Using animations and visual cueing to support learning of scientific concepts and processes

The purpose of the study is to investigate the potential benefits of using animation, visual cueing, and their combination in a multimedia environment designed to support learners' acquisition and retention of scientific concepts and processes. Undergraduate participants (N = 119) were randomly assigned to one of the four experimental conditions in a 2 × 2 factorial design with visual presentation format (animated vs. static graphics) and visual cueing (visual cues vs. no cues) as factors. Participants provided with animations retained significantly more concepts than their peers provided with static graphics and those afforded visual cues learned equally well but in significantly less time than their counterparts in uncued conditions. Moreover, taking into consideration both learning outcomes and learning time, cued participants displayed more instructional efficiency than their uncued peers. Implications and future directions are discussed.