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190 Socially Intelligent Agentsroom of the future through the development of intuitive hardware and softwaredesigned to develop collaborative skills, perspective taking and literacy skillsin pupils from 5-8years. This chapter focuses on the UK section of the project.It also builds on the findings of a research project, which looked at the roleof empathy in teacher/pupil relationships. The chapter argues that the qualityof human communication and interaction is central to the ambience in learningenvironments and that high quality empathic design can support that ambience.2. PerspectiveThe work is situated within a broad framework of educational and technologicalresearch into school ethos [14] and teaching and learning research intoempathy [1, 17], self-esteem [16], communication and dialogue [20, 3], priorlearning [2] and effective teaching and learning. Additionally this chapter considerssome recent empirical research into empathy in teaching and learning[5]. ICT can be liberating but needs careful design and evaluation in the humancontexts in which it will be used, allowing humans and ICT to work creativelytogether, maximising the strengths on both sides. One area where technologycan contribute enormously to the problem of time and resources is by the provisionof one to one or small group support [10]. Pupils motivated by the useof technology, by its practical, flexible, and often, exciting potential, are ableto take greater control of their learning. Teachers are freed up by this to take amore facilitative role, devolving responsibility for learning to pupils, as foundin Machado and Paiva’s work in a Portuguese school working with ICT to promotelearning through drama for children aged around 8 years old [13]. Thisplaces them in a more empathic position with pupils, with less need for traditionalteacher domination and control and in a better position to work with andunderstand individuals, thereby modelling an empathic approach which pupilsare likely to imitate. These closer, more equal, more human, relationshipsare likely to promote better assessment practices and through them improvelearning [8]. However the quality and effectiveness of the technology and thetraining of teachers in its use are important factors. An irate teacher, strugglingwith temperamental computers, and/or inappropriate software will findit difficult to model empathy to anyone or encourage it others — so teacherinvolvement in design and training was built into the NIMIS project from theoutset. Intelligent software, which utilises knowledge of teaching and learningand attends to the varying needs of all learners, at the appropriate moment, isnecessary for optimum learning to take place. Software which appreciates thesignificance of the affective elements in teaching and learning and that theseare inseparable from the cognitive aspects [6, 11] is more likely to engage thelearner. Intelligent agents who create a positive atmosphere through affirmationand appropriate feedback to develop language and narrative skills rein-