Animating to improve learning: a model for studying multimedia effectiveness

This paper presents a model for designing experiments to test the effectiveness of multimedia in education. It is based upon a discussion of an experimental study that examined the impact of one specific multimedia enhancement-animation-on a very specific aspect of learning-the ability to apply knowledge. The prospect of multimedia as a tool that can enrich a learning environment is quite alluring. The potential to actively engage learners through multiple communication channels is, intuitively, very compelling as a means of promoting learning for a larger percentage of students. This enthusiasm must, however, be tempered by two sobering facts. The cost of multimedia production is so very great that, should it not prove effective, our educational system could be seriously impacted. Perhaps more importantly, there is little scientific evidence in support of the value of multimedia as an enhancement to a learning environment. The paucity of substantial evidence supporting the value of multimedia as an educational enhancement can at least partially be attributed to definitional problems within experimental designs. What specifically does "learning", and, for that matter, "multimedia", mean? If these terms are not explicitly defined and intimately incorporated into the experimental controls, there is little hope for creditable results. This study indicates that careful attention to defining these two terms can produce meaningful results.