Off-Task Behavior in Narrative-Centered Learning Environments Jonathan P. ROWE a, 1 , Scott W. MCQUIGGAN b , Jennifer L. ROBISON a , and James C. LESTER a a Department of Computer Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC 27695 b Education Practice, SAS Institute, Inc., Cary NC 27513 Abstract. Recent years have seen increasing interest in narrative-centered learning environments. However, the same qualities that make them engaging can also introduce seductive details that invite off-task behavior. This paper examines off- task behavior in the CRYSTAL ISLAND narrative-centered learning environment. Results from an empirical study examining the relationships between student test performance, individual differences, and off-task behavior are presented. The study found negative correlations between off-task behavior and test performance, as well as significant gender effects on the total amount of off-task behavior. Initial conclusions from a path analysis conducted on students’ action sequences are also presented. Keywords. Game-based learning environments, Narrative-centered learning environments, Off-task behavior 1. Introduction Narrative-centered learning environments (NLEs) have become the subject of increasing attention in the Artificial Intelligence in Education community [1, 2, 3, 4]. By contextualizing learning within narrative settings, NLEs tap into students’ innate facilities for crafting and understanding stories [5, 6], and they take advantage of narratives’ motivating features such as compelling plots, engaging characters, and fantastical settings [7]. NLEs offer significant potential for encouraging active participation in learning, higher-level thinking, and forming connections between narrative and pedagogical content. By embedding technologies from intelligent tutoring systems, embodied conversational agents, and serious games into narrative- centered virtual environments, NLEs offer the promise of adaptive, situated learning experiences that are highly interactive and engaging for students. NLEs are currently under investigation in a range of domains, including language learning [3], anti- bullying education [2], health intervention education [1], and science learning [4]. While narrative-centered learning environments offer several attractive qualities, these same characteristics can invite students to participate in off-task behaviors. Educators have long striven to reduce off-task behavior in classrooms and intelligent tutoring systems [8, 9, 10, 11, 12]. In these settings, student disengagement has 1 Corresponding Author: Jonathan P. Rowe, Department of Computer Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695; E-mail: jprowe@ncsu.edu