Teaching learning strategies with a pedagogical agent: The effects of a virtual tutor and its appearance on learning and motivation

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Teaching learning strategies with a pedagogical agent: The effects of a virtual tutor and its appearance on learning and motivation. / Sträfling, Nicole; Fleischer, Ivonne; Polzer, Christin et al.
In: Journal of Media Psychology, Vol. 22, No. 2, 2010, p. 73-83.

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@article{5deeed2a8a0d45cca34d817b696c9b53,
title = "Teaching learning strategies with a pedagogical agent: The effects of a virtual tutor and its appearance on learning and motivation",
abstract = "Numerous studies have tested the effects of pedagogical agents on learning and the influence of their specific appearance. What has not been analyzed, however, is whether an agent can have indirect effects when it is employed as a tutor for learning strategies rather than directly teaching the relevant learning material. In a between-subjects design (N= 45) we compared two different kinds of pedagogical agents - a cartoon-like rabbit and a realistic anthropomorphic agent - with a control group that was not tutored by an animated agent but was informed by voice only. Results showed no clear advantages for the agents compared to voice-based tutoring with regard to indirect learning effects, but they did demonstrate that the appearance of the agent matters. The rabbit-like agent was not only preferred, but people exposed themselves longer to the tutoring session when the rabbit provided feedback.",
keywords = "E-learning, Pedagogical agents, Physical appearance, Self-regulated learning, Psychology",
author = "Nicole Str{\"a}fling and Ivonne Fleischer and Christin Polzer and Detlev Leutner and Kr{\"a}mer, {Nicole C.}",
year = "2010",
doi = "10.1027/1864-1105/a000010",
language = "English",
volume = "22",
pages = "73--83",
journal = "Journal of Media Psychology",
issn = "1864-1105",
publisher = "Hogrefe Publishing Inc.",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Teaching learning strategies with a pedagogical agent

T2 - The effects of a virtual tutor and its appearance on learning and motivation

AU - Sträfling, Nicole

AU - Fleischer, Ivonne

AU - Polzer, Christin

AU - Leutner, Detlev

AU - Krämer, Nicole C.

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - Numerous studies have tested the effects of pedagogical agents on learning and the influence of their specific appearance. What has not been analyzed, however, is whether an agent can have indirect effects when it is employed as a tutor for learning strategies rather than directly teaching the relevant learning material. In a between-subjects design (N= 45) we compared two different kinds of pedagogical agents - a cartoon-like rabbit and a realistic anthropomorphic agent - with a control group that was not tutored by an animated agent but was informed by voice only. Results showed no clear advantages for the agents compared to voice-based tutoring with regard to indirect learning effects, but they did demonstrate that the appearance of the agent matters. The rabbit-like agent was not only preferred, but people exposed themselves longer to the tutoring session when the rabbit provided feedback.

AB - Numerous studies have tested the effects of pedagogical agents on learning and the influence of their specific appearance. What has not been analyzed, however, is whether an agent can have indirect effects when it is employed as a tutor for learning strategies rather than directly teaching the relevant learning material. In a between-subjects design (N= 45) we compared two different kinds of pedagogical agents - a cartoon-like rabbit and a realistic anthropomorphic agent - with a control group that was not tutored by an animated agent but was informed by voice only. Results showed no clear advantages for the agents compared to voice-based tutoring with regard to indirect learning effects, but they did demonstrate that the appearance of the agent matters. The rabbit-like agent was not only preferred, but people exposed themselves longer to the tutoring session when the rabbit provided feedback.

KW - E-learning

KW - Pedagogical agents

KW - Physical appearance

KW - Self-regulated learning

KW - Psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78649287944&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1027/1864-1105/a000010

DO - 10.1027/1864-1105/a000010

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:78649287944

VL - 22

SP - 73

EP - 83

JO - Journal of Media Psychology

JF - Journal of Media Psychology

SN - 1864-1105

IS - 2

ER -