Aesthetic Stereotypes and Virtual Pedagogical Agents

Virtual pedagogical agents, i.e. computer generated characters with pedagogical roles – instructors, coaches, learning companions, etc. – are entering the digital society [1]. Extensive research has been undertaken regarding movements, gestur-ing, speech, and communicative and pedagogical strategies, but there is a Carte blanche when it comes to their visuo-aesthetic appearance: body, face, gender, ethnicity, clothing, graphic style, iconicity, etc. [2]. Only recently, some studies of the effects of visual appearance of virtual agents on learners have been carried out [2,3,4]. A. Baylor has investigated the effects of stereotype busting by designing an engineering coach as an extrovert and mark-edly feminine woman [3]. Another study visualized an expert agent as belonging to an ethnic minority [4]. The results indicate that visual design of agents can affect students ’ self-efficacy as well as their motivation to pursue studies in a field. Computer games and educational multimedia are related, as evidenced by words such as edutainment. They are also both visual media and, with respect t