Pedagogical Agents in Virtual Reality for Training of Biomedical Engineering Students

Technological advancements have enhanced the development of pedagogical agents (PAs) to support the learning processes. The present work describes a new application of a PA in a virtual reality (VR) environment for the education of students in biomedical engineering. The PA, represented by a virtual physician, allows the student to analyze the healthcare system in an interactive way, favoring the acquisition of professional skills. A preliminary test was performed with a small sample size. The results show good usability and credibility, with responses from participants revealing that the PA is effective for reflection on complex healthcare systems. Future enhancement will be done on the PA’s nonverbal cues, followed by full integration into virtual environments to improve user engagement and realism.