Tina Seufert

Supporting Coherence Formation in Learning from Multiple Representations

Abstract Multimedia learning environments combine multiple forms of representations like texts, static and animated pictures or graphs. Knowledge acquisition from multiple representations requires that the learner create referential connections between corresponding elements and corresponding structures in different representations. As this process is usually difficult, learners frequently fail to construct coherent mental representations and, thus, do not sufficiently understand the subject matter. This paper analyzes the effects of different kinds of instructional help on the process of coherence formation from multiple representations by learners with different prior knowledge. Three groups of university students with different domain-specific knowledge had to learn a complex subject matter from chemistry using six different forms of representation. In addition, a first group received directive help for coherence formation. A second group received non-directive help, and a third group received no instructional help. Results indicate that directive help is effective for recall performance because of its summarizing and repeating function. Furthermore, learners with different levels of prior knowledge show different reactions when help is given. For learners with insufficient prior knowledge help is not helpful or, in case of recall performance, even harmful. Learners with a medium level of prior knowledge can increase especially their comprehension performance when help is offered, whereas learners with too much prior knowledge seem not to be affected by help.

Förderung der Kohärenzbildung beim Lernen mit multiplen Repräsentationen

Zusammenfassung: Multimediale Lernumgebungen, die multiple Reprasentationen (z. B. Texte, Bilder, Tabellen etc.) enthalten, uberlasten Lernende oftmals durch den hohen Aufwand der mentalen Koharenzbildung. In drei experimentellen Drei-Gruppen-Studien wurde untersucht, ob der Wissenserwerb beim Lernen mit multiplen Reprasentationen durch instruktionale Koharenzbildungshilfen gefordert werden kann. Dazu wurden je Experiment 57 bis 60 Lernenden jeweils Text-Bild-Kombinationen zum Herz-Kreislaufsystem dargeboten (Gruppe 1: visuell; Gruppe 2: audiovisuell; Gruppe 3: visuell mit Koharenzbildungshilfe). Studie 1 untersuchte die lokale Fokussierung auf den Text, Studie 2 auf das Bild, wahrend in der dritten Studie die globale Koharenzbildung durch eine Fokussierung der Text-Bild-Bezuge unterstutzt wurde. In allen 3 Studien wurde beim Vergleich visueller und audiovisueller Informationsprasentation ein modality effect gefunden. In Bezug auf die Koharenzbildungshilfen konnte die textbezogene Hilfe textbezogene Leist...

P.I.A.N.O.: Faster Piano Learning with Interactive Projection

Learning to play the piano is a prolonged challenge for novices. It requires them to learn sheet music notation and its mapping to respective piano keys, together with articulation details. Smooth playing further requires correct finger postures. The result is a slow learning progress, often causing frustration and strain. To overcome these issues, we propose P.I.A.N.O., a piano learning system with interactive projection that facilitates a fast learning process. Note information in form of an enhanced piano roll notation is directly projected onto the instrument and allows mapping of notes to piano keys without prior sight-reading skills. Three learning modes support the natural learning process with live feedback and performance evaluation. We report the results of two user studies, which show that P.I.A.N.O. supports faster learning, requires significantly less cognitive load, provides better user experience, and increases perceived musical quality compared to sheet music notation and non-projected piano roll notation.

One More Expertise Reversal Effect in an Instructional Design to Foster Coherence Formation

The present study is in line with recently published studies about instructional means to foster germane cognitive load in a multimedia learning situation. It focuses on the effectiveness of verbally presented semantic support for coherence formation. As it is already confirmed that support for coherence formation can foster knowledge acquisition, the question arises if individual differences moderate this effect. Prior knowledge turned out to be a critical individual factor: An expertise reversal effect for transfer performance underpins that supporting instructional means does not necessarily foster the learning outcome. In contrast to low-knowledge learners who benefited from the support, high-knowledge learners were slightly hindered, accompanied by a comparable medium level of cognitive load.

Das Generieren von Bildern als Verstehenshilfe beim Lernen aus Texten

Zusammenfassung. Das Generieren von Bildern erfordert vom Lernenden das Erkennen globaler Strukturen eines Sachverhalts und unterstutzt somit Verstehensprozesse. In zwei experimentellen Studien wurde untersucht, ob erwachsene Lernende von der Strategie, Bilder als Verstehenshilfe einzusetzen, tatsachlich Gebrauch machen und ob diese Strategie durch Instruktion gefordert werden kann oder muss. Lernende sollten vorliegende Texte entweder in beliebiger (neutrale Instruktion) oder in bildhafter Form (Bildinstruktion) festhalten, um spater anhand dieser Reprasentationen Behaltens- und Verstehensfragen zu beantworten. Im ersten Experiment (n = 17) zeigte sich, dass Lernende durch Instruktion signifikant mehr Bilder erstellen und auch ihre Lernleistung steigt. In Experiment 2 (n = 38) konnte gezeigt werden, dass sich zwar die Anzahl der Bilder durch die Instruktion verbessert, nicht jedoch deren Gute. Zudem konnten die Ergebnisse bezuglich der raumlichen Fahigkeiten der Lernenden differenziert werden: Lernende m...

What's Educational about Open Educational Resources? Different Theoretical Lenses for Conceptualizing Learning with OER

In the last decade, the concept of Open Educational Resources (OER) has gained an undeniable momentum. However, it is an easy trap to confuse download and registration rates with actual learning and interest in the adoption and reuse of OER. If we focus solely on access, we cannot differentiate between processes of mere information foraging and deep sense-making activities. The article provides an overview of the OER movement, stressing emerging concerns surrounding the educational efficacy of OER and highlighting learning theories which aid our understanding of this growing domain. The authors discuss building-blocks for a theoretical framework that allows us to conceptualize the learners part in open educational practices, also characterizing challenges of open learning and traits of successful open learners.

The role of spatial ability when fostering mental animation in multimedia learning

The present Aptitude-Treatment-Interaction (ATI) study investigates the learner characteristic spatial ability (aptitude) and the variation of mental-animation prompts (treatment: no vs. mental-animation prompts). A group of high-school students (N=94) learned about a biology topic through learner-paced multimedia instruction. Some of the learners received mental-animation prompts and others learned without prompts. A fine-grained analysis with spatial ability as continuous aptitude variable and mental animation as treatment showed a positive learning effect of animation prompts in learning outcomes of processes, but not in knowledge about structures. In addition, spatial ability only modified the relationship between animation prompts and learning when analyzing knowledge about processes. Specifically, only learners of low to medium spatial ability profited from the prompts while learners with very low or high spatial ability had comparable results when learning with or without prompts. In addition, only learners with high spatial ability rated their cognitive load to be significantly higher when learning with prompts. Results align with the assumptions of the production deficiency of learners with low to medium spatial ability, mediation deficiency of learners with very low spatial ability and stable learning performance of learners with high spatial ability whatever the learning situation offers. An Aptitude-Treatment-Interaction study investigates mental animation.Mental animation prompts (with vs. without) were varied in a multimedia instruction.Positive learning effect of mental animation prompts was found in process knowledge.Specifically, learners of low to medium spatial ability profited from the prompts.Production vs. mediation deficiency and stable learning performance are discussed.

Konstruktion visuell-räumlicher Repräsentationen beim Hör- und Leseverstehen

Zusammenfassung. In Lehr- und Lernumgebungen konnen Informationen sowohl mit Hilfe von Lesetext als auch mit Hilfe von Hortext vermittelt werden. Nach wie vor ist jedoch unklar, inwieweit sich Hor- und Leseverstehensprozesse voneinander unterscheiden. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die Verarbeitung von visuell-raumlicher Information aus Hor- und Lesetexten anhand von zwei Studien untersucht. In Studie 1 wurde insbesondere auf die Rolle des Arbeitsgedachtnisses eingegangen. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass das Horen dem Lesen beim Erinnern von kurzen und semantisch wenig komplexen Textabschnitten mit visuell-raumlichen Inhalten uberlegen ist. Es wird angenommen, dass die kognitive Verarbeitung visuell-raumlicher Inhalte und der Prozess des Lesens auf Grund gemeinsam genutzter Ressourcen im Arbeitsgedachtnis interferieren. In Studie 2 wurden Hor- und Leseverstehensleistungen unter okologisch valideren Lernbedingungen mit langerem und komplexerem Lernmaterial miteinander verglichen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, da...

Development and Validation of two Instruments measuring Intrinsic, Extraneous, and Germane Cognitive Load

Cognitive Load Theory is one of the most powerful research frameworks in educational research. Beside theoretical discussions about the conceptual parts of cognitive load, the main challenge within this framework is that there is still no measurement instrument for the different aspects of cognitive load, namely intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load. Hence, the goal of this paper is to develop a differentiated measurement of cognitive load. In Study 1 (N = 97), we developed and analyzed two strategies to measure cognitive load in a differentiated way: (1) Informed rating: We trained learners in differentiating the concepts of cognitive load, so that they could rate them in an informed way. They were asked then to rate 24 different learning situations or learning materials related to either high or low intrinsic, extraneous, or germane load. (2) Naïve rating: For this type of rating of cognitive load we developed a questionnaire with two to three items for each type of load. With this questionnaire, the same learning situations had to be rated. In the second study (N = between 65 and 95 for each task), we improved the instrument for the naïve rating. For each study, we analyzed whether the instruments are reliable and valid, for Study 1, we also checked for comparability of the two measurement strategies. In Study 2, we conducted a simultaneous scenario based factor analysis. The informed rating seems to be a promising strategy to assess the different aspects of cognitive load, but it seems not economic and feasible for larger studies and a standardized training would be necessary. The improved version of the naïve rating turned out to be a useful, feasible, and reliable instrument. Ongoing studies analyze the conceptual validity of this measurement with up to now promising results.

Can Music Foster Learning – Effects of Different Text Modalities on Learning and Information Retrieval

This study investigates the possibilities of fostering learning based on differences in recall and comprehension after learning with texts which were presented in one of three modalities: either in a spoken, written, or sung version. All three texts differ regarding their processing, especially when considering working memory. Overall, we assume the best recall performance after learning with the written text and the best comprehension performance after learning with the sung text, respectively, compared to both other text modalities. We also analyzed whether the melody of the sung material functions as a mnemonic aid for the learners in the sung text condition. If melody and text of the sung version are closely linked, presentation of the melody during the post-test phase could foster text retrieval. 108 students either learned from a sung text performed by a professional singer, a printed text, or the same text read out loud. Half of the participants worked on the post-test while listening to the melody used for the musical learning material and the other half did not listen to a melody. The written learning modality led to significantly better recall than with the spoken (d = 0.97) or sung text (d = 0.78). However, comprehension after learning with the sung modality was significantly superior compared to when learning with the written learning modality (d = 0.40). Reading leads to more focus on details, which is required to answer recall questions, while listening fosters a general understanding of the text, leading to higher levels of comprehension. Listening to the melody during the post-test phase negatively affected comprehension, irrespective of the modality during the learning phase. This can be explained by the seductive detail effect, as listening to the melody during the post-test phase may distract learners from their main task. In closing, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.