mlsanityData to 14 Oct 2026

EduAgent: Generative Student Agents in Learning

arXiv 2404.07963 ↗First posted 23 Mar 2024cs.CY cs.AI cs.CLcited by 42

On the map: LLM agents and tool use → Educational agents and math problem solving

Abstract (arXiv)

Student simulation in online education is important to address dynamic learning behaviors of students with diverse backgrounds. Existing simulation models based on deep learning usually need massive training data, lacking prior knowledge in educational contexts. Large language models (LLMs) may contain such prior knowledge since they are pre-trained from a large corpus. However, because student behaviors are dynamic and multifaceted with individual differences, directly prompting LLMs is not robust nor accurate enough to capture fine-grained interactions among diverse student personas, learning behaviors, and learning outcomes. This work tackles this problem by presenting a newly annotated fine-grained large-scale dataset and proposing EduAgent, a novel generative agent framework incorporating cognitive prior knowledge (i.e., theoretical findings revealed in cognitive science) to guide LLMs to first reason correlations among various behaviors and then make simulations. Our two experiments show that EduAgent could not only mimic and predict learning behaviors of real students but also generate realistic learning behaviors of virtual students without real data.

Key facts. Cited by 42 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Placed in Educational agents and math problem solving, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use. Builds on 24 of its 82 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 23 Mar 2024.

Builds on

24 of 82 references.

Closest ancestors · 1

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2023CGMI: Configurable General Multi-Agent Interaction Framework24 Aug

Other references · 23

  1. 2022Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Modelscited by 12,459
  2. 2023Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behaviorcited by 3,568
  3. 2023CAMEL: Communicative Agents for "Mind" Exploration of Large Language Model Societycited by 1,395
  4. 2022WebShop: Towards Scalable Real-World Web Interaction with Grounded Language Agentscited by 1,251
  5. 2023Mind2Web: Towards a Generalist Agent for the Webcited by 1,242
  6. 2023AgentVerse: Facilitating Multi-Agent Collaboration and Exploring Emergent Behaviorscited by 598
  7. 2022Using Large Language Models to Simulate Multiple Humans and Replicate Human Subject Studiescited by 515
  8. 2015Deep Knowledge Tracingcited by 332
  9. 2023S3: Social-network Simulation System with Large Language Model-Empowered Agentscited by 233
  10. 2023SwiftSage: A Generative Agent with Fast and Slow Thinking for Complex Interactive Taskscited by 168
  11. 2019EKT: Exercise-aware Knowledge Tracing for Student Performance Predictioncited by 109
  12. 2019EdNet: A Large-Scale Hierarchical Dataset in Educationcited by 108
11 more
  1. 2023On Generative Agents in Recommendationcited by 90
  2. 2023MindAgent: Emergent Gaming Interactioncited by 88
  3. 2018Prediction and Localization of Student Engagement in the Wildcited by 33
  4. 2019Cognitive Model Priors for Predicting Human Decisionscited by 25
  5. 2018Deep Knowledge Tracing and Dynamic Student Classification for Knowledge Tracingcited by 23
  6. 2023A large language model-assisted education tool to provide feedback on open-ended responsescited by 22
  7. 2021Results and Insights from Diagnostic Questions: The NeurIPS 2020 Education Challengecited by 18
  8. 2023Leveraging generative artificial intelligence to simulate student learning behaviorcited by 16
  9. 2023Lending Interaction Wings to Recommender Systems with Conversational Agentscited by 6
  10. 2023The Use of Multiple Conversational Agent Interlocutors in Learningcited by 2
  11. 2023Peer attention enhances student learningcited by 1

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Cited by year (2026 to 14 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2024: 2; 2025: 24; 2026: 16.

42 papers.

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  1. 2025LLM Agents for Education: Advances and Applicationscited by 59
  2. 2026A Survey of Agent Memory in the Second Half: Towards Self-Evolving and Long-Horizon Agentscited by 44
  3. 2024MathVC: An LLM-Simulated Multi-Character Virtual Classroom for Mathematics Educationcited by 37
  4. 2025Agent4Edu: Generating Learner Response Data by Generative Agents for Intelligent Education Systemscited by 32
  5. 2024TeachTune: Reviewing Pedagogical Agents Against Diverse Student Profiles with Simulated Studentscited by 25
  6. 2025LLM-Powered AI Agent Systems and Their Applications in Industrycited by 22
  7. 2025EduPlanner: LLM-Based Multi-Agent Systems for Customized and Intelligent Instructional Designcited by 18
  8. 2025Classroom Simulacra: Building Contextual Student Generative Agents in Online Education for Learning Behavioral Simulationcited by 15
  9. 2025RTBAgent: A LLM-based Agent System for Real-Time Biddingcited by 14
  10. 2026Toward Personalized LLM-Powered Agents: Foundations, Evaluation, and Future Directionscited by 14
  11. 2025Evolution of AI in Education: Agentic Workflowscited by 13
  12. 2025Knowledge is Power: Harnessing Large Language Models for Enhanced Cognitive Diagnosiscited by 10
30 more
  1. 2025Towards Robust Evaluation of STEM Education: Leveraging MLLMs in Project-Based Learningcited by 7
  2. 2025FACET: Teacher-Centred LLM-Based Multi-Agent Systems-Towards Personalized Educational Worksheetscited by 7
  3. 2025From EduVisBench to EduVisAgent: A Benchmark and Multi-Agent Framework for Reasoning-Driven Pedagogical Visualizationcited by 5
  4. 2025LeechHijack: Covert Computational Resource Exploitation in Intelligent Agent Systemscited by 5
  5. 2025CoderAgent: Simulating Student Behavior for Personalized Programming Learning with Large Language Modelscited by 4
  6. 2026Beyond End-to-End Video Models: An LLM-Based Multi-Agent System for Educational Video Generationcited by 4
  7. 2025Mix-Ecom: Towards Mixed-Type E-Commerce Dialogues with Complex Domain Rulescited by 3
  8. 2025Teaching According to Students' Aptitude: Personalized Mathematics Tutoring via Persona-, Memory-, and Forgetting-Aware LLMscited by 3
  9. 2025Empowering Real-World: A Survey on the Technology, Practice, and Evaluation of LLM-driven Industry Agentscited by 2
  10. 2025AgentTutor: Empowering Personalized Learning with Multi-Turn Interactive Teaching in Intelligent Education Systemscited by 2
  11. 2026Edu-Theater: A Data-Efficient Agent Framework for Scalable Learner Behavior Simulation through Staging Roll-Callcited by 2
  12. 2025From Motion Signals to Insights: A Unified Framework for Student Behavior Analysis and Feedback in Physical Education Classescited by 1
  13. 2025InqEduAgent: Adaptive AI Learning Partners with Gaussian Process Augmentationcited by 1
  14. 2026IB-GRPO: Aligning LLM-based Learning Path Recommendation with Educational Objectives via Indicator-Based Group Relative Policy Optimizationcited by 1
  15. 2026GuideAI: A Real-time Personalized Learning Solution with Adaptive Interventionscited by 1
  16. 2026BEAGLE: Behavior-Enforced Agent for Grounded Learner Emulationcited by 1
  17. 2026A Scoping Review of Large Language Model-Based Pedagogical Agentscited by 1
  18. 2025AgentSME for Simulating Diverse Communication Modes in Smart Educationcited by 0
  19. 2025Agentic Workflow for Education: Concepts and Applicationscited by 0
  20. 2025ExpertAgent: Enhancing Personalized Education through Dynamic Planning and Retrieval-Augmented Long-Chain Reasoningcited by 0
  21. 2025Student Development Agent: Risk-free Simulation for Evaluating AIED Innovationscited by 0
  22. 2025DebugTA: An LLM-Based Agent for Simplifying Debugging and Teaching in Programming Educationcited by 0
  23. 2026KGCE: Knowledge-Augmented Dual-Graph Evaluator for Cross-Platform Educational Agent Benchmarking with Multimodal Language Modelscited by 0
  24. 2026ALIGNAgent: Adaptive Learner Intelligence for Gap Identification and Next-step guidancecited by 0
  25. 2026TeachingCoach: A Fine-Tuned Scaffolding Chatbot for Instructional Guidance to Instructorscited by 0
  26. 2026Embedding Enhancement via Fine-Tuned Language Models for Learner-Item Cognitive Modelingcited by 0
  27. 2026CogEvolution: A Human-like Generative Educational Agent to Simulate Student's Cognitive Evolutioncited by 0
  28. 2026"Act Like a 5th Grader" is Not Enough: Bounding Knowledge in LLM-Based User Simulatorscited by 0
  29. 2026From Learner Behavior to Reusable Skills for Effective and Efficient Learner Simulationcited by 0
  30. 2026TutorLoop: Regulating Student Learning Behaviors via Sensor-in-the-Loop Generative Feedbackcited by 0

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2025Simulating Students with Large Language Models: A Review of Architecture, Mechanisms, and Role Modelling in Education with Generative AI
  2. 2025Simulating Human-Like Learning Dynamics with LLM-Empowered Agents
  3. 2025Embracing Imperfection: Simulating Students with Diverse Cognitive Levels Using LLM-based Agents
  4. 2026AgentSchool: An LLM-Powered Multi-Agent Simulation for Education
  5. 2024When LLMs Learn to be Students: The SOEI Framework for Modeling and Evaluating Virtual Student Agents in Educational Interaction
  6. 2026Personality-Driven Student Agent-Based Modeling in Mathematics Education: How Well Do Student Agents Align with Human Learners?
  7. 2025EduPersona: Benchmarking Subjective Ability Boundaries of Virtual Student Agents
  8. 2026EduMirror: Modeling Educational Social Dynamics with Value-driven Multi-agent Simulation