| Sumario: | Background: Although embodied pedagogical agents are often viewed as an effective strategy for improving multimedia learning, it remains unclear whether they outperform simple signalling methods and through which mechanisms—cognitive, social, or both—they facilitate learning. Objectives: This study compared the effects of five cue‐based instructional strategies (embodied pedagogical agent, hand gesture cue, colour cue, arrow cue and no cue) on learning perception, attention distribution, and learning performance to examine the unique role of embodied pedagogical agents and the mechanisms underlying their effects. Methods: College students learned about neural transmission through a multimedia lesson, supported by embodied pedagogical agents, hand gesture cues, colour cues, arrow cues, or no cues, while their eye movements were recorded. Results and Conclusions: Although the colour cue group showed the highest attention to relevant learning elements, the embodied pedagogical agent group achieved the best learning outcomes, surpassing all other cue groups. Mediation analyses indicated that embodied pedagogical agents not only directly improved learning performance but also indirectly enhanced it by increasing attention to the materials and reducing perceived cognitive load. In addition, the dissociation between attentional guidance and learning outcomes suggests that mechanisms beyond attention may be involved, potentially including social processes. Implications: This study demonstrates the advantage of embodied pedagogical agents over other simple cues and provides a more nuanced understanding of how they influence multimedia learning. These findings extend insights from social agency theory and the signalling principle. Practitioner Notes: What is already known about this topic ○Embodied pedagogical agents are widely considered an effective strategy for enhancing multimedia learning.○Simple cues such as arrows, colour highlights, and hand gestures are commonly used to guide learners' attention in multimedia learning.○It remains unclear whether embodied pedagogical agents outperform simple cueing methods, and through which mechanisms (e.g., attentional or social processes) they influence learning.What this paper adds ○Embodied pedagogical agents, hand gesture cues, and colour cues all effectively guided attention, whereas colour cues directed the greatest attention to relevant information.○The embodied pedagogical agent condition produced the strongest learning outcomes.○Embodied pedagogical agents enhanced learning both directly and indirectly by increasing attention to instructional materials and reducing perceived cognitive load.○The findings reveal a dissociation between attentional guidance and learning outcomes, suggesting that mechanisms beyond attention—potentially including social processes—may contribute to the effectiveness of embodied pedagogical agents.Implications for practice and/or policy ○Educators and instructional designers may benefit from incorporating embodied pedagogical agents into multimedia learning environments.○Simple cues alone may be insufficient to optimise learning outcomes.○Effective multimedia design should integrate both attentional guidance and social engagement to support deeper learning.
|
|---|