The Effect of Pedagogical Agent Persona on Performance, Self-Efficacy, and Attitudes in Adult Learners in an Online Environment

Pedagogical agents, virtual avatars that are often included in online training or educational modules, have been studied in a variety of disciplines to determine the extent to which their inclusion in online or multimedia learning environments may influence both cognitive and affective outcomes in learners. The present study examined the effect of a peer-like pedagogical agent providing motivational messaging in an online English language learning environment to determine if the agent will positively affect college students’ performance, self-efficacy, and attitude in comparison to a control group. All participants studied an online, self-paced English grammar module, either with (treatment version) or without (control version) a peer-like motivating pedagogical agent. The study also sought to determine if learners would perceive the agent as having a distinct persona. The study found no statistically significant difference between the treatment group and the control group on performance, self-efficacy, and attitude. However, for both the treatment group and the control group, student performance and self-efficacy were significantly improved after the online English module. In addition, the participants perceived the agent as having a distinct persona

Using an animated pedagogical agent to support motivation, reflected in task persistence, by delivering formative assessment at classroom level

https://www.ester.ee/record=b5510786*es

Overcoming foreign language anxiety in an emotionally intelligent tutoring system

Learning a foreign language entails cognitive and emotional obstacles. It involves complicated mental processes that affect learning and emotions. Positive emotions such as motivation, encouragement, and satisfaction increase learning achievement, while negative emotions like anxiety, frustration, and confusion may reduce performance. Foreign Language Anxiety (FLA) is a specific type of anxiety accompanying learning a foreign language. It is considered a main impediment that hinders learning, reduces achievements, and diminishes interest in learning. Detecting FLA is the first step toward reducing and eventually overcoming it. Previously, researchers have been detecting FLA using physical measurements and self-reports. Using physical measures is direct and less regulated by the learner, but it is uncomfortable and requires the learner to be in the lab. Employing self-reports is scalable because it is easy to administer in the lab and online. However, it interrupts the learning flow, and people sometimes respond inaccurately. Using sensor-free human behavioral metrics is a scalable and practical measurement because it is feasible online or in class with minimum adjustments. To overcome FLA, researchers have studied the use of robots, games, or intelligent tutoring systems (ITS). Within these technologies, they applied soothing music, difficulty reduction, or storytelling. These methods lessened FLA but had limitations such as distracting the learner, not improving performance, and producing cognitive overload. Using an animated agent that provides motivational supportive feedback could reduce FLA and increase learning. It is necessary to measure FLA effectively with minimal interruption and then successfully reduce it. In the context of an e-learning system, I investigated ways to detect FLA using sensor-free human behavioral metrics. This scalable and practical method allows us to recognize FLA without being obtrusive. To reduce FLA, I studied applying emotionally adaptive feedback that offers motivational supportive feedback by an animated agent

Learning designs incorporating animated pedagogical agents: Their potential for improving academic writing competence, writing self-efficacy, and reducing writing anxiety

Academic writing can be extremely challenging, especially for new university students. This is compounded by the mass-migration of courses to online delivery, which further increases the complexity of acquiring writing skills. Animated pedagogical agents (APAs) have shown promise in addressing these problems, because they simulate authentic face-to-face social interactions thereby potentially increasing student engagement, motivation, and favourable emotions conducive to learning. This study’s first aim was to examine the impact of learning designs employing APAs on novice learners’ academic writing, writing anxiety, and writing self-efficacy. Its second aim was to examine the influence of various delivery options (didactic delivery or scaffolded questioning) with support messages (emotional, motivational or neither) on writing competence, writing anxiety and writing self-efficacy. These aims were achieved in a mixed-method study that included six experimental conditions tested using two multimedia academic writing lessons provided to 106 participants who were new to Australian tertiary studies. Quantitative data were collected immediately before and after the lessons (Phase 1), while qualitative data were obtained by interviews with a subset of participants after Lesson 2 (Phase 2). The impact of the independent variable combinations on the dependent variables were examined quantitatively (General Linear Modelling, t-tests) and qualitatively (thematic analysis). The results demonstrate that completing two academic writing lessons with APAs can increase writing competence and self-efficacy, and reduce writing anxiety. However, no significant differences were found between the support and delivery groups. Despite the lack of significant inter-group differences, more participants from the emotional group reported that their negative emotions were reduced because of the lesson. Also, all the participants in the motivational group reported perceptions of writing improvement as a result of attending the lessons. The overall positive result suggests promising possibilities for writing support delivered online to counter student under preparedness for academic writing

Enhancing the Acquisition and Retention of the Navajo Language using Computer-based Instruction and the Effects of Static Pedagogical Agents and Gamification Practice

abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of static pedagogical agents (included and excluded) and gamification practice (included and excluded) on vocabulary acquisition and perceptions of cognitive load by junior high students who studied Navajo language via computer-based instructional program. A total of 153 students attending a junior high school in the southwestern United States were the participants for this study. Prior to the beginning of the study, students were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups who used a Navajo language computer-based program that contained a combination of static pedagogical agent (included and excluded) and gamification practice (included and excluded). There were two criterion measures in this study, a vocabulary acquisition posttest and a survey designed both to measure students’ attitudes toward the program and to measure cognitive load. Anecdotal observations of students’ interactions were also examined. Results indicated that there were no significant differences in posttest scores among treatment conditions; students were, however, generally successful in learning the Navajo vocabulary terms. Participants also reported positive attitudes toward the Navajo language content and gamification practice and expressed a desire to see additional content and games during activities of this type. These findings provide evidence of the impact that computer-based training may have in teaching students an indigenous second language. Furthermore, students seem to enjoy this type of language learning program. Many also indicated that, while static agent was not mentioned, gamification practice may enhance students’ attitudes in such instruction and is an area for future research. Language learning programs could include a variety of gamification practice activities to assist student to learn new vocabulary. Further research is needed to study motivation and cognitive load in Navajo language computer-based training.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Educational Technology 201

Animated pedagogical agents effects on enhancing student motivation and learning in a science inquiry learning environment

This study focuses on the design and testing of a motivational animated pedagogical agent (APA) in an inquiry learning environment on kinematics. The aim of including the APA was to enhance students’ perceptions of task relevance and self-efficacy. Given the under-representation of girls in science classrooms, special attention was given to designing an APA that would appeal to the female students. A review of the literature suggested that the best design solution would be an agent who was female, young, attractive, and “cool”. An experiment compared three conditions: agent (image and voice), voice (no image), and control (no image and no voice). The research question was whether students’ motivation and knowledge changed over time as they worked in the inquiry learning environment, and whether condition and gender affected such changes. Participants were 61 third-year students (mean age 14.7 years) from a secondary school. Gender was distributed evenly within and across conditions. A significant main effect of time on self-efficacy was found, with self-efficacy beliefs increasing significantly for both boys and girls. In addition, there was a significant interaction between time, condition, and gender for self-efficacy. About halfway during training, girls’ self-efficacy beliefs significantly increased in both experimental conditions and decreased in the control condition. For boys the opposite pattern was found. Girls also gave higher appraisals for the agent. Students in all three conditions realized significant knowledge gains, which did not differ by gender. The discussion critically considers the need for, and design of motivational scaffolding in inquiry learning environment

INTELLIGENT TUTORING SYSTEMS, PEDAGOGICAL AGENT DESIGN, AND HISPANIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

According to the most recent data from the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES) there were approximately 5 million English Language Learners (ELLs) in the U.S. public schools in the Fall of 2016, representing about 10% of the student population (2019). Spanish is the primary language for most ELL students, by a large margin. As a group, ELLs have faced a deeply rooted and persistent math achievement gap (U.S. Department of Education, 2015). Despite research indicating that intelligent tutors and animated pedagogical agents enhance learning, many tutors are not designed with ELLs in mind. As a result, Hispanic ELL students may experience difficulty accessing the relevant content when using a tutor. This mixed-method research investigates how a tutor can reach Hispanic ELL students, based on the social and cultural Identity framework of the Figured Worlds Theory by Holland et al., (1998). Students will socially and culturally engage with their animated pedagogical agents constructing figured worlds of learning and connection that have the power to shape the students’ senses of themselves as learners of math. This study investigates how Hispanic ELL students perceive the utility of and relate to a learning companion (LC) design. Data was examined from 76 middle school students interacting with a math tutor, MathSpring. The findings indicate that ELL students find the MathSpring LC more useful and helpful than do non-ELL students and the ELL students designed LCs that looked more like themselves than did the non-ELL students. The findings also indicate that students formed ‘She/Me Connection’ and ‘She is Like Me’ figured worlds

The Effectiveness of an Internet-Based Career Development Program: The Impact of Matching Animated Agent Ethnic Appearance

abstract: The current study is a follow up to a previous evaluation of Believe It!, an internet-based career development program for adolescent girls. This study attempted to extend the program's effectiveness by manipulating animated agent appearance based on literature suggesting that agent appearance has implications for human-computer program interface. Participants included 52 Latinas (ages 11 to 14) randomly assigned to view one of two versions of the revised career program. Each version contained identical content but included animated agents designed to represent different ethnicities. Pre and post-treatment scores for three career belief measures and an occupational stereotype measure were analyzed using a MANCOVA. The results were not significant and further analyses revealed that the results were confounded by complications with the perceived ethnicity of the animated agents. Despite a lack of significance the results provide enriching information about Latina adolescent perception of ethnicity.Dissertation/ThesisPh.D. Counseling Psychology 201