The Target of Pedagogical Machines: A Quest of Mutual Contingency of Human Communication

Abstract

Teaching has been recognized as a fundamental human ability to transmit skills,concepts and cultural knowledge. Recently intriguing evidence has been found in nonhuman animals challenging the assumption that teaching requires complex cognitive abilities. This paper aims to clarify the possibilities of a pedagogical machine- 　an artifact that can help and enhance human learning. To this aim, we re-define acriterion in animal research and extract essential qualifications for the machine that can interact with humans. We also discuss a future research for a machine that can teach.