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Crystal Island:

Pedagogical Agents for Dynamic High-Performance Inquiry-Based Learning

Researchers in this project are addressing the effects of pedagogical agents in dynamic science environments on student learning. By introducing pedagogical agents into the visually engaging environments that typify high-end game platforms and embedding them in dynamically generated science narratives, the project addresses the complementary goals of student achievement and engagement. The project will provide a comprehensive account of the cognitive and self-regulated processes and results of interacting with the agents in inquiry-based science learning by conducting extensive empirical studies with middle grades students.

Principle Investigators: James Lester, Hiller Spires and John Nietfeld