Investigating the Redundancy Effect in the Learning of C++ Computer Programming Using Screencasting

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether does the redundancy principle occurs or not in the learning of C++ computer programming using screencasting. This principle was discovered by Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML) and stated that students learn better from graphics, and narrations than from graphics, narrations and on-screen text. There were mix outcomes pertaining to this principle, and the result might be due to the various topics learn by the students. Therefore, the subject introduction to C++ computer programming was chosen in this study to determine whether the redundancy principle occurs or not in the learning of C++ computer programming using screencasting. A true experimental pre-test and post-test research design was conducted, and sample were 65 first-year undergraduate students (aged 19-22). Samples were chosen based on the criteria that they have never attended any formal computer programming course prior to the study and were randomly assigned to two types of learning modes. The first group received the screencasting and narration (SN) mode whereas the second group received the screencasting, text, and narration (STN) mode. Results showed that the SN mode students outperformed the STN mode students in the post-test.