The rapid expansion of online education has made academic programs moreaccessible, overcoming geographical and physical barriers. However, this learning formatfaces significant challenges, particularly in maintaining student engagement byaddressing their emotional and academic needs.
Brazil is a country facing rapid growth in online education. According to INEP'sHigher Education Map (2023), Brazil saw a 19.4% increase in online programs from 2020to 2021, yet this was accompanied by a concerning dropout rate of 55.5%. Poorinteraction with instructors was cited as a key factor by 63% of students who left theirprograms. In the online environment, the traditional classroom is replaced by a videoscreen, where teachers attempt to engage with students and assess their emotions andacademic needs. However, the ability of instructors to respond effectively is oftendiminished, as crucial emotional cues—such as facial expressions, body language, andtone of voice—are harder to perceive in this setting. This raises a critical question: howcan emotional expressions be accurately recognized in an online learning environment?
The challenge is the quality of teacher-student interaction, with poor emotionalengagement. This case study aims to examine the role of Empathic AI within the digitallearning environment, focusing on how distributed cognitive processes betweenindividuals and technology shape the emotional and relationship dynamics of teachingand learning. The key focus is on the teacher’s responsiveness—how effectively teachersadjust their approach based on students' feedback and needs—enhancing personalconnection and engagement. As digital education continues to evolve, understandingthese interactions and how technology as Empathic AI is essential for addressingstudents’ emotional needs and improving the overall educational experience.
The central question of this study is whether a teacher's responsiveness to students'emotional and academic needs can be enhanced through feedback from Empathic AI tool,which analyzes attentiveness based on a Computational Approach to Emotion (Cowen &Keltner, 2021).
Rethinking the digital space to promote inclusion through the design ofmeaningful and enriched learning experiences, while reframing the relationship between teachers and students with the support of technology, is essential for the future evolutionof online education.