The effects of realism level of talking-head animated character on students´ pronunciation learning

This study intends to evaluate the effects of talking-head animation on the pronunciation of words by using various levels of realism. The evaluation is measured by using the pronunciation test after students have completed the self-exploratory coursework. The four talking-head animation coursework with varying levels of realism such as the 3D non-realistic animation character (3D-NR), the 3D realistic animation character (3D-R), the 2D animation character (2D) and the talking-head courseware using actual human character (HUMAN) were developed for testing. The research design was quasi experimental and the data were analyzed using the quantitative approach. 150 first semester students taking the Certificate in Multimedia Creative Animation course from four Community Colleges were selected as samples. Overall, the ANCOVA statistical test was used to answer the research questions, and the findings indicated that students who were exposed to talking-head animations with different levels of realism showed significant differences in pronunciations.