ERIC Number: EJ1167852
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1550-1876
EISSN: N/A
A Study of the Effects of Teaching Avatars on Students' Learning of Surveying Mathematics
Adamo-Villani, Nicoletta; Dib, Hazar Nicholas
International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education, v12 n2 Article 1 p1-13 2016
The paper reports a research study aimed at investigating the appeal and pedagogical efficacy of animated teaching avatars. Specifically, the goal of the study was to determine whether animated characters could be effective and engaging teachers in the context of undergraduate surveying mathematics. The study included two forms of evaluation: formative and summative. Findings from the formative evaluation with forty-four undergraduate students show that three animated lectures delivered by a teaching avatar that speaks, gestures and points to a virtual board were perceived as engaging and useful for learning surveying mathematics concepts and procedures. Results of the summative evaluation with fifty-two undergraduate students show that watching the animated avatar lectures led to an increase in subjects' mathematical competence by 31%. The study also compared the animated avatar lectures to interactive 2D visualizations illustrating equivalent surveying math concepts. Findings show that watching the teaching avatar lectures led to significantly higher learning gains.
Descriptors: Mathematics Instruction, Undergraduate Students, Computer Simulation, Animation, Mathematical Concepts, Formative Evaluation, Summative Evaluation, Mixed Methods Research, Comparative Analysis, Pretests Posttests, Educational Technology, Lecture Method, Quasiexperimental Design, Student Surveys
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Indiana
Grant or Contract Numbers: 1140514