Open learning environments (OLEs) assume that learners are good self-regulators. In such environments, learners have a large amount of control and decide on the use of different support devices (i.e. tools). However, research clearly suggests that, because students often do not possess the necessary regulation skills, they cannot decide what tool…

Research provides ample evidence that students rarely or often inadequately use instructional interventions in learning environments. This lack of use becomes especially problematic in open learning environments, where students have a large amount of control over tool use. In this contribution it is studied whether advice on the use of tools can…

The aims of the present studies were to test the generalizability of the modality and dialogue effect to open learning environments, previously found by Moreno and Mayer (e.g., Moreno, Mayer & Lester, 2001) with an agent providing metacognitive support. As an extension, the agent's continuous presence effect on learning was also tested. Three…

Research reveals that in highly structured learning environments pedagogical agents can act as tools to direct students' learning processes by providing content or problem solving guidance. It has not yet been addressed whether pedagogical agents have a similar impact in more open learning environments that aim at fostering students' acquisition…

In this paper, animated pedagogical agents are looked at from an instructional design perspective. A "support-typology" was constructed based on different dimensions on which support can be described and different roles instructional agents can assume. This typology is used to analyze currently available pedagogical agents. This analysis indicates…