CURIOUS CONVERSATIONS 

Due to the strong focus on formal scientific education, there are few opportunities for children to engage in thought-provoking conversations outside of the class. Another way to enhance children’s knowledge of STEM-related topics is through the use of Podcasts. However, they have one flaw - As a one-way medium, they do not provide the opportunities for interaction that can amplify learning. Thus, we are currently developing a conversational agent to enrich children’s science learning by engaging them through two-way discussion. Using animated cartoon characteristics with a storyline would be a great way to promote learning through storytelling. Having interactive feedback mechanisms using voice recognition systems to recognize the child's voices and enable them to communicate with the character for the storyline would be a great way to connect with the child and discuss their interests.