Multimedia Learning with Animated Pedagogical Agents

In this chapter, I review the theoretical and empirical work on the use of animated pedagogical agents (APAs) in multimedia learning. After defining APAs and reviewing some of the existing applications, I present a cognitive theory of multimedia learning (CTML) from which predictions for APA design are derived. More specifically, I contrast the potential beneficial and detrimental effects for using APAs in interactive multimedia environments. Then, I provide a critical analysis of the literature summarizing what we know about APAs and discuss the implications of this research for instructional design. Finally, I explore future directions for advancing our understanding about the role of APAs in multimedia learning.