust of their peer institutions. fact-finding quests to evaluate the veracity of sources 2020 May/June Companies such as Pellucent are helping library behind answers given by a voice assistant or smart environments build Alexa skills or Google Assistant speaker. Students could learn how to question, verify, actions, including the integration of Libro from Con- or challenge a voice assistant answer by exploring its verSight.ai into existing library systems.14 For exam- source of truth and seeking out supporting or conflict- ple, patrons can use Libro’s Alexa skill to search a ing sources elsewhere. In this vein, a Google Home library catalog for resource availability; recall, renew, device in the library at St. Anne’s-Belfield School in 15 Virtual Voice Assistants Win Shih and Erin Rivero Charlottesville, Virginia, provides ample opportu- Amazon’s Alexa in Education program aims to sup- nity for conversation on internet safety, privacy, and port the education community in enhancing student digital citizenship.22
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