Animation Demonstration Research Articles

Learner control, segmenting, and modality effects in animated demonstrations used as the before-class instructions in the flipped classroom

ABSTRACT Multimedia principles such as segmentation, learner control, and modality have been proposed to ensure animated demonstrations (AD) effectiveness. However, several studies that apply multimedia principles in different learning contexts with different learners have found boundary conditions for several effects. This study thus aimed to investigate different levels of learner control, segmenting, and modality effects on learning and cognitive load when AD was used as the before-class instructions in the flipped classroom, in which the boundary conditions include self-pacing and sufficient learning time. Two experiments (low control vs. high control) were conducted with a 2 × 2 (segmentation: nonsegmented vs. segmented; modality: narrated vs. captioned) between-subjects ANOVA design. A supplementary analysis across the two experiments was further conducted to distinguish between the main effects of learner control and segmentation. The findings of this study have important implications for the design of before-class instructions to enhance student engagement and understanding.

Cognitive support for learning computer-based tasks using animated demonstration

This study investigated the influence of cognitive support for learning computer-based tasks using animated demonstration (AD) on instructional efficiency. Cognitive support included (1) segmentation and learner control introducing interactive devices that allow content sequencing through a navigational menu, and content pacing through stop and play buttons along with a slide bar for fast forward and rewind; (2) presentation modality and (3) a hybrid approach using a combined format of ADs with static graphics. Instructional efficiency was a combined effect of time-on-task during the learning phase and test performance. Time-on-task was included as a measurement to determine whether this would provide an alternative explanation for the benefits of learner control. Three learner-paced conditions with different types of cognitive support were developed, whereas a system-paced format, created without additional cognitive support, was used as a control condition. The learning task of this study was using graphic vector-based software Bezier tools to trace a cartoon. The results tended to suggest that the combination of different types of cognitive support (i.e. presenting the accompanying explanations as written captions to the learner-paced AD in visual-only instruction or combining learner-paced AD with static graphics in dual-modality instruction) had a positive effect, while learner pacing alone had not a significant positive effect.