GPTalk: LLM-based virtual companions for metacognitive growth in self-regulated e-learning

Abstract

Although students need to self-monitor and manage their learning process for effective metacognition, it can be particularly challenging in solitary e-learning environments that rely on pre-recorded videos. Unlike interactive e-learning or physical classrooms, typical e-learning environments prevent students from interacting with their teachers and peers, thereby hindering metacognitive support. To address this challenge, we introduce GPTalk, a system designed to support students' learning experiences by facilitating interactions with LLM-based virtual com panions. Through interviews with students and teachers, we identified design recommendations and implemented them in GPTalk. A user study involving 32 high-school students demonstrated that, compared to a baseline sys tem, GPTalk fostered richer metacognitive engagement and self-regulated learning processes during video-based study (e.g., more monitoring questions and in-situ reflections), while short-term content understanding accuracy remained comparable across conditions. Overall, our findings suggest that students' interactions with a virtual teacher and peer can support key aspects of their metacognition and self-regulated e-learning processes.