CONVERSATIONS FOR LEARNING: DESIGNING PERSONIFIED HISTORICAL CHATBOTS TO ENHANCE CRITICAL THINKING IN K-12 STUDENTS

Abstract

This study explores the design and implementation of personified historical chatbots for K-12 history education. Traditional history classrooms often emphasize rote memorization and factual recall, limiting opportunities for inquiry, reflection, and student engagement. To address these challenges, we developed persona-based chatbots modeled after historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, and Chanakya. The system integrates large language models (LLMs) with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to provide contextually accurate and persona-aligned responses. Guided by dialogic pedagogy, the chatbots encourage students to ask questions, reflect critically, and engage in meaningful dialogue with historical personas. The findings from the case study of a student interaction with a personified chatbot revealed that the dialogic interactions progressed from factual inquiries to reflective, ethical, and hypothetical questions, highlighting the potential of persona-based chatbots to support curiosity, perspective-taking, and the development of critical thinking skills in history learning.