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How multiple external representations are used and how they can be made more useful
Author(s) -
Schwonke Rolf,
Berthold Kirsten,
Renkl Alexander
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
applied cognitive psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.719
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1099-0720
pISSN - 0888-4080
DOI - 10.1002/acp.1526
Subject(s) - psychology , gaze , cognitive psychology , relation (database) , visual learning , function (biology) , cognition , eye tracking , artificial intelligence , computer science , database , evolutionary biology , neuroscience , psychoanalysis , biology
In two studies, students' difficulties in using multiple external representations were effectively addressed. In a first explorative study ( N = 16), we investigated the allocation of visual attention (as assessed by gaze data) on external representations, its relation to learning and learners' beliefs on the representations' functions. Results confirmed that students were not aware of the functions. In a subsequent experiment ( N = 30), we analysed effects of informing students about the function of diagrams in worked examples on learning, mediating effects of visual attention and moderating effects of prior knowledge. The instruction had strong effects on learning, which were partially mediated by visual attention. Prior knowledge moderated both, the effects of the instruction on visual attention and of visual attention on learning. Implications for research into multiple representations and instructional design are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.