Do 3D Pedagogical Agents Help Students Learn Science?

This systematic review investigates the effects of 3D pedagogical agents on learning scientific materials. A comprehensive search of the literature produced 576 research abstracts. After applying pre-determined inclusion criteria, fifteen studies compared the use of 3D pedagogical agents with a non-agent control condition to offer instruction to participants. The results revealed that 3D pedagogical agents provided more benefits to students learning science than other instructional approaches, such as reading a text. The results are discussed, and suggestions for future research are delineated.