The Effects of Seductive Details in an Inflatable Planetarium

Astronomy is becoming a forgotten science, which is evident by its relatively low enrollment figures compared to biology, chemistry, and physics. A portable inflatable planetarium brings relevance back to astronomy and offers support to students and educators by simulating realistic astronomical environments. This study sought to determine if learning is improved in an inflatable planetarium by adhering to the design principles of the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (CTML), specifically the coherence principle, in an authentic classroom. Two groups of 5th grade students of similar ability were purposefully assigned using a 1-teacher-to-many-students format with mean lesson lengths of 34 minutes. The experimental group was differentiated with seductive details, defined as interesting but irrelevant facts that can distract learning. The control group ( n = 28), with seductive details excluded, outperformed the experimental group (n = 28), validating the coherence principle and producing a Cohen\u27s effect size of medium practical significance (d = 0.4). These findings suggest that CTML, when applied to planetarium instruction, does increase student learning and that seductive details do have a negative effect on learning. An adult training project was created to instruct educators on the benefits of CTML in astronomy education. This study leads to positive social change by highlighting astronomy education while providing educators with design principles of CTML in authentic settings to maximize learning, aid in the creation of digital media (astronomical simulations/instructional lessons for planetariums) and provide valuable training for owners of inflatable planetariums with the eventual goal of increasing student enrollment of astronomy courses at the local level

Do Placement and Repetition of Information in Pictorials Affect Comprehension and Memory of Medication Instructions?

The purpose of this study was to examine how text and picture pairings affected comprehension and memory for medication instructions. Participants viewed instructions on how to prepare a mock oral suspension drug. These instructions either had the picture repeat the information in the text, or complement information in the text. The text instructions were also either integrated into the pictures, or were separated from the pictures. Next, participants were assessed on their comprehension and memory including memory for the order of the steps and their belief in their ability to carry out this task effectively. The results indicated that participants who viewed the complementary format were better at remembering the order of events than those who viewed the repetitious format, perhaps because complementary pictures and text facilitate deeper processing and memory. Incorporating these factors into the creation of medication instructions could increase comprehension and help improve accuracy in medication administration

Exploring different instructional designs of a screen-captured video lesson: A mixed methods study of transfer of learnng

Digital instruction, whether in the form of training delivered on CD/DVD-ROMs or online courses delivered via the Internet is being used in all levels of education. It can, after all, increase student achievement if designed properly (Moersch, 1999). Many established instructional technologies (e.g. Microsoft PowerPoint®) have been researched to determine effective and ineffective instructional designs. However, newer technologies such as screen-captured videos, have not. Because the research of newer, multimedia instructional technology is \u27in its infancy\u27 (Mayer, 2001, p.194), a timely challenge for instructional technologists is to determine how to design and research these technologies. Theoretical frameworks on which to base these designs include Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) and the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML). Each is based on Baddeley\u27s (1992) working memory model that says that our ability to think and process is constrained by working memory limitations. According to CLT, when learning new information, working memory can be overloaded by ineffectively designed instruction. One effective instructional design technique that can alleviate cognitive overload is the integration of scaffolds that serve as a bridge between what students know and what they have not yet learned. Similar to CLT, CTML also focuses on how to reduce cognitive load, only within a multimedia-based learning environment. An outcome of CTML is the segmenting effect, in which long periods of instruction are broken down into smaller sections in order to allow for better learning. Using these techniques, the researcher designed a mixed-methods study, which combined a 2x2 factorial-designed experiment with follow-up, qualitative interviews. Learning effects were tested with 108 participants at a Southeastern university who were given one of four different versions of screen-captured video lessons. Through the implementation of instructional techniques (scaffolding and segmentation) designed to decrease extraneous load, the researcher hoped but failed to promote long-term learning. Whereas an immediate test of learning transfer suggested that the effectiveness of the four instructional designs varied, the delayed measure of transfer indicated that those initial differences were fleeting. Several possibilities could explain this effect, including information overload and lack of motivation

Online Instructors’ Use of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning Design Principles: A Mixed Methods Investigation

The growing use of digital video for online learning among US higher education instructors accelerated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic raising questions about instructors’ knowledge of video creation principles (Bétrancourt & Benetos, 2018; Chorianopoulos, 2018; Kay, 2012; McCormack, 2020; Seaman, et al, 2018). This explanatory sequential mixed methods research describes the extent to which higher education instructors who create digital instructional video for online learning applied 11 multimedia design principles of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML). The case study triangulated self-reported survey data from 55 online instructors, interview data from five instructors with the highest implementation of CTML design principles as measured in the survey, and analysis of five video artifacts. Instructors implemented the CTML design principles more often than not, but applied certain principles like redundancy less frequently. Students and personal impacts are factors that informed instructor video design decisions and implementation of CTML design principles is driven more by instructors’ personal experiences and preferences rather than knowledge of the design principles. Given these findings, recommendations for instructors include continuing to be “video stars”, incorporating more signals into their videos, checking on-screen text to ensure it is used as little as possible, accounting for the time needed to create a video, and remembering that it is not the tool, but how they use it that matters

Effect Of Personalized Instruction On The Achievement Of Solving Mathematical Word Problems

Graduation rates are negatively affected by college learners\u27 inability to demonstrate proficiency in mathematics. The purpose of this research study was to determine the effect of individual personalized mathematical instruction on the achievement of solving mathematical word problems by undergraduates enrolled in a college mathematics course. As well, the effect of individual personalized mathematical instruction on undergraduate motivation to solve mathematical word problems was also examined. The research undertaken was a true experimental post-test only, control group design that took place over three consecutive weeks. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group. The experimental group received individual personalized mathematical word problem instructional materials in week 2 only and the non-personalized instructional materials during week 1 and week 3. The control group used non-personalized instructional materials only during this time period. Each group completed a weekly IMMS survey to measure motivation. Results from the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated that there was no significant difference of achievement between group types. ANCOVA results indicated that there was a significant difference in motivation between the experimental and control groups during week 2; however, there was no significant difference in learner motivation between group types in week 3. It is recommended that the study be repeated using personalization throughout the course semester to determine if motivation is cumulative to personalization treatment

Interactive Multimedia Learning On Health Care Among Lebanese Women: An Exploratory Study

Multimedia learning greatly enhanced the learning outcome and experience of learners exposed to it. The proposed study will explore the usefulness of multimedia learning software devised to educate Lebanese pregnant women who have a low level of formal education about pregnancy and early infant care. The study will be based on the media richness theory. It is expected that through media rich programs, communication of information is facilitated, promoting the resolving of indecisiveness and ambiguity that stems out of the lack of knowledge or information about a given a subject and the inability to convey a meaning of what is being said respectively

The Impact of Game-Based Learning on the Achievement of Learning Goals and Motivation for Learning Mathematics - Literature Review

Information technologies are an integral part of a contemporary society which bases its progress on knowledge being one goal of education. Beside acquiring knowledge, skills and routines, the goal of education is to create a complete individual who can rationally and timely make decisions, purposefully react in new situations and be trained for life-long learning. In order to accomplish all this, it is necessary to make educational process more creative, contemporary and adjusted to new generations of computer literate pupils who demand quicker and more frequent interactions, a lot of information at the same time, generations who quickly acquire rules of computer games. Computer games meeting pedagogical criteria should become an integral part of learning. Teaching with mathematical computer games, which fulfil pedagogical criteria, influences pupils’ motivation, learning, retention and forgetting. This paper provides a review of literature in this field and determines whether the use of mathematical computer games contributes to more efficient realisation of educational goals at all level of education. Furthermore, considering prior research we have attempted to establish whether the use of mathematical games for teaching has an impact on the formation of a positive attitude of pupils of different ages toward the subject of mathematics, their motivation and knowledge acquisition when compared to learning without computer games. Finally, we have analysed different research methods concerning this issue and assessed the impact of pedagogically designed mathematical computer games on the realisation of educational goals and quality improvement of teaching and learning

Interactive Videos As A Vocabulary Pre-Teaching Tool In Middle School Science

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of interactive video instruction to teacher-led direct instruction for pre-teaching science vocabulary to newcomer middle school ELs. The second phase of the experiment utilized interactive videos to pre-teach science vocabulary in a flipped learning environment. This study was influenced by vocabulary experts Beck, McKeown, and Kucan, as well as R. E. Mayer, multimedia learning expert. Data collection included pre-tests and post-tests of expressive and receptive vocabulary knowledge, as well as a student survey to determine ease of use, students’ perceived learning and satisfaction with the type of instruction. Results from the study showed that expressive vocabulary gains outpaced receptive vocabulary gains and that strong first language skills were more closely linked to vocabulary gains than strong second language skills. From the study, it may be concluded that interactive videos are not as effective as teacher-led vocabulary pre-teaching and that interactive videos used for flipped learning are equally as effective as interactive videos used within regular classroom instruction