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Video tutorials for software training are becoming more and more popular, but their construction and effectiveness is understudied. This paper presents a theoretical model that combines demonstration-based training (DBT) and multimedia learning theory as a framework for design. The study investigated the effects of video tutorials on motivation, task accomplishment and learning with special attention being paid to the role of reviews. Three tutorials were compared: preview and demonstration (control condition), preview and demonstration and review (review condition) and preview and demonstration and 2nd demonstration (2-demo condition). Participants were 65 students from the upper grades of elementary school. Participant logs revealed a significant decrease in coverage for video types following the preview. All tutorials significantly raised self-efficacy and procedural knowledge (i.e., task performances during training, immediate and delayed post-test), but no effects of condition were found. The discussion addresses issues concerning the design of the tutorials (overlap between video types) and usage conditions (blocked video access during training tests) that may have negatively affected coverage and the effectiveness of the reviews. A limitation of the study is that no process data were gathered that could shed light on the relationships between design features and observational learning processes.

This study focuses on the design and testing of a motivational animated pedagogical agent (APA) in an inquiry learning environment on kinematics. The aim of including the APA was to enhance students' perceptions of task relevance and self-efficacy. Given the under-representation of girls in science classrooms, special attention was given to designing an APA that would appeal to the female students. A review of the literature suggested that the best design solution would be an agent who was female, young, attractive, and "cool". An experiment compared three conditions: agent (image and voice), voice (no image), and control (no image and no voice). The research question was whether students' motivation and knowledge changed over time as they worked in the inquiry learning environment, and whether condition and gender affected such changes. Participants were 61 third-year students (mean age 14.7 years) from a secondary school. Gender was distributed evenly within and across conditions. A significant main effect of time on self-efficacy was found, with self-efficacy beliefs increasing significantly for both boys and girls. In addition, there was a significant interaction between time, condition, and gender for self-efficacy. About halfway during training, girls' self-efficacy beliefs significantly increased in both experimental conditions and decreased in the control condition. For boys the opposite pattern was found. Girls also gave higher appraisals for the agent. Students in all three conditions realized significant knowledge gains, which did not differ by gender. The discussion critically considers the need for, and design of motivational scaffolding in inquiry learning environments.