Empowering social perspective-taking and collaboration through digital avatars
A quasi-experimental study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21452057 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Dorit Alt (0000-0001-9269-8896, Tel Hai College, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-18 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Behaviour and Information Technology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0144-929X • E-ISSN: 1362-3001 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/0144929x.2026.2635513 |
| OpenAlex | W7133864013 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 52 |
This study examined the effectiveness of avatars in digital role-playing scenarios to enhance students’ social perspective-taking and collaborative learning. Limited empirical research compared avatar-based digital and face-to-face role-playing on social perspective-taking and collaborative learning, leaving uncertainty about whether digital role-play can be comparable to traditional methods for supporting meaningful social interaction and collaborative learning outcomes. The research compared students’ perceptions in two settings: digital role-playing with avatars (experimental group) versus traditional face-to-face role-playing (control group). A total of 408 students from two public schools participated in this quasi-experimental study. Data were analysed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), and structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings indicated that students who engaged in digital role-playing with avatars reported significantly higher levels of social perspective-taking and collaborative learning compared to those involved in traditional role-playing activities. The SEM analysis further emphasised a significant, positive relationship between collaborative learning and social perspective-taking, suggesting that the use of avatars in role-playing can strengthen students’ ability to empathise with others while supporting collaborative processes. This study provides evidence that avatar-mediated environments support social perspective-taking and collaborative learning, helping guide evidence-based design and adoption of digital role-playing in education
Context (archaeology) · Field (mathematics) · Key (lock) · Perspective (graphical) · Qualitative research · Work (physics) · Innovative Human-Technology Interaction · Participatory Visual Research Methods · Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts
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Virtually better
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |