Conflicts occur when learners interact with pedagogical agents and virtual characters. Such conflicts--arising from technological limitations, psychosocial perceptions, and pedagogical inadequacies--hinder communication and interaction between virtual characters and learners, and impede successful engagement with learning tasks and experiences. To…

Findings from a study investigating students' reactions to a hypermedia program used to analyze real-life interactions indicated that pragmatic awareness can be developed in virtual culture contact situations. Similar interactive software in combination with ethnographic activities may be more effective in culture teaching and learning.…

Since past studies showing that competition has negative effects on group process were primarily conducted in traditional classrooms involving face-to-face situations, this study extends past research by investigating whether the negative effects associated with face-to-face team competition can be mitigated with the support of networking…