Pedagogical Agents in Multimedia Learning Environments: Do They Facilitate or Hinder Learning?

What are the reasons for introducing an animated life-like character, referred to as a pedagogical agent, into a multimedia learning environment? On the one hand the definition of pedagogical agents implicitly implies a supportive role of these characters within the learning process (Johnson, Shaw et al., 1998). On the other hand research on pedagogical agents is still in its initial stages. We know little about the conditions under which the integration of pedagogical agents is appropriate and effective. The goal of this study is the differentiated examination of the pedagogical agent's effect on the learner's motivation and the actual learning outcome.

In our study 175 university students worked with a multimedia learning environment on visual perception. In the experimental condition, a pedagogical agent guided the learning process by explaining the individual learning tasks. In the control condition, the same information was provided as on-screen text. The learner's motivation was measured during the learning period and subsequently the learner's performance in retention and transfer tasks was assessed. The results show no differences between the two experimental conditions, neither in motivation nor in retention and transfer tasks. This result is particularly important in light of the immense programming effort required to integrate pedagogical agents. The issue of whether it is reasonable to introduce pedagogical agents will be discussed in this paper.