Learning by the Intelligent Pedagogical Agents: Can Eye Tracking Improve Attention Performance?

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a persistent condition associated with impairment in educational functioning, professional position, and social relationships (Fabio and Caprì, 2015). The disorder is determined by three basic symptoms: inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity (APA, 2013). The disorder is closely linked to a series of neuropsychological deficits such as executive functions, working memory, and cognitive processes.  Problem-solving is one of the areas in which ADHD students experience problems as a result of deficits in attention and working memory. Although normal developing children may easily learn problem-solving skills; Children with ADHD need help to learn these skills, and instruction must be provided in a controlled manner for this purpose. However, flexible learning environments in terms of content and presentation time can be helpfull to reduce the problems of these children. For example, the Attention of ADHD students can be improved when doing teacher-led homework, instead of independent tasks. However, due to the short range of attention, assignments should be presented in small pieces with just-in-time feedback on how to do it (Brock, Grove & Searls, 2010). Although the presence of a teacher and the provision of guidance can be a positive aspect of face-to-face education, the need to spend special guidance, and personalized instruction according to the needs of these children, requires another solution. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of the intelligent pedagogical agent on complex problem-solving ability and duration of task engagement in students with attention deficit disorder in the e-learning environments.