{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7151561605","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.04237","title":"Pedagogical Safety in Educational Reinforcement Learning: Formalizing and Detecting Reward Hacking in AI Tutoring Systems","display_name":"Pedagogical Safety in Educational Reinforcement Learning: Formalizing and Detecting Reward Hacking in AI Tutoring Systems","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-04-05","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7151561605","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.04237"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2604.04237","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.04237","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.04237","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5119876253","display_name":"Oluseyi Olukola","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Olukola, Oluseyi","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5102764912","display_name":"Nick Rahimi","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1964-1794"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Rahimi, Nick","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11902","display_name":"Intelligent Tutoring Systems and Adaptive Learning","score":0.9154000282287598,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11902","display_name":"Intelligent Tutoring Systems and Adaptive Learning","score":0.9154000282287598,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11122","display_name":"Online Learning and Analytics","score":0.008500000461935997,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1706","display_name":"Computer Science Applications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10883","display_name":"Ethics and Social Impacts of AI","score":0.006300000008195639,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3311","display_name":"Safety Research"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/reinforcement-learning","display_name":"Reinforcement learning","score":0.7027999758720398},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/hacker","display_name":"Hacker","score":0.616100013256073},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/intersection","display_name":"Intersection (aeronautics)","score":0.5511000156402588},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/cognition","display_name":"Cognition","score":0.4805000126361847},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/enforcement","display_name":"Enforcement","score":0.477400004863739},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/safeguard","display_name":"Safeguard","score":0.4652999937534332},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/action","display_name":"Action (physics)","score":0.4440000057220459},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/proxy","display_name":"Proxy (statistics)","score":0.43160000443458557}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C97541855","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q830687","display_name":"Reinforcement learning","level":2,"score":0.7027999758720398},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C86844869","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2798820","display_name":"Hacker","level":2,"score":0.616100013256073},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6003000140190125},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C64543145","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q162942","display_name":"Intersection (aeronautics)","level":2,"score":0.5511000156402588},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C169900460","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2200417","display_name":"Cognition","level":2,"score":0.4805000126361847},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779777834","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4202277","display_name":"Enforcement","level":2,"score":0.477400004863739},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780771206","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3271761","display_name":"Safeguard","level":2,"score":0.4652999937534332},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780791683","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q846785","display_name":"Action (physics)","level":2,"score":0.4440000057220459},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780148112","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1432581","display_name":"Proxy (statistics)","level":2,"score":0.43160000443458557},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C67203356","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1321905","display_name":"Reinforcement","level":2,"score":0.4302000105381012},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.39559999108314514},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107457646","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q207434","display_name":"Human\u2013computer interaction","level":1,"score":0.38119998574256897},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779336797","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3055492","display_name":"Intelligent tutoring system","level":2,"score":0.367000013589859},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C123657996","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12271","display_name":"Architecture","level":2,"score":0.3515999913215637},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C38652104","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3510521","display_name":"Computer security","level":1,"score":0.32280001044273376},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2775924081","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55608371","display_name":"Control (management)","level":2,"score":0.30390000343322754},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C112972136","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7595718","display_name":"Stability (learning theory)","level":2,"score":0.30239999294281006},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C149810388","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5374873","display_name":"Emulation","level":2,"score":0.2892000079154968},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C74072328","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1142726","display_name":"Intelligent agent","level":2,"score":0.28290000557899475},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C9652623","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q190109","display_name":"Field (mathematics)","level":2,"score":0.2732999920845032},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780262971","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44554","display_name":"Law enforcement","level":2,"score":0.2718000113964081},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777904410","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7397","display_name":"Software","level":2,"score":0.2621999979019165},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C46304622","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q374814","display_name":"Certification","level":2,"score":0.25}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2604.04237","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.04237","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2604.04237","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2604.04237","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/4","score":0.5495461821556091,"display_name":"Quality Education"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Reinforcement":[0],"learning":[1,109],"(RL)":[2],"is":[3],"increasingly":[4],"used":[5],"to":[6,52,127,159,188],"personalize":[7],"instruction":[8],"in":[9,65,131,154,193,198],"intelligent":[10,223],"tutoring":[11,72],"systems,":[12],"yet":[13],"the":[14,46,63,124,155,169,199,206,217],"field":[15],"lacks":[16],"a":[17,28,66,95,136],"formal":[18],"framework":[19,64],"for":[20,34],"defining":[21],"and":[22,41,44,58,80,142,222],"evaluating":[23],"pedagogical":[24,32,209],"safety.":[25],"We":[26,61],"introduce":[27],"four-layer":[29],"model":[30],"of":[31,69,219],"safety":[33,43,167,210,221],"educational":[35,194,224],"RL":[36],"comprising":[37],"structural,":[38],"progress,":[39],"behavioral,":[40],"alignment":[42],"propose":[45],"Reward":[47],"Hacking":[48],"Severity":[49],"Index":[50],"(RHSI)":[51],"quantify":[53],"misalignment":[54],"between":[55],"proxy":[56],"rewards":[57],"genuine":[59],"learning.":[60],"evaluate":[62],"controlled":[67],"simulation":[68],"an":[70,90,212],"AI":[71,220],"environment":[73,201],"with":[74,98],"120":[75],"sessions":[76],"across":[77],"four":[78],"conditions":[79],"three":[81],"learner":[82],"profiles,":[83],"totaling":[84],"18{,}000":[85],"interactions.":[86],"Results":[87],"show":[88],"that":[89,165,181],"engagement-optimized":[91],"agent":[92,125],"systematically":[93],"over-selected":[94],"high-engagement":[96],"action":[97,176],"no":[99],"direct":[100],"mastery":[101],"gain,":[102],"producing":[103],"strong":[104],"measured":[105],"performance":[106],"but":[107,118],"limited":[108],"progress.":[110],"A":[111],"multi-objective":[112,157],"reward":[113,148,182],"formulation":[114],"reduced":[115,147],"this":[116],"problem":[117,215],"did":[119],"not":[120],"eliminate":[121],"it,":[122],"as":[123,211],"continued":[126],"favor":[128],"proxy-rewarding":[129],"behavior":[130,192],"many":[132],"states.":[133],"In":[134],"contrast,":[135],"constrained":[137],"architecture":[138],"combining":[139],"prerequisite":[140],"enforcement":[141],"minimum":[143],"cognitive":[144],"demand":[145],"substantially":[146],"hacking,":[149],"lowering":[150],"RHSI":[151],"from":[152],"0.317":[153],"unconstrained":[156],"condition":[158],"0.102.":[160],"Ablation":[161],"results":[162],"further":[163],"suggest":[164,180],"behavioral":[166],"was":[168],"most":[170],"influential":[171],"safeguard":[172],"against":[173],"repetitive":[174],"low-value":[175],"selection.":[177],"These":[178],"findings":[179],"design":[183],"alone":[184],"may":[185],"be":[186],"insufficient":[187],"ensure":[189],"pedagogically":[190],"aligned":[191],"RL,":[195],"at":[196,216],"least":[197],"simulated":[200],"studied":[202],"here.":[203],"More":[204],"broadly,":[205],"paper":[207],"positions":[208],"important":[213],"research":[214],"intersection":[218],"systems.":[225]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-28T07:46:37.118299","created_date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00"}
