Abstract
The main research goal of the present study was to investigate in how far pre-training eye movements can facilitate knowledge acquisition in multimedia (pre-training principle). We combined considerations from research on eye movement modeling and pre-training to design and test a non-verbal eye movement-based pre-training. Participants in the experimental condition watched an animated circle moving in close spatial resemblance to a static visualization of a solar plant accompanied by a narration in a subsequently presented learning environment. This training was expected to foster top-down processes as reflected in gaze behavior during the learning process and enhance knowledge acquisition. We compared two groups (N = 45): participants in the experimental condition received pre-training in a first step and processed the learning material in a second step, whereas the control group underwent the second step without any pre-training. The pre-training group outperformed the control group in their learning outcomes, particularly in knowledge about processes and functions of the solar plant. However, the superior learning outcomes in the pre-training group could not be explained by eye-movement patterns. Furthermore, the pre-training moderated the relationship between experienced stress and learning outcomes. In the control group, high stress levels hindered learning, which was not found for the pre-training group. On a delayed posttest participants were requested to draw a picture of the learning content. Despite a non-significant effect of training on the quality of drawings, the pre-training showed associations between learning outcomes at the first testing time and process-related aspects in the quality of their drawings. Overall, non-verbal pre-training is a successful instructional intervention to promote learning processes in novices although these processes did not directly reflect in learners' eye movement behavior during learning.
Highlights
The present study investigates a non-verbal eye movement pre-training on learning
Whenever we report a significant analysis of variance (ANOVA) we specify the effect size by η2
Based on recent approaches to model eye movements and the pre-training principle, the present study investigated the effects of an eye movement pre-training to foster comprehension of a technical system
Summary
The present study investigates a non-verbal eye movement pre-training on learning. This instructional intervention was designed to foster the comprehension of processesEye movement pre-training fosters comprehension and functions in a static representation of a technical system. The present study investigates a non-verbal eye movement pre-training on learning. This instructional intervention was designed to foster the comprehension of processes. Feedforward trainings and modeling of eye movements were shown successful in guiding learners’ visual attention and in enhancing comprehension (Nalanagula et al, 2006; Jarodzka et al, 2013). Based on these findings, we introduce a pre-training which provides prior knowledge about motions of flow in the tobe-learned technical system by guiding learners’ eye movements in a content-free environment without verbalizing any further information. The eye movement pre-training is characterized by dynamic events through guided eye movements that should be originally and “naturally” accomplished when actively processing the displayed technical system by mental simulation
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