The Effect of More and Less Relevant Details and Teacher Voice on Student Retention and Problem-Solving Transfer in Teacher-Created Multimedia

Many teachers create multimedia resources for their students, but most are uncertain as to what factors to consider regarding the design of multimedia instructional materials. Prior research identified instructional design principles for multimedia including the coherence principle and voice principle. The purpose of this study was to test the coherence principle in a realistic setting using a heterogeneous group of ninth grade students in a humanities course to determine the effect of seductive details on retention and problem-solving transfer. To extend understanding of the voice principle, this study examined the effect of the teacher’s voice on student learning as measured by retention and problem-solving transfer. Additionally, the study explored the relationship between prior knowledge, retention, and problem-solving transfer. Accordingly, the study, a 2 x 2 factorial design used a convenience sample of 134 ninth grade students enrolled in a Christian Sexuality course in an urban, co-ed high school in the San Francisco Bay Area. Students were randomly assigned to one of four groups for the four multimedia packages delivered over a month: No Seductive Details/Teacher Voice, No Seductive Details/Different Teacher Voice, Seductive Details/ Teacher Voice, or Seductive Details/ Different Teacher Voice. Students completed a prior knowledge inventory first and a retention inventory and problem-solving transfer inventory after each multimedia package. Eight two-way ANOVAs were conducted to determine differences in performance between the groups. One statistically significant main effect for the seductive details condition, F(1, 121) = 4.32, p \u3c .05 , d = 0.36 , was observed for problem-solving transfer in Video 1. In contrast to prior research conducted in laboratory settings, there was no seductive details effect observed. No statistically significant differences for voice were observed, but the descriptive statistics revealed a trend of improving scores for both retention and transfer for different teacher voice suggesting that social agency theory does not explain previous voice principle research. Prior knowledge was positively associated with transfer for teacher’s voice and with retention with different teacher’s voice

Fixation-related EEG frequency band power analysis: A promising methodology for studying instructional design effects of multimedia learning material

During the last decade the combined recording of eye-tracking data and electroencephalographic (EEG) data has led to the methodology of fixation-related potentials analysis (FRP). This methodology has been increasingly and successfully used to study EEG correlates in the time domain (i.e., event-related potentials, ERPs) of cognitive processing in free viewing situations like text reading or natural scene perception. Basically, fixation-onset serves as time-locking event for epoching and analysing the EEG data. Here, we propose a methodology of fixation-related frequency band power analysis (FRBP) to study cognitive load and affective variations in learners during free viewing situations of multimedia learning materials (i.e., combinations of textual and pictorial elements). The EEG alpha frequency band power at parietal electrodes may serve as a valid measure of cognitive load, whereas the frontal alpha asymmetry may serve as a measure of affective variations. We will briefly introduce and motivate the measures and the methodology, and discuss methodological challenges. The methodology is frontline for learning research, first, as to date the EEG has been seldom used to study design effects of multimedia learning materials and second, as fixation-related EEG data analysis has rarely been done focussing on the frequency domain (i.e., FRBP). Despite methodological challenges still to be solved, FRBP may provide a more in-depth picture of cognitive processing during multimedia learning compared to eye-tracking data or EEG data in isolation and thus may help clarifying effects of multimedia design decisions

The Effect of Familiarity on Learning with Video Clips Containing Seductive Details

Seductive information included in educational lessons can arouse students’ emotional and situational interest. However, research on seductive details across instructional modalities shows both helpful and harmful effects on learning. The seductive details effect describes the negative influence of interesting, but irrelevant, information on achieving learning goals. Results from studies of videos with relevant and seductive details in multimedia lessons are inconclusive. Prior knowledge of target information has been shown to moderate the seductive details effect. In this study, the moderating effect of prior exposure to, or familiarity with, seductive, rather than target, information was explored using a multifactorial design. The experiment was conducted with high school psychology students who viewed narrated PowerPoint lessons with embedded videos containing relevant and irrelevant details that were either familiar or unfamiliar. Results from posttests including factual and applied items found no evidence of the seductive details effect impairing participant learning. Additionally, analysis using a generalized linear mixed effects model indicated prior exposure to seductive details had no significant moderating effect

The decorative images' seductive effect in e-learning depends on attentional inhibition

Two studies sought to replicate and extend the seductive effect of decorative pictures in expository text comprehension to an e-learning environment. In the first study, undergraduate students read and answered questions about two texts, with and without decorative, irrelevant images, in an e-learning course. The presence of decorative images had a small detrimental effect on comprehension. In the second study, participants read more difficult texts (low prior knowledge texts in multiple screens) and completed working memory and inhibitory ability tests. A significant interaction between comprehension and perceptual/attentional inhibitory ability was found: Participants with lower inhibitory capacity were affected by irrelevant pictures. In conclusion, evidence supported the hypothesis of a detrimental effect of irrelevant, decorative images on comprehension in e-learning, particularly for students with low attentional inhibition.Fil: González, Federico M.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Psicología. Instituto de Investigaciones; ArgentinaFil: Saux, Gaston Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina "Santa María de los Buenos Aires". Facultad de Psicología y Psicopedagogía. Centro de Investigaciones en Psicología y Psicopedagogía; ArgentinaFil: Burin, Debora Ines. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Psicología. Instituto de Investigaciones; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Inconsistent seduction: Addressing confounds and methodological issues in the study of the seductive detail effect

Introduction: The inclusion of interesting but irrelevant details in instructional materials may interfere with recall and application of the core content. Although this seductive detail effect is well researched, recent research highlights factors that may influence the effect size. Objectives: The current study discusses confounds and methodological issues in the study of seductive details and outlines strategies for over coming them. These practices were then applied in a study that examined the role of learning objectives on the seductive detail effect. Met hods: Seductive details were selected on the basis of interest and importance level and matched forword count and reading level. The 3×2 between subjects design presented 132 undergraduate students with a lesson on plate tectonics; participants completed tests on both recall and transfer. Results: Results did not reveal a consistent detrimental effect of high-interest details on core content recall and transfer. On the recall test, contrary to expectation, the seductive detail effect obtained only when objectives were provided. A similar pattern emerged on the transfer task. Conclusion: These findings highlight the difficulty of consistently eliciting the seductive detail effect. We discuss outstanding issues that must be addressed in order to develop practical guidelines on the inclusion of seductive details in educational materials

Inconsistent seduction: Addressing confounds and methodological issues in the study of the seductive detail effect

Introduction: The inclusion of interesting but irrelevant details in instructional materials may interfere with recall and application of the core content. Although this seductive detail effect is well researched, recent research highlights factors that may influence the effect size. Objectives: The current study discusses confounds and methodological issues in the study of seductive details and outlines strategies for overcoming them. These practices were then applied in a study that examined the role of learning objectives on the seductive detail effect. Methods: Seductive details were selected on the basis of interest and importance level and matched for word count and reading level. The 3 × 2 between-subjects design presented 132 undergraduate students with a lesson on plate tectonics; participants completed tests on both recall and transfer. Results: Results did not reveal a consistent detrimental effect of high-interest details on core content recall and transfer. On the recall test, contrary to expectation, the seductive detail effect obtained only when objectives were provided. A similar pattern emerged on the transfer task. Conclusion: These findings highlight the difficulty of consistently eliciting the seductive detail effect. We discuss outstanding issues that must be addressed in order to develop practical guidelines on the inclusion of seductive details in educational materials

Investigating the Importance of Detail Interest Level and Learning Objectives on the Seductive Detail Effect

The inclusion of interesting but irrelevant details in instructional materials may result in the seductive detail effect, in which the details interfere with learning, recall, and application of core material. Although numerous studies have documented this effect, questions remain about exactly when it occurs, as various factors moderate the effect (Rey, 2012b) and confounds make it difficult to interpret previous results (Goetz & Sadoski, 1995). Here, two studies examined the role of seductive detail interest level and the availability of learning objectives on performance, while controlling for possible confounds. Study 1 found no evidence for either an objective or seductive detail effect. Study 2, utilizing a revised set of seductive details, did demonstrate a seductive detail effect; however, contrary to expectations, the effect emerged only when learning objectives were available. These findings and the implications for developing meaningful guidelines for educators are discussed within the context of the larger literature

Cognitive load theory and multimedia learning, task characteristics, and learning engagement: The current state of the art

Kirschner, F., Kester, L., & Corbalan, G. (2011). Cognitive load theory and multimedia learning, task characteristics, and learner engagement: The current state of the art. Computers in Human Behavior, 27, 1-4. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2010.05.003This special issue consists of 16 empirical papers, as well as a discussion based on the Third International Cognitive Load Theory Conference held at the Open Universiteit (Heerlen, The Netherlands) in 2009. All papers focus on improving instructional design from a cognitive load theory (CLT: Sweller, 1988; Sweller, Van Merriënboer, & Paas, 1998; Van Merriënboer & Sweller, 2005) perspective. They cover a wide variety of topics in which learner characteristics, tasks characteristics, and the interaction between both are studied in, new, innovative, but also traditional ways, thereby providing an overview of the current state of the art on CLT research. The overarching goal of all studies is to gain more understanding and insight into the optimal conditions under which learning can be successful, and students will be able to apply their acquired knowledge and skills in new or familiar problem solving situations. Together, the papers comprise three ways in which this overarching goal is reached: (1) by studying multimedia learning environments, (2) by studying different characteristics of a learning task and, (3) by studying how learners can be actively engaged in the learning process. Although, the research focus of most papers fit nicely within these research topics, some overlap is inevitable. The categorization has been made on the basis of the most prominent research focus and findings of each study

Contemporary cognitive load theory research: The good, the bad and the ugly

Kirschner, P. A., Ayres, P., & Chandler, P. (2011). Contemporary cognitive load theory research: The good, the bad and the ugly. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(1), 99-105. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2010.06.025This paper reviews the 16 contributions of the special issue entitled Current Research in Cognitive Load Theory. Each paper is briefly summarized and some critical comments made. The overall collection is then discussed in terms of the positive contributions they make to the field of learning and instruction, and cognitive load theory in particular (the good), as well as problematical issues such as unresolved explanations and conflicting results (the bad) and the special case of measuring cognitive load (the ugly)