The Effect of Animated Pedagogical Agent Visual Signaling on The Attention of Students in a Multimedia Learning Environment: An Eye-tracking Approach

Recent advances in computer technology, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality technology have enabled instructional designers to create on-screen pedagogical agents in multimedia learning environments. But what is needed is research on how to make pedagogical agents more effective in improving learning at the highest possible level for learners. Therefore, what is currently important in the field of research on animated pedagogical agents is increasing the efficiency of pedagogical agents by using supporting strategies. The important point in the priority of choosing among the types of supporting strategies is to pay attention to the individual differences of learners, which determines the necessity of using different types of strategies. Among the individual differences that can affect the learning and processing of learners and need to be considered by designers in educational design is the difference in the cognitive style of learners considering the importance of individual differences in the design of educational content; also, considering the importance of visual attention in the process of receiving and processing educational content, the present research was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of visual signaling by the animated pedagogical agent on the attention of students with field-dependent cognitive style in a multimedia learning environment.

The current study was applied research and a single-subject quasi-experimental design, and A-B-A design with follow-up was used in it. First, grouped embedded figure test (GEFT) was conducted and three students with field-dependent cognitive style who had the conditions to participate in the experiment were selected. Then, in the baseline stage, the participants were exposed to English grammar training during 8 sessions using multimedia with animated pedagogical agent, and the eye tracking data of the participants were collected at the same time. Afterwards, the participants were exposed to English grammar training for 8 sessions in the test stage using multimedia with animated pedagogical agent along with visual signaling and the desired data were collected according to the previous phase. The stage of returning to the baseline was also done for 8 sessions, like the baseline stage. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used for data analysis using SPSS software and visual chart analysis.

The findings of the research showed that, with the addition of visual signaling to the animated pedagogical agent, the attention of the learner with field-dependent cognitive style increased to the educational content (F=42.09, p=0.001). Also, the examination of the visual diagrams in the present study showed, the back and forth of the learners' attention between the content and the pedagogical agent in the intervention situation was effective and targeted.

Considering the positive effect of accompanying visual signaling with animated pedagogical agent on the attention of learners with a field-dependent cognitive style, the design of educational multimedia together with animated pedagogical agent with visual signaling can be used as useful educational content for learners with this cognitive style. Also, considering the positive effect of simultaneous visual signaling with verbal and non-verbal cues of the pedagogical agent, on the targeting of the selection process, in learners with cognitive style dependent on the field, it is recommended to use the sum of verbal and non-verbal cues of the pedagogical agent in the design and compilation of multimedia educational contents.