An expertise reversal effect of segmentation in learning from animated worked-out examples

  • Authors:

  • Ingrid A. E. Spanjers;Pieter Wouters;Tamara van Gog;Jeroen J. G. van Merriënboer

  • Affiliations:

  • Centre for Learning Sciences and Technologies & Netherlands Laboratory for Lifelong Learning, Open Universiteit in The Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands and Department of Educational Developme ...;Institute of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht University, The Netherlands;Centre for Learning Sciences and Technologies & Netherlands Laboratory for Lifelong Learning, Open Universiteit in The Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands and Institute of Psychology, Erasmus Un ...;Centre for Learning Sciences and Technologies & Netherlands Laboratory for Lifelong Learning, Open Universiteit in The Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands and Department of Educational Developme ...

  • Venue:
  • Computers in Human Behavior
  • Year:
  • 2011

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Abstract

Many animations impose a high cognitive load due to the transience of information, which often hampers learning. Segmentation, that is presenting animations in pieces (i.e., segments), has been proposed as a means to reduce this high cognitive load. The expertise reversal effect shows, however, that design measures that have a positive effect on cognitive load and learning for students with lower levels of prior knowledge, might not be effective, or might even have a negative effect on cognitive load and learning for students with higher levels of prior knowledge. This experiment with animated worked-out examples showed an expertise reversal effect of segmentation: segmented animations were more efficient than continuous animations (i.e., equal test performance with lower investment of mental effort during learning) for students with lower levels of prior knowledge, but not for students with higher levels of prior knowledge.