Cognitive Load in Pedagogical Agent Research

Abstract

Research on pedagogical agents dates back to the 1970s. Since that time, researchers in the field have expressed conflicting opinions regarding its use in multimedia learning. One of the arguments is that it will result in cognitive overload for students.This systematic review, guided by the PRISMA statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) was conducted on 17 studies on pedagogical agent and its effect on the cognitive load of learners. The review has resulted to two main themes identified on cognitive load impact towards learner, in learning using pedagogical agent. Several suggestions were given for future studies as to study more in measurement tools used in measuring cognitive load in pedagogical agent studies and pedagogical agent elements that might influence the learner’s cognitive load during learning.