# Colin: A Multimodal Human-AI Co-Creation Storytelling System To Support Children's Multi-Level Narrative Skills

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.06495 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.06495/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 10 May 2024.

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Creativity in LLM-based Multi-Agent Systems: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.21116/) (2025)
- [Once Upon an AI: Six Scaffolds for Child-AI Interaction Design, Inspired by Disney](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2504.08670/) (2025)
- [Designing an Adaptive Storytelling Platform to Promote Civic Education in Politically Polarized Learning Environments](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.00161/) (2025)
- [RoboBuddy in the Classroom: Exploring LLM-Powered Social Robots for Storytelling in Learning and Integration Activities](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.16706/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Children develop narrative skills by understanding and actively building connections between elements, image text matching, and consequences. However, it is challenging for children to clearly grasp these multi level links only through explanations of text or the facilitator's speech. To address this, we developed Colin, an interactive storytelling tool that supports children's multi level narrative skills through both voice and visual modalities. In the generation stage, Colin supports the facilitator to define and review the generated text and image content freely. In the understanding stage, a question feedback model helps children understand multi level connections while co creating stories with Colin. In the building phase, Colin actively encourages children to create connections between elements through drawing and speaking. A user study with 20 participants evaluated Colin by measuring children's engagement, understanding of cause and effect relationships, and the quality of their new story creations. Our results demonstrate that Colin significantly enhances the development of children's narrative skills across multiple levels.