Abstracts - Earli

understanding of a narrated explanation, compared to no visualisation, while there was nodifference between animated and static visualisations on learning, cognitive load, and affectiveevaluation. Similarly, van Oostendorp and Beijersbergen found no difference between dynamicand static visualisations on learning, cognitive load, and confidence, even when signalling cueswere added in the dynamic visualisation. In contrast, Hoeffler and Leutner found that a dynamicvisualisation was more beneficial for learning chemical processes than a series of either 4 or 11static pictures. Also using series of static pictures compared to a dynamic visualisation, Schneiderand Boucheix found that the dynamic visualisation was equivalent to a series of 5 pictures, but wasmore effective than a single picture or a sequential display of 5 different pictures. Finally, Seufertand Brunken demonstrated that the benefit of dynamic visualisations depended on the type ofinformation to be learned (process or structure). Confronting these complementary results willfoster our understanding of the conditions under which dynamic visualisations are more beneficialto learning than static visualisations.Do students’ verbal and visual abilities and preferences affect their learning and perceptionsabout learning astronomy with static and animated graphics?Roxana Moreno, University of New Mexico, USAScott Marley, University of New Mexico, USASixty undergraduate students studied 2 astronomy modules with a multimedia program thatincluded a narrated explanation with animated graphics (A group), static graphics (S group), or nographics (narration alone or N group). Participants were assessed on verbal and visual measures oflearning, learning perceptions, and visual/verbal abilities and preferences. This research extendspast research on multimedia effects by showing learning, cognitive load, and affective benefits forA and S groups as compared to the N group. An aptitude treatment interaction was found betweenstudents’ spatial ability and learning from A and S conditions. Neither verbal ability nor students’reported visual/verbal preferences were found to affect students’ learning or affect. The theoreticaland practical implications of these results and directions for future research will be discussed inthe presentation.Animated diagrams: Their effect on understanding, confidence and mental effort.Herre van Oostendorp, Utrecht University, NetherlandsMichiel J. Beijersbergen, Utrecht University, NetherlandsAnimated diagrams representing dynamic systems hold great potential for improving the waypeople learn since there is a direct correspondence between parts of the representation andcomponents of the dynamic system they represent. However, so far the literature failed to findclear benefits of animated diagrams over static pictures - the established way of presenting. In thisstudy three modes of presentation of dynamic systems are compared: A static picture presentation,a ‘normal’ animation and a second animated version that contains a cognitively designed featureby spotlighting the main steps. Four questions are examined. First, can we find evidence for apossible difference in knowledge acquisition between the three conditions? Second, can wevalidate the results of a previous study on animation about the difference in confidence betweenstudents on their knowledge acquisition? Third, does the mental effort of students explain theexpected difference in their confidence? Fourth, does focusing lead to less mental effort and (still)enhancement of learning? These questions are examined by making use of two different kinds ofsystems: a presentation of a dynamic system of the human body and that of an artifact. We willdiscuss the results of the experiment and give suggestions for further research.– 794 –