Instructional Visualizations, Cognitive Load Theory, and Visuospatial Processing

Abstract

There are basically two formats used in instructional visualizations, namely, static pictures and dynamic visualizations (e.g., animations and videos). Both can be engaging and fun for university students in the fields of health and natural sciences. However, engagement by itself is not always conducive to learning. Consequently, teachers, lecturers, and instructional designers need to utilize the cognitive processing advantages of visualizations as well as engagement to achieve full instructional effectiveness. A cognitive processing focus has outlined many ways in which instructional visualization can be optimized. Specifically, cognitive load theory and the cognitive theory of multimedia learning are two research paradigms that provide several methods for directing the design of visualizations by considering how learners process visuospatial information. In this chapter, we describe five methods based on these cognitive theories: (a) the split attention effect and spatial contiguity principle, (b) the modality effect, (c) the redundancy effect and coherence principle, (d) the signaling principle, and (e) the transient information effect. For each of these effects, examples of applications for education in health and natural sciences are provided, where the influence of visuospatial processing is also considered. We end this chapter by discussing instructional implications for science education and providing future directions for research.