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M.Sc. Dennis Benner

Research assistant

Telephone: +49 561 804-6092
Email: benner[at]uni-kassel[dot]de

Website: Dennis Benner

Location: Pfannkuchstraße 1
34121 Kassel

Room: ITeG, Room 1250, 1st floor

Consultation Hours: Wed, 13:00-14:00 Registration by email required. Further appointments by arrangement.

Resume

Education

04/2018-12/2019: Study M.Sc. Business Informatics at the University of Göttingen

10/2015-04/2018: Study B.Sc. Business Informatics at the University of Göttingen.

10/2011-10/2015: Studies B.Sc. Biology, specialization Bioinformatics, at the University of Göttingen.

Work experience

01/2020-today: part-time self-employed in the field of internet services and consulting

06/2018-11/2019: IT support Graduate School of Humanities Göttingen (GSGG).

08/2015-11/2019: IT support professorship for economic policy and SME research University of Göttingen

04/2016-03/2018: public relations, content management & event support Professorship of Information Management University of Göttingen

Research Interests

Digitalization, especially implications for society and economy
Persuasive System Design (Gamification + Nudging)

ITeG Doctoral College

Fellow of the doctoral program of the Scientific Center for Information Technology Design at the University of Kassel (starting 7/2020)

Publications

2024[ to top ]

Benner, D.; Schöbel, S.; Janson, A.; & Leimeister, J. M. (2024): Engaging Minds – How Gamified Chatbots can Support and Motivate Learners in Digital Education. In: Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). Waikiki, Hawaii, USA.
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@inproceedings{ls_leimeister, abstract = {Blended and online learning is growing, and self-regulated learning is becoming more relevant. Most often, students struggle with organizing their own learning processes, lose focus or procrastinate. Keeping learners motivated and engaged can be a real challenge. Therefore, we present gamified chatbots as a potential solution. On the one hand, chatbots can provide a more engaging learning experience. On the other hand, gamification can provide motivational incentives to keep learners engaged and motivated. So far, not many studies have elaborated on how gamification can be effectively used to make a chatbot interaction more engaging or improve the learning experience. This study uses an experimental approach to distinguish how a combination of badges and a progress bar can support and motivate learners to stay engaged with their learning activities. We elaborate on the effects of gamified chatbots and support practitioners with guidance on how to design gamified chatbots in education.}, address = {Waikiki, Hawaii, USA}, author = {Benner, Dennis and Schöbel, Sofia and Janson, Andreas and Leimeister, Jan Marco}, booktitle = {Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS)}, keywords = {itegpub}, title = {Engaging Minds – How Gamified Chatbots can Support and Motivate Learners in Digital Education}, year = 2024 }
%0 Conference Paper %1 ls_leimeister %A Benner, Dennis %A Schöbel, Sofia %A Janson, Andreas %A Leimeister, Jan Marco %B Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) %C Waikiki, Hawaii, USA %D 2024 %T Engaging Minds – How Gamified Chatbots can Support and Motivate Learners in Digital Education %U http://pubs.wi-kassel.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/JML_961.pdf %X Blended and online learning is growing, and self-regulated learning is becoming more relevant. Most often, students struggle with organizing their own learning processes, lose focus or procrastinate. Keeping learners motivated and engaged can be a real challenge. Therefore, we present gamified chatbots as a potential solution. On the one hand, chatbots can provide a more engaging learning experience. On the other hand, gamification can provide motivational incentives to keep learners engaged and motivated. So far, not many studies have elaborated on how gamification can be effectively used to make a chatbot interaction more engaging or improve the learning experience. This study uses an experimental approach to distinguish how a combination of badges and a progress bar can support and motivate learners to stay engaged with their learning activities. We elaborate on the effects of gamified chatbots and support practitioners with guidance on how to design gamified chatbots in education. %@ 978-0-9981331-7-1
Weinert, T.; Benner, D.; Dickhaut, E.; Janson, A.; Schöbel, S.; & Leimeister, J. M. (2024): Engaging Students through Interactive Learning Videos in Higher Education: Developing a Creation Process and Design Patterns for Interactive Learning Videos. In: Communications of the AIS (CAIS), Vol. 55, Erscheinungsjahr/Year: 2024. pp. 475–506.
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@article{ls_leimeister, abstract = {The use of learning videos has grown dramatically in the last decades. However, there is also increasing criticism against the use of learning videos concerning the harmful effects on the learning process, such as a decrease in motivation, engagement, and learning success. Although interactive learning videos can be helpful in supporting students' learning process, the design of such videos is still challenging for instructional designers. To overcome these challenges, we follow a Design Science Research (DSR) approach and develop a design pattern-based process to support the development of interactive learning videos. To this end, we engage in multiple DSR cycles where we conduct a systematic literature review, collect practical and theoretical requirements, as well as develop and evaluate our artifact in two cycles. Finally, we codify our results into design patterns and a creation process for interactive learning videos. With our contribution, we make design knowledge for such learning materials accessible by including tangible and applicable practices during our interactive learning video creation process. Our contribution aims to support developers and educators in designing more effective learning videos.}, author = {Weinert, Tim and Benner, Dennis and Dickhaut, Ernestine and Janson, Andreas and Schöbel, Sofia and Leimeister, Jan Marco}, journal = {Communications of the AIS (CAIS)}, keywords = {itegpub}, pages = {475–506}, title = {Engaging Students through Interactive Learning Videos in Higher Education: Developing a Creation Process and Design Patterns for Interactive Learning Videos}, volume = 55, year = 2024 }
%0 Journal Article %1 ls_leimeister %A Weinert, Tim %A Benner, Dennis %A Dickhaut, Ernestine %A Janson, Andreas %A Schöbel, Sofia %A Leimeister, Jan Marco %D 2024 %J Communications of the AIS (CAIS) %P 475–506 %R 10.17705/1CAIS.05519 %T Engaging Students through Interactive Learning Videos in Higher Education: Developing a Creation Process and Design Patterns for Interactive Learning Videos %U http://pubs.wi-kassel.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JML_980.pdf %V 55 %X The use of learning videos has grown dramatically in the last decades. However, there is also increasing criticism against the use of learning videos concerning the harmful effects on the learning process, such as a decrease in motivation, engagement, and learning success. Although interactive learning videos can be helpful in supporting students' learning process, the design of such videos is still challenging for instructional designers. To overcome these challenges, we follow a Design Science Research (DSR) approach and develop a design pattern-based process to support the development of interactive learning videos. To this end, we engage in multiple DSR cycles where we conduct a systematic literature review, collect practical and theoretical requirements, as well as develop and evaluate our artifact in two cycles. Finally, we codify our results into design patterns and a creation process for interactive learning videos. With our contribution, we make design knowledge for such learning materials accessible by including tangible and applicable practices during our interactive learning video creation process. Our contribution aims to support developers and educators in designing more effective learning videos.
Benner, D. (2024): Introducing Generative Feedback to Chatbots in Digital Higher Education. In: International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI). Würzburg, Germany.
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@inproceedings{ls_leimeister, abstract = {The rapid evolution of the educational landscape, accentuated by the rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), calls for a re-evaluation of digital education methodologies to harness new technologies and meet the changing needs of learners. Focusing on the potential of GAI, this study introduces a novel approach called generative feedback and explores its impact on the motivation, learning experience and performance of students in higher education. Therefore, this study presents a prototype that implements a GAI-driven chat using OpenAI’s GPT-4 turbo model to provide feedback to students. Using an overlap�ping study design that combines a longitudinal field study and a two-stage online experiment, this study investigates how generative feedback affects learners. Initial findings suggest that GAI-driven chatbots can provide meaningful feedback to students and enhance their learning experience, setting the stage for further investigation towards a better theoretical understanding of the design and practical application of GAI-driven chatbot feedback.}, address = {Würzburg, Germany}, author = {Benner, Dennis}, booktitle = {International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI)}, keywords = {itegpub}, title = {Introducing Generative Feedback to Chatbots in Digital Higher Education}, year = 2024 }
%0 Conference Paper %1 ls_leimeister %A Benner, Dennis %B International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI) %C Würzburg, Germany %D 2024 %T Introducing Generative Feedback to Chatbots in Digital Higher Education %U http://pubs.wi-kassel.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JML_979.pdf %X The rapid evolution of the educational landscape, accentuated by the rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), calls for a re-evaluation of digital education methodologies to harness new technologies and meet the changing needs of learners. Focusing on the potential of GAI, this study introduces a novel approach called generative feedback and explores its impact on the motivation, learning experience and performance of students in higher education. Therefore, this study presents a prototype that implements a GAI-driven chat using OpenAI’s GPT-4 turbo model to provide feedback to students. Using an overlap�ping study design that combines a longitudinal field study and a two-stage online experiment, this study investigates how generative feedback affects learners. Initial findings suggest that GAI-driven chatbots can provide meaningful feedback to students and enhance their learning experience, setting the stage for further investigation towards a better theoretical understanding of the design and practical application of GAI-driven chatbot feedback.

2023[ to top ]

Benner, D.; & Schöbel, S. (2023): Stay with me - Conversational Churn Prevention in Digital Subscription Service. In: European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS). Kristiansand, Norway.
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@inproceedings{ls_leimeister, abstract = {Lots of organizations use subscription business models. However, with increasing competition and technological progress switching costs for customers are decreasing. This development can translate to serious issues for subscription-based businesses, requiring action. Traditionally, businesses used mailings or calls, which are costly, time-consuming and often not effective. In this research-in-progress paper, we explore conversational churn prevention as a potential remedy. We present a conversational agent with persuasive design features (e.g., nudges) and first results from a pre-study. We conduct an in-between subject experiment and interviews for our mixed-methods evaluation of our pre-study. Our work contributes to theory, by presenting more insights into the interaction quality of conversational agents in the context of churn prevention of digital services and the role of persuasive design. We support practitioners, by guiding them towards more effective use of conversational agents to improve their services and to predict churn.}, address = {Kristiansand, Norway}, author = {Benner, Dennis and Schöbel, Sofia}, booktitle = {European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS)}, keywords = {itegpub}, title = {Stay with me - Conversational Churn Prevention in Digital Subscription Service}, year = 2023 }
%0 Conference Paper %1 ls_leimeister %A Benner, Dennis %A Schöbel, Sofia %B European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) %C Kristiansand, Norway %D 2023 %T Stay with me - Conversational Churn Prevention in Digital Subscription Service %U https://pubs.wi-kassel.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/JML_928.pdf %X Lots of organizations use subscription business models. However, with increasing competition and technological progress switching costs for customers are decreasing. This development can translate to serious issues for subscription-based businesses, requiring action. Traditionally, businesses used mailings or calls, which are costly, time-consuming and often not effective. In this research-in-progress paper, we explore conversational churn prevention as a potential remedy. We present a conversational agent with persuasive design features (e.g., nudges) and first results from a pre-study. We conduct an in-between subject experiment and interviews for our mixed-methods evaluation of our pre-study. Our work contributes to theory, by presenting more insights into the interaction quality of conversational agents in the context of churn prevention of digital services and the role of persuasive design. We support practitioners, by guiding them towards more effective use of conversational agents to improve their services and to predict churn.
Schöbel, S.; Schmitt, A.; Benner, D.; Saqr, M.; Janson, A.; & Leimeister, J. M. (2023): Charting the Evolution and Future of Conversational Agents: A Research Agenda Along Five Waves and New Frontiers. In: Information Systems Frontiers, Vol. 26, Erscheinungsjahr/Year: 2023. pp. 729–754.
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@article{ls_leimeister, abstract = {Conversational agents (CAs) have come a long way from their first appearance in the 1960s to today's generative models. Continuous technological advancements such as statistical computing and large language models allow for an increasingly natural and effortless interaction, as well as domain-agnostic deployment opportunities. Ultimately, this evolution begs multiple questions: How have technical capabilities developed? How is the nature of work changed through humans' interaction with conversational agents? How has research framed dominant perceptions and depictions of such agents? And what is the path forward? To address these questions, we conducted a bibliometric study including over 5000 research articles on CAs. Based on a systematic analysis of keywords, topics, and author networks, we derive "five waves of CA research" that describe the past, present, and potential future of research on CAs. Our results highlight fundamental technical evolutions and theoretical paradigms in CA research. Therefore, we discuss the moderating role of big technologies, and novel technological advancements like OpenAI GPT or BLOOM NLU that mark the next frontier of CA research. We contribute to theory by laying out central research streams in CA research, and offer practical implications by highlighting the design and deployment opportunities of CAs.}, author = {Schöbel, Sofia and Schmitt, Anuschka and Benner, Dennis and Saqr, Mohammed and Janson, Andreas and Leimeister, Jan Marco}, journal = {Information Systems Frontiers}, keywords = {generative_artificial_intelligence}, pages = {729–754}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {Charting the Evolution and Future of Conversational Agents: A Research Agenda Along Five Waves and New Frontiers}, volume = 26, year = 2023 }
%0 Journal Article %1 ls_leimeister %A Schöbel, Sofia %A Schmitt, Anuschka %A Benner, Dennis %A Saqr, Mohammed %A Janson, Andreas %A Leimeister, Jan Marco %D 2023 %I Springer Nature %J Information Systems Frontiers %P 729–754 %R 10.1007/s10796-023-10375-9 %T Charting the Evolution and Future of Conversational Agents: A Research Agenda Along Five Waves and New Frontiers %U http://pubs.wi-kassel.de/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/JML_926.pdf %V 26 %X Conversational agents (CAs) have come a long way from their first appearance in the 1960s to today's generative models. Continuous technological advancements such as statistical computing and large language models allow for an increasingly natural and effortless interaction, as well as domain-agnostic deployment opportunities. Ultimately, this evolution begs multiple questions: How have technical capabilities developed? How is the nature of work changed through humans' interaction with conversational agents? How has research framed dominant perceptions and depictions of such agents? And what is the path forward? To address these questions, we conducted a bibliometric study including over 5000 research articles on CAs. Based on a systematic analysis of keywords, topics, and author networks, we derive "five waves of CA research" that describe the past, present, and potential future of research on CAs. Our results highlight fundamental technical evolutions and theoretical paradigms in CA research. Therefore, we discuss the moderating role of big technologies, and novel technological advancements like OpenAI GPT or BLOOM NLU that mark the next frontier of CA research. We contribute to theory by laying out central research streams in CA research, and offer practical implications by highlighting the design and deployment opportunities of CAs.

2022[ to top ]

Benner, D.; Schöbel, S.; Süess, C.; Baechle, V.; & Janson, A. (2022): Level-Up your Learning - Introducing a Framework for Gamified Educational Conversational Agents. In: International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI).
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@inproceedings{ls_leimeister, abstract = {Driven by circumstances like the global pandemic many learners and educators realize the importance and value of self-regulated digital learning. To better support self-regulated learning, conversational agents have become more relevant. Conversational agents can act as tutor or as learning mate for learners. Although conversational agents have potential to better support self-regulated learning processes, challenges exist requiring implications about how to make these interactions more engaging and supportive. This study discusses the value of gamified conversational learning chatbots that use game elements to engage learners to guide researchers and practitioners to design conversational agents that effectively motivate learners and provide self-regulated learning at the same time. Therefore, we propose a systematically developed framework for gamifying educational conversational agents and contribute to theory by consolidating several theories about games, digital learning, and conversational agents and support practitioners by providing implications about what to care about when gamifying conversational agents.}, author = {Benner, Dennis and Schöbel, Sofia and Süess, Christoph and Baechle, Vera and Janson, Andreas}, booktitle = {International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI)}, keywords = {itegpub}, month = {02}, title = {Level-Up your Learning - Introducing a Framework for Gamified Educational Conversational Agents}, year = 2022 }
%0 Conference Paper %1 ls_leimeister %A Benner, Dennis %A Schöbel, Sofia %A Süess, Christoph %A Baechle, Vera %A Janson, Andreas %B International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI) %D 2022 %T Level-Up your Learning - Introducing a Framework for Gamified Educational Conversational Agents %U https://pubs.wi-kassel.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/JML_856.pdf %X Driven by circumstances like the global pandemic many learners and educators realize the importance and value of self-regulated digital learning. To better support self-regulated learning, conversational agents have become more relevant. Conversational agents can act as tutor or as learning mate for learners. Although conversational agents have potential to better support self-regulated learning processes, challenges exist requiring implications about how to make these interactions more engaging and supportive. This study discusses the value of gamified conversational learning chatbots that use game elements to engage learners to guide researchers and practitioners to design conversational agents that effectively motivate learners and provide self-regulated learning at the same time. Therefore, we propose a systematically developed framework for gamifying educational conversational agents and contribute to theory by consolidating several theories about games, digital learning, and conversational agents and support practitioners by providing implications about what to care about when gamifying conversational agents.
Benner, D.; Janson, A.; & Schöbel, S. (2022): Towards Conversational Co-Creation of Learning Content in Digital Higher Education. In: Pre-ICIS Workshop on HCI Research in MIS. Copenhagen, Denmark.
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@inproceedings{ls_leimeister, abstract = {Today formal education like higher education relies on digital learning content like learning videos or quizzes. Using such online learning material enables students to learn independently from time and place. While improvements have been made, there are still many issues as the two-year long crisis in 2020 has revealed. Many offerings do not consider the learners’ needs and can result in unsuccessful learning. One way to address these short comings is to actively include learners in the creation process of learning content. However, co-creation oftentimes relies on face to face and or group settings that may not be possible for all students at all times. Therefore, we undertake a long-term action design research project to investigate the novel concept of conversational co-creation of learning material using a conversational agent and persuasive design to engage and motivate learners. In this article we present an early-stage prototype and concept of conversational co-creation.}, address = {Copenhagen, Denmark}, author = {Benner, Dennis and Janson, Andreas and Schöbel, Sofia}, booktitle = {Pre-ICIS Workshop on HCI Research in MIS}, keywords = {co-creation}, title = {Towards Conversational Co-Creation of Learning Content in Digital Higher Education}, year = 2022 }
%0 Conference Paper %1 ls_leimeister %A Benner, Dennis %A Janson, Andreas %A Schöbel, Sofia %B Pre-ICIS Workshop on HCI Research in MIS %C Copenhagen, Denmark %D 2022 %T Towards Conversational Co-Creation of Learning Content in Digital Higher Education %U http://pubs.wi-kassel.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/JML_906.pdf %X Today formal education like higher education relies on digital learning content like learning videos or quizzes. Using such online learning material enables students to learn independently from time and place. While improvements have been made, there are still many issues as the two-year long crisis in 2020 has revealed. Many offerings do not consider the learners’ needs and can result in unsuccessful learning. One way to address these short comings is to actively include learners in the creation process of learning content. However, co-creation oftentimes relies on face to face and or group settings that may not be possible for all students at all times. Therefore, we undertake a long-term action design research project to investigate the novel concept of conversational co-creation of learning material using a conversational agent and persuasive design to engage and motivate learners. In this article we present an early-stage prototype and concept of conversational co-creation.
Benner, D.; Schöbel, S.; & Sueess, C. (2022): Towards Gamified Conversational Agents for Self-Regulated Learning in Digital Education. In: International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS). Copenhagen, Denmark.
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@inproceedings{ls_leimeister, abstract = {Formal education like higher education oftentimes emphasized on strict non-digital setting. This approach can lead to issues during stressful times (e.g., Covid crisis) or when learners’ needs in general are not considered. Moreover, these times highlighted how important self-regulated learning is and how much this capability is lacking in our educational system. To address these issues, we follow an Action Design Research approach and develop a gamified conversational agent (CA) that considers the learners’ needs. We present our CA and conduct a first small-scale evaluation following a mixed-method approach. First results show that students universally liked a CA for self-regulated digital learning and many enjoyed the gamified experience which helped students to be motivated to learn. As next steps we will develop the next iteration of our CA and conduct a long-term field test at a university.}, address = {Copenhagen, Denmark}, author = {Benner, Dennis and Schöbel, Sofia and Sueess, Christoph}, booktitle = {International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS)}, keywords = {itegpub}, title = {Towards Gamified Conversational Agents for Self-Regulated Learning in Digital Education}, year = 2022 }
%0 Conference Paper %1 ls_leimeister %A Benner, Dennis %A Schöbel, Sofia %A Sueess, Christoph %B International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) %C Copenhagen, Denmark %D 2022 %T Towards Gamified Conversational Agents for Self-Regulated Learning in Digital Education %U http://pubs.wi-kassel.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/JML_905.pdf %X Formal education like higher education oftentimes emphasized on strict non-digital setting. This approach can lead to issues during stressful times (e.g., Covid crisis) or when learners’ needs in general are not considered. Moreover, these times highlighted how important self-regulated learning is and how much this capability is lacking in our educational system. To address these issues, we follow an Action Design Research approach and develop a gamified conversational agent (CA) that considers the learners’ needs. We present our CA and conduct a first small-scale evaluation following a mixed-method approach. First results show that students universally liked a CA for self-regulated digital learning and many enjoyed the gamified experience which helped students to be motivated to learn. As next steps we will develop the next iteration of our CA and conduct a long-term field test at a university.
Diesterhöft, T. O.; Benner, D.; & Brauer, B. (2022): Introducing Conversational Explanations as a Novel Response Strategy to Data Breach Incidents in Digital Commerce. In: pre-ICIS Workshop on Information Security and Privacy (WISP). Copenhagen, Denmark.
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@inproceedings{ls_leimeister, abstract = {In order to individualize and personalize digital services, an increasing number of e-commerce providers are exploiting abundant amounts of customer information. Alongside these positive effects, an inherent risk of compromise of customer information arises, resulting in data breaches. Compelled by regulations, companies are obliged to notify their customers. Previous literature indicates that different data breach response strategies can mitigate the negative effects of these security incidents. Drawing on data breach and conversational agent (CA) research, we theorize that the manner in which a data breach is communicated is equally relevant. We test our developed hypotheses in an online experiment (n=89). Our results show that explaining a data breach increases customer satisfaction. Simultaneously, we reveal that CAs lend themselves as a tool to positively influence this degree of explanation. Our work provides novel insights into the centrality of explanation in a data breach response and their positive correlation with CAs.}, address = {Copenhagen, Denmark}, author = {Diesterhöft, Till Ole and Benner, Dennis and Brauer, Benjamin}, booktitle = {pre-ICIS Workshop on Information Security and Privacy (WISP)}, keywords = {itegpub}, title = {Introducing Conversational Explanations as a Novel Response Strategy to Data Breach Incidents in Digital Commerce}, year = 2022 }
%0 Conference Paper %1 ls_leimeister %A Diesterhöft, Till Ole %A Benner, Dennis %A Brauer, Benjamin %B pre-ICIS Workshop on Information Security and Privacy (WISP) %C Copenhagen, Denmark %D 2022 %T Introducing Conversational Explanations as a Novel Response Strategy to Data Breach Incidents in Digital Commerce %U https://pubs.wi-kassel.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/JML_911.pdf %X In order to individualize and personalize digital services, an increasing number of e-commerce providers are exploiting abundant amounts of customer information. Alongside these positive effects, an inherent risk of compromise of customer information arises, resulting in data breaches. Compelled by regulations, companies are obliged to notify their customers. Previous literature indicates that different data breach response strategies can mitigate the negative effects of these security incidents. Drawing on data breach and conversational agent (CA) research, we theorize that the manner in which a data breach is communicated is equally relevant. We test our developed hypotheses in an online experiment (n=89). Our results show that explaining a data breach increases customer satisfaction. Simultaneously, we reveal that CAs lend themselves as a tool to positively influence this degree of explanation. Our work provides novel insights into the centrality of explanation in a data breach response and their positive correlation with CAs.
Benner, D.; Schöbel, S.; Janson, A.; & Leimeister, J. M. (2022): How to Achieve Ethical Persuasive Design: A Review and Theoretical Propositions for Information Systems. In: AIS Transactions on Human-Computer Interaction (THCI), Ausgabe/Nummer: 4, Vol. 14, Erscheinungsjahr/Year: 2022. pp. 548–577.
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@article{ls_leimeister, abstract = {Persuasive system design (PSD) is an umbrella term for designs in information systems (IS) that can influence people’s attitude, behavior, or decision making for better or for worse. On the one hand, PSD can improve users’ engagement and motivation to change their attitude, behavior, or decision making in a favorable way, which can help them achieve a desired outcome and, thus, improve their wellbeing. On the other hand, PSD misuse can lead to unethical and undesirable outcomes, such as disclosing unnecessary information or agreeing to terms that do not favor users, which, in turn, can negatively impact their wellbeing. These powerful persuasive designs can involve concepts such as gamification, gamblification, and digital nudging, which all have become prominent in recent years and have been implemented successfully across different sectors, such as education, e-health, e-governance, e-finance, and digital privacy contexts. However, such persuasive influence on individuals raises ethical questions as PSD can impair users’ autonomy or persuade them towards a third party’s goals and, hence, lead to unethical decision-making processes and outcomes. In human-computer interaction, recent advances in artificial intelligence have made this topic particularly significant. These novel technologies allow one to influence the decisions that users make, to gather data, and to profile and persuade users into unethical outcomes. These unethical outcomes can lead to psychological and emotional damage to users. To understand the role that ethics play in persuasive system design, we conducted an exhaustive systematic literature analysis and 20 interviews to overview ethical considerations for persuasive system design. Furthermore, we derive potential propositions for more ethical PSD and shed light on potential research gaps.}, author = {Benner, Dennis and Schöbel, Sofia and Janson, Andreas and Leimeister, Jan Marco}, journal = {AIS Transactions on Human-Computer Interaction (THCI)}, keywords = {Ethical_Design}, number = 4, pages = {548-577}, title = {How to Achieve Ethical Persuasive Design: A Review and Theoretical Propositions for Information Systems}, volume = 14, year = 2022 }
%0 Journal Article %1 ls_leimeister %A Benner, Dennis %A Schöbel, Sofia %A Janson, Andreas %A Leimeister, Jan Marco %D 2022 %J AIS Transactions on Human-Computer Interaction (THCI) %N 4 %P 548-577 %R 10.17705/1thci.00179 %T How to Achieve Ethical Persuasive Design: A Review and Theoretical Propositions for Information Systems %U https://pubs.wi-kassel.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/JML_903.pdf %V 14 %X Persuasive system design (PSD) is an umbrella term for designs in information systems (IS) that can influence people’s attitude, behavior, or decision making for better or for worse. On the one hand, PSD can improve users’ engagement and motivation to change their attitude, behavior, or decision making in a favorable way, which can help them achieve a desired outcome and, thus, improve their wellbeing. On the other hand, PSD misuse can lead to unethical and undesirable outcomes, such as disclosing unnecessary information or agreeing to terms that do not favor users, which, in turn, can negatively impact their wellbeing. These powerful persuasive designs can involve concepts such as gamification, gamblification, and digital nudging, which all have become prominent in recent years and have been implemented successfully across different sectors, such as education, e-health, e-governance, e-finance, and digital privacy contexts. However, such persuasive influence on individuals raises ethical questions as PSD can impair users’ autonomy or persuade them towards a third party’s goals and, hence, lead to unethical decision-making processes and outcomes. In human-computer interaction, recent advances in artificial intelligence have made this topic particularly significant. These novel technologies allow one to influence the decisions that users make, to gather data, and to profile and persuade users into unethical outcomes. These unethical outcomes can lead to psychological and emotional damage to users. To understand the role that ethics play in persuasive system design, we conducted an exhaustive systematic literature analysis and 20 interviews to overview ethical considerations for persuasive system design. Furthermore, we derive potential propositions for more ethical PSD and shed light on potential research gaps.
Benner, D.; Schöbel, S.; Janson, A.; & Leimeister, J. M. (2022): Can you help me scale? A Systematic Analysis of Scaling Capabilities of Conversational Agents for Digital Services. In: International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI).
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@inproceedings{ls_leimeister, abstract = {Today’s servitized and digitalized society has significant implications for the economic system as value creation increasingly shifts towards digital services. Organizations are increasingly relying of artificial intelligence, which enables them to operate with novel technological artifacts like conversational agents (CA). These human-like AI-driven artifacts open new possibilities and channels for service providers to scale up their business even further and to create a business value or even to make processes more efficient. While we witness the results of that each day, we do not fully understand how such CAs can contribute to scaling up a business. Therefore, we conduct an analysis of service research and popular CAs to determine the status quo and highlight opportunities for scaling services with CAs. We contribute to theory by clarifying the meaning of scalability in combination with CAs and support practitioners by providing an overview about how organizations successfully scale their CAs.}, author = {Benner, Dennis and Schöbel, Sofia and Janson, Andreas and Leimeister, Jan Marco}, booktitle = {International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI)}, keywords = {itegpub}, month = {02}, title = {Can you help me scale? A Systematic Analysis of Scaling Capabilities of Conversational Agents for Digital Services}, year = 2022 }
%0 Conference Paper %1 ls_leimeister %A Benner, Dennis %A Schöbel, Sofia %A Janson, Andreas %A Leimeister, Jan Marco %B International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI) %D 2022 %T Can you help me scale? A Systematic Analysis of Scaling Capabilities of Conversational Agents for Digital Services %U https://pubs.wi-kassel.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/JML_862.pdf %X Today’s servitized and digitalized society has significant implications for the economic system as value creation increasingly shifts towards digital services. Organizations are increasingly relying of artificial intelligence, which enables them to operate with novel technological artifacts like conversational agents (CA). These human-like AI-driven artifacts open new possibilities and channels for service providers to scale up their business even further and to create a business value or even to make processes more efficient. While we witness the results of that each day, we do not fully understand how such CAs can contribute to scaling up a business. Therefore, we conduct an analysis of service research and popular CAs to determine the status quo and highlight opportunities for scaling services with CAs. We contribute to theory by clarifying the meaning of scalability in combination with CAs and support practitioners by providing an overview about how organizations successfully scale their CAs.

2021[ to top ]

Benner, D.; Elshan, E.; Schöbel, S.; & Janson, A. (2021): What do you mean? A Review on Recovery Strategies to Overcome Conversational Breakdowns of Conversational Agents. In: International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS).
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@inproceedings{ls_leimeister, abstract = {Since the emergence of conversational agents, this technology has seen continuous development and research. Today, advanced conversational agents are virtually omnipresent in our everyday lives. Albeit the numerous improvements in their conversational capabilities, breakdowns are still a persistent issue. Such breakdowns can result in a very unpleasant experience for users and impair the future success of conversational agents. This issue has been acknowledged by many researchers recently. However, the research on strategies to overcome conversational breakdowns is still inconclusive, and further research is needed. Therefore, we conduct a systematic literature analysis to derive conceptual conversational breakdown recovery strategies from literature and highlight future research avenues to address potential gaps. Thus, we contribute to theory of human-agent interaction by deriving and assessing recovery strategies and suggesting leads for novel recovery strategies.}, author = {Benner, Dennis and Elshan, Edona and Schöbel, Sofia and Janson, Andreas}, booktitle = {International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS)}, keywords = {itegpub}, title = {What do you mean? A Review on Recovery Strategies to Overcome Conversational Breakdowns of Conversational Agents}, year = 2021 }
%0 Conference Paper %1 ls_leimeister %A Benner, Dennis %A Elshan, Edona %A Schöbel, Sofia %A Janson, Andreas %B International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) %D 2021 %T What do you mean? A Review on Recovery Strategies to Overcome Conversational Breakdowns of Conversational Agents %U https://pubs.wi-kassel.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/JML_864.pdf %X Since the emergence of conversational agents, this technology has seen continuous development and research. Today, advanced conversational agents are virtually omnipresent in our everyday lives. Albeit the numerous improvements in their conversational capabilities, breakdowns are still a persistent issue. Such breakdowns can result in a very unpleasant experience for users and impair the future success of conversational agents. This issue has been acknowledged by many researchers recently. However, the research on strategies to overcome conversational breakdowns is still inconclusive, and further research is needed. Therefore, we conduct a systematic literature analysis to derive conceptual conversational breakdown recovery strategies from literature and highlight future research avenues to address potential gaps. Thus, we contribute to theory of human-agent interaction by deriving and assessing recovery strategies and suggesting leads for novel recovery strategies.
Benner, D.; & Schöbel, S. (2021): A Theory-Driven Design Science Research Agenda Towards Gamified Videos. In: International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI). Duisburg-Essen, Germany.
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@inproceedings{ls_leimeister, abstract = {Digitalization has opened new opportunities but also brought new challenges such as lower engagement of students in online training. Especially learning videos need to be changed in their design and structure to make them more engaging for users. So far, overarching design principles are missing that support the development of gamified learning videos. In our research in progress paper we present an overarching approach on how to develop meaningful gamified learning videos. With our design science research approach, we plan to derive design principles and design features from our state-of-the-art design requirements. Additionally, we will conduct a field experiment to put our theoretical contributions to test and gather practical insights. Our research contributes to theory, by clarifying how and why gamified videos can support better learning. In a long run, practical contributions can be given to developers about how to construct gamified learning videos.}, address = {Duisburg-Essen, Germany}, author = {Benner, Dennis and Schöbel, Sofia}, booktitle = {International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI)}, keywords = {itegpub}, month = {03}, title = {A Theory-Driven Design Science Research Agenda Towards Gamified Videos}, year = 2021 }
%0 Conference Paper %1 ls_leimeister %A Benner, Dennis %A Schöbel, Sofia %B International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI) %C Duisburg-Essen, Germany %D 2021 %T A Theory-Driven Design Science Research Agenda Towards Gamified Videos %X Digitalization has opened new opportunities but also brought new challenges such as lower engagement of students in online training. Especially learning videos need to be changed in their design and structure to make them more engaging for users. So far, overarching design principles are missing that support the development of gamified learning videos. In our research in progress paper we present an overarching approach on how to develop meaningful gamified learning videos. With our design science research approach, we plan to derive design principles and design features from our state-of-the-art design requirements. Additionally, we will conduct a field experiment to put our theoretical contributions to test and gather practical insights. Our research contributes to theory, by clarifying how and why gamified videos can support better learning. In a long run, practical contributions can be given to developers about how to construct gamified learning videos.
Benner, D.; Schöbel, S.; & Janson, A. (2021): Exploring the State-of-the-Art of Persuasive Design for Smart Personal Assistants. In: International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI). Duisburg-Essen, Germany.
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@inproceedings{ls_leimeister, abstract = {Driven by technological advances, smart personal assistants (SPA) have gained importance in human-computer interaction. SPAs can influence user behavior and persuade them towards an outcome. However, users often lack motivated to interact with SPAs. One way to support this interaction is persuasive system design; considering concepts as gamification and/or digital nudging. Although SPA research has increased recently, there is still no shared knowledge about persuasive designs. Therefore, we aim to identify the current state-of-the-art for persuasive SPA design to understand how interactions and designs can be improved referring to persuasive system design. Thus, we conduct a systematic literature analysis to represent how gamification and digital nudging are used to design SPAs and conclude if and how those concepts can support SPA interactions. Consequently, we contribute to theory, providing better understanding about SPA interaction and design making SPAs more engaging and entertaining. Practitioners can use this contribution for persuasive SPA designs.}, address = {Duisburg-Essen, Germany}, author = {Benner, Dennis and Schöbel, Sofia and Janson, Andreas}, booktitle = {International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI)}, keywords = {itegpub}, month = {03}, title = {Exploring the State-of-the-Art of Persuasive Design for Smart Personal Assistants}, year = 2021 }
%0 Conference Paper %1 ls_leimeister %A Benner, Dennis %A Schöbel, Sofia %A Janson, Andreas %B International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI) %C Duisburg-Essen, Germany %D 2021 %T Exploring the State-of-the-Art of Persuasive Design for Smart Personal Assistants %U http://pubs.wi-kassel.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/JML_815.pdf %X Driven by technological advances, smart personal assistants (SPA) have gained importance in human-computer interaction. SPAs can influence user behavior and persuade them towards an outcome. However, users often lack motivated to interact with SPAs. One way to support this interaction is persuasive system design; considering concepts as gamification and/or digital nudging. Although SPA research has increased recently, there is still no shared knowledge about persuasive designs. Therefore, we aim to identify the current state-of-the-art for persuasive SPA design to understand how interactions and designs can be improved referring to persuasive system design. Thus, we conduct a systematic literature analysis to represent how gamification and digital nudging are used to design SPAs and conclude if and how those concepts can support SPA interactions. Consequently, we contribute to theory, providing better understanding about SPA interaction and design making SPAs more engaging and entertaining. Practitioners can use this contribution for persuasive SPA designs.
Benner, D.; Schöbel, S.; & Janson, A. (2021): It is only for your own good, or is it? Ethical Considerations for Designing Ethically Conscious Persuasive Information Systems. In: Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS). Montreal, Kanada: Association for Information Systems.
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@inproceedings{ls_leimeister, abstract = {Persuasive designs, including gamification and digital nudging, have become well renowned during the last years and have been implemented successfully across different sectors including education, e-health, e-governance, e-finance and general information systems. In this regard, persuasive design can support desirable changes in attitude and behavior of users in order to achieve their own goals. However, such persuasive influence on individuals raises ethical questions as persuasive designs can impair the autonomy of users or persuade the user towards goals of a third party and hence lead to unethical decision-making processes. In human-computer interaction this is especially significant with the advent of advanced artificial intelligence that can emulate human behavior and thus bring new dynamics into play. Therefore, we conduct a systematic literature analysis with the goal to compile an overview of ethical considerations for persuasive system design, derive potential guidelines for ethical persuasive designs and shed light on potential research gaps.}, address = {Montreal, Kanada}, author = {Benner, Dennis and Schöbel, Sofia and Janson, Andreas}, booktitle = {Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS)}, keywords = {itegpub}, month = {08}, publisher = {Association for Information Systems}, title = {It is only for your own good, or is it? Ethical Considerations for Designing Ethically Conscious Persuasive Information Systems}, year = 2021 }
%0 Conference Paper %1 ls_leimeister %A Benner, Dennis %A Schöbel, Sofia %A Janson, Andreas %B Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) %C Montreal, Kanada %D 2021 %I Association for Information Systems %T It is only for your own good, or is it? Ethical Considerations for Designing Ethically Conscious Persuasive Information Systems %U http://pubs.wi-kassel.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/JML_836.pdf %X Persuasive designs, including gamification and digital nudging, have become well renowned during the last years and have been implemented successfully across different sectors including education, e-health, e-governance, e-finance and general information systems. In this regard, persuasive design can support desirable changes in attitude and behavior of users in order to achieve their own goals. However, such persuasive influence on individuals raises ethical questions as persuasive designs can impair the autonomy of users or persuade the user towards goals of a third party and hence lead to unethical decision-making processes. In human-computer interaction this is especially significant with the advent of advanced artificial intelligence that can emulate human behavior and thus bring new dynamics into play. Therefore, we conduct a systematic literature analysis with the goal to compile an overview of ethical considerations for persuasive system design, derive potential guidelines for ethical persuasive designs and shed light on potential research gaps.
Weinert, T.; Benner, D.; Dickhaut, E.; Janson, A.; Schöbel, S.; & Leimeister, J. M. (2021): Unterstützung digitaler Bildungsprozesse durch interaktive gamifizierte Lernvideos - Wie innovative Lernvideos Motivation und Lernerfolg steigern können. In: HMD Praxis der Wirtschaftsinformatik, Ausgabe/Nummer: 6, Vol. 58, Erscheinungsjahr/Year: 2021. pp. 1483–1503.
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@article{ls_leimeister, abstract = {Digitales Lernen ist ein zentraler Bestandteil der heutigen Bildungslandschaft geworden. Insbesondere Lernvideos haben in den letzten Jahren deutlich an Popularität gewonnen und Plattformen wie YouTube sind heute ein fester Bestandteil von Lernprozessen. Bildungseinrichtungen haben diese Entwicklung erkannt und Lernvideos in ihre Lernsysteme integriert. Allerdings sind die heutigen Lernvideos oft nicht sehr ansprechend, weil es an Gestaltungswissen mangelt, wie Interaktionen und gamifizierte Elemente die Motivation und den Lernerfolg steigern können. Dieser Mangel an Gestaltungswissen führt zu minderwertigen Lernvideos, die den Lernprozess der Lernenden meist nicht in dem Maße unterstützen, wie sie es könnten. Um effektive Lernvideos zu entwickeln, welche die Lernenden adäquat unterstützen, ist handfestes und praktisches Gestaltungswissen für die Lehrenden notwendig. Vor diesem Hintergrund entwickeln wir Entwurfsmuster für interaktive gamifizierte Lernvideos, um Praktiker*innen bei der Erstellung effektiver Lernvideos anzuleiten, die die Motivation und das Engagement von Lernenden zu fördern, welche sie aktiv in ihrem Lernprozess unterstützen zu können. Wir setzen damit zusätzlich die Grundlage für zukünftige Forschung zur Gestaltung effektiver Lernvideos. Dabei folgen wir einem gestaltungsorientierten Forschungsansatz, um die Entwicklung unserer Entwurfsmuster zu systematisieren.}, author = {Weinert, Tim and Benner, Dennis and Dickhaut, Ernestine and Janson, Andreas and Schöbel, Sofia and Leimeister, Jan Marco}, journal = {HMD Praxis der Wirtschaftsinformatik}, keywords = {Lernvideos}, number = 6, pages = {1483–1503}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {Unterstützung digitaler Bildungsprozesse durch interaktive gamifizierte Lernvideos - Wie innovative Lernvideos Motivation und Lernerfolg steigern können}, volume = 58, year = 2021 }
%0 Journal Article %1 ls_leimeister %A Weinert, Tim %A Benner, Dennis %A Dickhaut, Ernestine %A Janson, Andreas %A Schöbel, Sofia %A Leimeister, Jan Marco %D 2021 %I Springer Nature %J HMD Praxis der Wirtschaftsinformatik %N 6 %P 1483–1503 %R 10.1365/s40702-021-00798-w %T Unterstützung digitaler Bildungsprozesse durch interaktive gamifizierte Lernvideos - Wie innovative Lernvideos Motivation und Lernerfolg steigern können %U https://link.springer.com/article/10.1365%2Fs40702-021-00798-w %V 58 %X Digitales Lernen ist ein zentraler Bestandteil der heutigen Bildungslandschaft geworden. Insbesondere Lernvideos haben in den letzten Jahren deutlich an Popularität gewonnen und Plattformen wie YouTube sind heute ein fester Bestandteil von Lernprozessen. Bildungseinrichtungen haben diese Entwicklung erkannt und Lernvideos in ihre Lernsysteme integriert. Allerdings sind die heutigen Lernvideos oft nicht sehr ansprechend, weil es an Gestaltungswissen mangelt, wie Interaktionen und gamifizierte Elemente die Motivation und den Lernerfolg steigern können. Dieser Mangel an Gestaltungswissen führt zu minderwertigen Lernvideos, die den Lernprozess der Lernenden meist nicht in dem Maße unterstützen, wie sie es könnten. Um effektive Lernvideos zu entwickeln, welche die Lernenden adäquat unterstützen, ist handfestes und praktisches Gestaltungswissen für die Lehrenden notwendig. Vor diesem Hintergrund entwickeln wir Entwurfsmuster für interaktive gamifizierte Lernvideos, um Praktiker*innen bei der Erstellung effektiver Lernvideos anzuleiten, die die Motivation und das Engagement von Lernenden zu fördern, welche sie aktiv in ihrem Lernprozess unterstützen zu können. Wir setzen damit zusätzlich die Grundlage für zukünftige Forschung zur Gestaltung effektiver Lernvideos. Dabei folgen wir einem gestaltungsorientierten Forschungsansatz, um die Entwicklung unserer Entwurfsmuster zu systematisieren.