Abstracts - Earli

P 1601 September 2007 11:00 - 12:20Room: 0.100APaper SessionMultimedia and hypermedia learningChair:Martin Ubani, University of Helsinki, FinlandDesigning hypermedia environments for learning with problems and cases: Contrasting andcomparing systems in two domainsMichael Jacobson, Nanyang Technological University, SingaporeJune Lee, Nanyang Technological University, SingaporeSeo-Hong Lim, Nanyang Technological University, SingaporeLynn Sok Hua Low, Nanyang Technological University, SingaporeThis paper discusses two studies in which two different hypermedia environments were developedthat employed a similar set of theory and research based design features for scaffolding thelearners, but in highly contrasting domains and for very different student grade levels. First, a briefdiscussion is provided of the main hypermedia scaffolding design features, such as inter-caseexplorations of hypermedia cases, conceptual mini-lessons (i.e., short lessons or explanations ofimportant concepts or "big ideas"), and case-specific conceptual explanations. Study 1 exploredhow grade 8 students in Singapore collaboratively used a problem and case based hypermediasystem to learn important health concepts related to diet and nutrition. It was found that loweracademic ability students who used the hypermedia scaffolding performed significantly better onpost test transfer problem than students who did not use the scaffolding, while also scoring at acomparable level to academically superior students in the control condition who read a printedversion of the cases. Study 2, in contrast, involved university students learning advanced scientificideas about complex adaptive systems with a hypermedia system that had similar design featuresas in Study 1. The data analysis for Study 2 is ongoing and is looking into issues related toconceptual change given complex system concepts are conceptually challenging and often counterintuitive.The paper concludes with a consideration of theoretical perspectives on learning withcontrasting cases and conceptual change and implications for the design and use of learningtechnologies such as hypermedia.Control and interactivity when learning collaboratively from animationCyril Rebetez, University of Geneva, SwitzerlandMireille Betrancourt, University of Geneva, SwitzerlandLearning from animated pictures is a cognitively demanding activity. Moreover, the literaturereports many controversial findings regarding the benefits of animation over static graphics. Somestudies demonstrated that giving the learners the control over the pace of the animation improvedtheir understanding performance. One explanation is that learners can dynamically adjust the flowof information to their level of understanding. Another type of control is involved in simulations,in which the control is provided in the content itself. In simulations, learners’ actions affect theinformation displayed rather than the pace and direction of a predefined animation. Anexperimental study was carried out to investigate whether the level of interactivity (animation vs.simulation) improved learning from multimedia instructions when studying alone or in group oftwo. No differences were found on comprehension performance in a post-test but participants– 855 –