Incorporating Social Oriented Agent and Interactive Simulation in E-learning: Impact on Learning, Perceptions, Experiences to Non-Native English Students

There is an unrealized potential in the use of socially-oriented pedagogical agent and interactive simulation in e-learning system. In this paper, we investigate the impact of having a socially oriented tutor agent and the incorporation of interactive simulation in e-learning into student performances, perceptions and experiences for non-native English speakers students of computer science. Quasi-experimental results indicate that there is an increase on students performance in an agent plus interactive simulations while the perceptions on agent's ability to interact and communicate varies significantly. Qualitative results reveal that the use of interactive simulations and social agent is memorable, deepen learning but provides informal communication, dissatisfaction and limited. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.) [For the complete proceedings, "E-Learn 2012. World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, & Higher Education. Proceedings (Montreal, Quebec, Canada, October 9-12, 2012)," see ED539516.]