e-Learning and the Science of Instruction, 5th Edition

15Applying the Personalization PrincipleUSE CONVERSATIONAL STYLE, POLITE WORDING, FRIENDLY VOICE, ON-SCREEN AGENTS, AND SOCIAL PRESENCE IN E-LEARNING

CHAPTER OUTLINE

• Personalization Principle 1: Use Conversational Rather Than Formal Style
  • Psychological Reasons for the Personalization Principle
  • Evidence for Using a Conversational Style
• Personalization Principle 2: Use Polite Wording
  • Evidence for Use of Polite Language
• Personalization Principle 3: Use a Friendly Human Voice Quality for Narrations
  • Evidence for the Use of Friendly Human Voice
• Can On-Screen Agents Promote Learning in Asynchronous e-Learning?
  • What Are Pedagogical Agents?
  • The Psychology of Pedagogical Agents
  • Can Agents Promote Learning?
  • What Actions Should Agents Perform?
  • Do Agents Need to Look Real?
  • Do Agents Need to Sound Real?
• How Can Instructors in Video Lessons Leverage Personalization?
• What We Don’t Know about Personalization

CHAPTER SUMMARY

IN this chapter we summarize the empirical evidence that supports the personalization principle—in other words, that some people learn better when e-learning environments use a conversational, polite, and friendly style of writing or speaking (including using first- and second-person language) for instruction, feedback, and advice. We also explore ongoing evidence for how to use on-screen pedagogical agents, focusing on the instructional roles agents can serve. With higher reliance on instructor-led virtual classrooms, emerging evidence also suggests ...