Multimedia principles such as segmentation, learner control, and modality have been proposed to ensure animated demonstrations (AD) effectiveness. However, several studies that apply multimedia principles in different learning contexts with different learners have found boundary conditions for several effects. This study thus aimed to investigate…

Implementing online technologies alone cannot ensure learning. A verified approach is needed to optimize the pedagogical effect of online learning. Previous studies have suggested that the application of the modality principle in multimedia design improves the efficiency of learning by reducing cognitive load. Nevertheless, this design approach…

The effects of self-pacing versus system-pacing were examined in different versions of a computer-based learning environment (static pictures/animations). The role of cognitive style was also considered. While the variables investigated did not have a direct impact on either learning outcome or cognitive load, significant interaction effects were…

Learning with instructional animations may overstretch limited working memory resources due to intense processing demands associated with transient information. The authors investigated whether explicit instructional advice coupled with a task-specific learner control mechanism (such as a timeline scrollbar) could facilitate the successful…

This article explores the opportunities to apply cognitive load theory and four-component instructional design to self-directed learning. Learning tasks are defined as containing three elements: learners must (a) "perform" the tasks, (b) "assess" their task performance, and (c) "select" future tasks for improving their performance. Principles to…

Self-regulated learners are expected to plan their own learning. Because planning is a complex task, it is not self-evident that all learners can perform this task successfully. In this study, we examined the effects of two planning support tools on the quality of created plans, planning behavior, task load, and acquired knowledge. Sixty-five…

To be successful university learners, students need to develop skills in self-directed learning. This encompasses a range of cognitive and meta-cognitive skills including generating one's own learning goals, planning how to tackle a problem, evaluating whether learning goals have been met, and re-planning based on this evaluation. The educational…

This article presents two current research trends in e-learning that at first sight appear to compete. Competence-Based Knowledge Space Theory (CBKST) provides a knowledge representation framework which, since its invention by Doignon & Falmagne, has been successfully applied in various e-learning systems (for example, Adaptive Learning with…

Participants in the present study were 87 college students who learned about botany using an agent-based instructional program with three different learning approaches: individual, jigsaw, or cooperative learning. Results showed no differences among learning approaches on retention. Students in jigsaw groups reported higher cognitive load during…

"Present text accompanying pictures aurally to promote learning" is a well established principle of instructional design. But recently, it was shown that under certain conditions visual texts can be preferable. Instructional pacing seems to be one of these conditions that mediate effects. Especially, enabling learners to pace an…

This fourth in a series of edited transcripts based on a conference at Utah State University compares Gagne's Conditions of Learning with Merrill's Component Display/Design Theory, and suggests a merging of the two. Topics discussed include content structures, learning hierarchies, learning theories, learner control, problem solving, cognitive…

Attributes of multimedia learning resources are explored, considering the physical resources, the learners, and the instructional design factors that appear to be crucial in determining interactive capability and potential for instruction. The first significant dimension that is discussed is the sensory dimension, which includes structural media…

Several instructional features facilitate the development of metacognitive and self-directed learning skills, and disposition to lifelong learning: student autonomy, responsibility, and intentionality; intrinsically motivating activities; enculturation; discourse and collaboration among learners; and reflection. Describes and presents examples of…

This paper rejects the hardware-based "levels of interaction" made popular in interactive video literature to describe human-machine interaction in favor of a new taxonomy of learner-media interaction based on the type of cognitive engagement experienced by learners. Interaction can be described on three levels, based on the quality of…

Examines the issue of help devices for students in hypermedia environments according to the learning context and cognitive processes involved. Describes three main types of learning situations--learning-by-doing, learning-by-instruction, learning-by-exploring--and explores the main cognitive processes involved in them. Discusses specific types of…