Do multimedia presentations improve understanding?

A new study by Stefan Münzer and colleagues in Germany suggests that the benefits of animations in presentations are not restricted to subgroups of viewers, such as those with superior visual-spatial processing abilities or those with weaker prior knowledge.



Although animations are widely believed to enhance the learning of dynamic processes, research has not decisively found an advantage for animations over static images. One suggestion is that animations require the use of the viewer's visual-spatial processes, and thus benefit those who have stronger visual-spatial abilities but not necessarily those who are weaker in this kind of processing. Another suggestion is that animations benefit mainly those who have lower prior knowledge about the area being taught.



An alternative view of visual-spatial thinking is that this is more important for comprehending static images that are intended to convey some process. This is because the viewer must animate the static image in his or her head, a procedure which certainly does require visual-spatial processes.



Münzer and colleagues examined the effectiveness of animations in the comprehension of ATP structure and synthesis (ATP is a kind of enzyme). Thirty-four students were shown an animation of ATP structure and process, 31 were shown static images, and 34 were shown enriched static images containing arrows and representations of intermediate states that illustrated the motion of particular elements. All participants were tested for their prior knowledge and for their spatial abilities. Following the presentation, the participants completed a computer-based test that assessed recall, comprehension, and transfer, using a combination of multiple-choice and open-ended questions.



On the questions about ATP structure, there was no effect of presentation mode and no effect of spatial ability. However, students with higher prior knowledge did better on the test.
















On the questions about ATP processes, both animations and enriched static images led to better test performance than the ordinary static images. Spatial abilities did not predict performance in the animation condition, nor - unexpectedly - did they predict performance in the ordinary static images condition. The authors suggest that this last presentation mode may have just been too hard for everyone. However, stronger spatial ability was associated with better performance after seeing the enriched spatial images, suggesting that high spatial performers are better able to construct an internal model of a process when a diagram contains cues to motion.

Prior knowledge also predicted performance on the process questions, but did not interact with any of the other factors.


In sum, this study suggests that animations may indeed benefit the comprehension of process information, and that this is not dependent on the spatial abilities of the viewer. One factor that was not reported in the study, however, was whether animations benefited each individual component of the final test (i.e. recall, comprehension, and transfer).


Reference



Münzer, S., Seufert, T., and Brünken, R. Learning from multimedia presentations: Facilitation function of animations and spatial abilities. Learning and Individual Differences (2009), doi:101016/j.indif.2009.05.001.