Introducing Alexa for E-learning

E-learning is becoming popular as it provides learners the flexibility, targeted resources across the internet, personalized guidance, and immediate feedback during learning. However, lack of social interaction, an indispensable component in developing some skills, has been a pain point in e-learning. We propose using Alexa, a voice-controlled Intelligent Personal Assistants (IPA), in e-learning to provide in-person practice to achieve some desired learning goals. With Alexa enabled learning experiences, learners are able to practice with other students (one role of Alexa) or receive immediate feedback from teachers (another role of Alexa) in an e-learning environment. We propose a configuration driven conversation engine, which can support instructional designers to create diverse in-person practice opportunities in e-learning. We demonstrate that learning designers can create an Alexa activity with a few configuration steps. We also share results on the effectiveness of an Alexa activity with formative assessment evaluation in real world applications.