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Using Cognitive Load Theory to Develop Animations and Simulations: The Road Partly Traveled

Using Cognitive Load Theory to Develop Animations and Simulations: The Road Partly Traveled . Catherine Milne, Teaching and Learning; Trace Jordan, College of Arts and Science; Jan Plass, Administration, Leadership and Technology; Bruce Homer, Applied Psychology;

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Using Cognitive Load Theory to Develop Animations and Simulations: The Road Partly Traveled

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  1. Using Cognitive Load Theory to Develop Animations and Simulations: The Road Partly Traveled Catherine Milne, Teaching and Learning; Trace Jordan, College of Arts and Science; Jan Plass, Administration, Leadership and Technology; Bruce Homer, Applied Psychology; Slava Kalyuga, Juan Barrientos, Reneta Lansiquot New York University

  2. Goals • To design, develop and evaluate animations and simulations that support the learning of chemistry amongst students with little prior experience of chemistry. • To test the effectiveness of our simulations in functioning high school chemistry classrooms. • To integrate simulations into chemistry curricula.

  3. How to Design these Animations/Simulations? • The Learner - interactivity/agency • Cognitive elements - the demands of the content and the learner • Design elements - impact of design elements on instrumental effectiveness is not well studied • Chemistry education

  4. 1.0 Interactivity/Agency • Simulations offer learner control. The learner can test a theory (manipulate variables) using wonder/predictions by asking questions such as, “What if. . ?” “How. . ?” • Animations are controlled by the developer and provide frames that illustrate movement.

  5. 2.0 Cognitive Elements 2.1 Research indicates the existence of three forms of memory - • Sensory memory - information buffer for our senses, only small part is processed in WM • Working memory - processing of information; associated with consciousness; limited capacity, once exceeded learning is impacted negatively • Long term memory - knowledge is stored in long term memory in schemas (hierarchical information networks). Evidence of people’s schemas comes from their practices.

  6. 2.3 Demands of Content and Learner Cognitive Load, amount of mental effort required to learn, affects working memory • Intrinsic • Difficulty of content, process, practice to be learned • Cannot be modified by instructional design • Extraneous • Depends on design of instructional materials used to present information to learners and on learning tasks • Germane • Learner’s mental efforts to understand Our design goal: to reduce cognitive load by optimizing germane load and reducing extraneous load

  7. 2.4 Split Attention Effects • Learners do not perceive diagrams and text simultaneously and learners are forced mentally to switch backwards and forwards between the two • Extraneous load • Affects multimedia design • Use diagrams and narrated text because learners use different working memory • But diagrams cannot be too complex or this design change will not have any effect

  8. 3.0 Design Elements • For learners iconic representations reduce cognitive load vs. symbolic

  9. 3.1 Design Decisions Made • Sliders used to show external variables • Consistency in positioning of the sliders (under diagram of phenomenon) • Use of two dimensional particles so learners do not need to account for perspective • Consistency in use of symbols for various processes/information • Use single circles to represent particles

  10. 4.0 Chemistry Education • How should we connect macroscopic phenomena and submicroscopic explanations? • How do we need to structure our animations/simulations to ensure that we do not teach ‘misconceptions’? • Should our animations/simulations begin with theory/models or ‘real world’ examples?

  11. Pilot Design

  12. Experimental Design

  13. Testing our Model • Usability Trials • Cognitive Load Trials • Pilot Study in Schools • Experiment in Schools • Development of simulations/animations in other content areas

  14. The Challenges Ahead on the Road Partly Traveled • Further development of simulations • Experimental testing of new simulations • Integration of multimedia simulations into chemistry curricula and into the classroom practices of teachers

  15. Acknowledgements • Paola Gaudalupe, Laura Lanwermeyer, J. Reid Schwabeck, Oscar Stephenson, Jim Ma • IES Grant: R305K05014

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