Investigating the impact of pedagogical agent gender matching and learner choice on learning outcomes and perceptions

► Two experiments investigated animated pedagogical agent gender matching and choice. ► Middle-school students select agents of their own gender and approximate age. ► Matching gender impacts student perceptions, but not learning outcomes. ► Allowing learner choice among agents positively impacts far transfer problem solving. ► Choice represents learner control, increasing perceived autonomy and learner motivation.