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Personalization PrincipleSource: Clark & Mayer (2012). E-Learning

and the Science of Instruction (3rd ed.).

+Personalization Principles

1. Use conversational rather than formal style

2. Use effective on-screen coaches to promote learning

3. Make the author visible to promote learning

+Which style is more conducive to learning, conversational or formal?

+Formal vs. Conversational Style

“This program is about what type of plants survive on different planets. For each planet, a plant will be designed. The goal is to learn what type of roots, stems, and leaves allow the plant to survive in each environment. Some hints are provided throughout the program.

“You are about to start a journey where you will be visiting different planets. For each planet, you will need to design a plant. Your mission is to learn what type of roots, stems, and leaves will allow your plant to survive in each environment. I will be guiding you through by giving out some hints.

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+Which type of audio is more conducive to learning, human voice or computer-generative voice?

+Human vs. Computer Voices

Human voice

Computer voice

Students performed better when the speaker’s voice is human rather than a computer voice, effective size of .79 (Mayer, Sobko, & Mautone, 2003)

+Principle 2: Use Effective On-Screen Coaches Pedagogical agents: Animated on-

screen tutors in educational program. Example 1: Steve

http://www.isi.edu/isd/VET/steve-demo.html

Example 2: Soft Skill Training://my.adobeconnect.com/_a295153/codebaby/

Articulate StoryLine program provides animated avatars for PowerPoint

http://www.articulate.com/community/blogdemo/Hyperactive_Hyperlinking/player.html

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+StudiesStudents used on-screen

agents performed better than students who did not use agents in problem solving (Atkinson, 2002)

It makes no difference in student performance if the agents look real or not (Craig, Gholson, & Driscoll, 2002)

+Speaking Avatar: Voki

http://technology4kids.pbworks.com/w/page/24535850/Voki%20Talking%20Avatars

+Make the Author Visible Visible authors reveal information about themselves

and highlight their personal perspective (Nolen, 1995; Paxton, 2002)

Write in first person Include themselves in an example:

“Yet, least anyone become too hopeful that correlation represents a magic method for unambiguous identification of cause, consider the relationship between my age and the price of gasoline during the past ten years. The correlation is nearly perfect, but no one would suggest any assignment of cause.” (Nolen, 1995, p. 61)

+What We Don’t Know It can be counterproductive by being

distracting or condescending Which features of an agent promote learning,

such as the role of gesturing, eye fixations, and locomotion.

What types of learners benefit more than others from the personalization principle.

Need to study the long-term effect. Does the effect of conversational style diminish as students spend more time with a course?

+Personalization Principles: Recap1. Use conversational rather than formal style

2. Use effective on-screen coaches to promote learning

3. Make the author visible to promote learning