Multimedia Learning

Paper-based Aids for Learning with a Computer-based Game

by Logan Fiorella

Published in the Journal of Educational Psychology

Review of the Research Literature on the Impact of Multimedia Revision Web Materials

by Nicola Whitton

Integration of learning style theory in an adaptive educational hypermedia (AEH) system

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

Full citation:
Brown, Elizabeth and Brailsford, Tim (2004). Integration of learning style theory in an adaptive educational hypermedia (AEH) system. Paper presented at the 11th International Conference of the Association for Learning Technology (ALT-C 2004), 14-16 Sept 2004, Exeter, UK

Adaptive educational hypermedia (AEH - a branch of web-based learning) systems seek to personalise the learning... more Adaptive educational hypermedia (AEH - a branch of web-based learning) systems seek to personalise the learning experience for their users. User modelling can be performed using various criteria, such as prior ability or domain-specific knowledge, in systems such as WHURLE, AHA! and MOT. Information about the user, forming a user profile, are usually stored in a database, and integrated with the AEH learning environment. The learner is then presented with material that is best suited to them, with adaptation occurring at either the content or link level, or both.

WHURLE (Web-based Hierarchical Universal Reactive Learning Environment) is an AEH system that has been used with many types of students. It is a hypermedia-rich educational tool, suitable for all subjects, that seeks to address the pedagogical limitations of existing commercial Virtual Learning Environments. Its current user model is broadly based upon domain-specific knowledge. Investigations are under way to implement a user model based on learning style theory. This may be integrated with the early user model, or developed simply as a stand-alone module. Uniquely, WHURLE can change the user model used, as it is not a 'hard-wired' part of the system, but rather a component that can easily be interchanged.

Learning style theory advocates that since individuals are all different, they should learn in different ways; this suggests a natural integration with the principles of adaptive educational tools. There are many different learning styles in use around the world, such as the Dunn and Dunn model, Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, Kolb's theory of experiential learning and Riding and Rayner's Cognitive Styles Analysis. We will be discussing how we have implemented the Felder-Silverman Inventory of Learning Styles into the WHURLE architecture in an attempt to enhance the learning experience for users.

Metacomprehension judgments reflect the belief that diagrams improve learning from text

by Michael Serra

Diagrams increase the recall of non-depicted text when understanding is also increased

by Michael Serra

Leveraging the Power of Web 2.0 Tools: A Wiki Platform as a Multimedia Teaching and Learning Environment in Dental Education

by Florin D. Salajan

This article presents the development and implementation of a wiki-based application for the delivery of educational... more This article presents the development and implementation of a wiki-based application for the delivery of educational content in dentistry. The Dental Procedure Education System (DPES) is a new web application that uses SharePoint to combine online collaborative authoring characteristic of wiki spaces with instructional video documentaries. Harnessing the wiki’s versatility, DPES offers faculty members an avenue to develop an authoritative source of information for both students, through DPES Pro, and the public at large, through DPES Public. Principles of cognitive theory of multimedia learning, constructivist theory, and collaborative writing were employed in the development of DPES. An authoring protocol, with a clearly defined sequence of steps, was established in order to keep the production of the DPES procedures consistent and predictable. Initial, anecdotal user reports indicate that DPES is well received among dental students and faculty members. Expected outcomes and benefits of DPES use are discussed, and directions for research are proposed.

PhD thesis: The Use of Learning Styles in Adaptive Hypermedia

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

PhD thesis submitted to the University of Nottingham (School of Computer Science), October 2007.

Full citation:
Brown, Elizabeth (2007) The use of learning styles in adaptive hypermedia. PhD thesis. University of Nottingham: UK.

Computer-based learning has become a common phenomenon in the modern age. Many distance-learning systems distribute... more Computer-based learning has become a common phenomenon in the modern age. Many distance-learning systems distribute educational resources on the Internet and indeed entire study programmes are now widely available online. Such a large amount of content and information can be intimidating to learners, who may exhibit different individual characteristics, such as variation in goals, interests, motivation and/or learning preferences. This suggests that a uniform approach taken by learning environments to deliver materials and resources to students is not appropriate and that personalisation of such materials/resources should address users’ differences to provide a customised learning experience, thus enhancing its effectiveness, lowering drop-out rates and maintaining high student motivation.

This thesis addresses the latter issue of learning preferences, specifically investigating learning styles as an adaptation mechanism for personalised computer-based learning. A number of previous studies indicated the positive effect that this kind of adaptation provides, but under closer examination these were not conducted in a scientifically rigorous manner and thus their findings are somewhat limited. This research utilises a quantitative and highly objective approach to investigate visual/verbal and sequential/global learning styles in different user groups. Three user trials were carried out to discover whether there were any benefits to using these learning styles for studying in an adapted environment.

Overall, no statistically significant benefits were found and these findings now shed doubt as to whether learning styles are indeed an effective mechanism for personalised learning.

Adapting for visual and verbal learning styles in AEH

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

Full citation:
Brown, E., Stewart, C. & T. Brailsford (2006) Adapting for visual and verbal learning styles in AEH. Proceedings of the Sixth IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT 2006), Kerkrade, The Netherlands, 5-7 July 2006, pp1145-1146. [Awarded Best Paper Award in the Adaptive Web-Based Education and Learning Styles (AWELS) workshop]

This paper describes how visual and verbal learning styles have been successfully integrated into an adaptive... more This paper describes how visual and verbal learning styles have been successfully integrated into an adaptive educational environment. User trials of this system were carried out, to determine the effect of the adaptation, and although these user trials do not indicate any statistically significant differences, the qualitative information gleaned from the study indicated that students preferred using this environment over other traditional revision methods, and that they perceived personalized tuition to be better than a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

Reappraising cognitive styles in adaptive web applications

by Elizabeth FitzGerald (née Brown)

Full citation:
Brown, E., Brailsford, T., Fisher, T., Moore, A. and H. Ashman (2006) Reappraising cognitive styles in adaptive web applications. Proceedings of the 15th International World Wide Web Conference (WWW2006), Edinburgh, UK, 22-26 May 2006, pp327-335.

The mechanisms for personalisation used in web applications are currently the subject of much debate amongst... more The mechanisms for personalisation used in web applications are currently the subject of much debate amongst researchers from many diverse subject areas. One of the most contemporary ideas for user modelling in web applications is that of cognitive styles, where a user’s psychological preferences are assessed stored in a database and then used to provide personalised content and/or links. We describe user trials of a case study that utilises visual-verbal preferences in an adaptive web-based educational system (AWBES). Students in this trial were assessed by the Felder-Solomon Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS) instrument, and their preferences were used as a means of content personalisation.

Contrary to previous findings by other researchers, we found no significant differences in performance between matched and mismatched students. Conclusions are drawn about the value and validity of using cognitive styles as a way of modelling user preferences in educational web applications.

Engage Project: Sharing Experience from Game Based Learning Dissemination Workshops

by Jose Luis Soler

From elearning papers.

With this contribution, rather than providing definitive solutions, we intend to share knowledge obtained from the... more With this contribution, rather than providing definitive solutions, we intend to share knowledge obtained from the cross sectoral implementation of more than 15 workshops carried out as part of ENGAGE portal activities.
We hope our reflections on what contributes to the success of a workshop and our discussion of some of the challenges that might emerge, may be helpful for those willing to use workshops as a methodology to promote Game Based Learning with teachers/trainers in a particular context.

Exploring the feasibility of an online contextualised animation‐based questionnaire for educational survey

by Yu-Ta Chien

Chien, Y. T. & Chang, C. Y. (2010). Exploring the feasibility of an online contextualized animation-based questionnaire for educational survey. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(5), E104-E109.

In order to explore students’ expectations of future classroom, we designed an online contextualized animation-based... more In order to explore students’ expectations of future classroom, we designed an online contextualized animation-based questionnaire (ABQ) to visually present the question context. We then compared ABQ results with traditional paper-based questionnaire (PBQ) results. The empirical results indicated that ABQ significantly changed students' attitudes positively (t = -5.580, p < .01, d = -1.096, large effect size) towards Dual/ Multiple Screens items; students had similar attitudes (t = 0.307, p = .759, d = 0.035) with PBQ towards Automatic Voice Recognition items. Most of the participants reported that ABQ helped them understand the item context in a clearer manner than PBQ (94% for Dual/ Multiple Screens item, 83% for Automatic Voice Recognition item). These findings suggest that ABQ puts items in context more vividly than PBQ, and is therefore more suitable to describe abstract or unfamiliar context of questionnaire.

Comparison of Different Instructional Multimedia Designs for Improving Student Science-Process Skill Learning

by Yu-Ta Chien

Chien, Y. T., & Chang, C. Y. (2012). Comparison of different instructional multimedia designs for improving student science-process skill learning. Journal of Science Education and Technology. 21(1), 106-113.

This study developed three forms of computer-based multimedia, including Static Graphics (SG), Simple Learner-Pacing... more This study developed three forms of computer-based multimedia, including Static Graphics (SG), Simple Learner-Pacing Animation (SLPA), and Full Learner-Pacing Animation (FLPA), to assist students in learning topographic measuring. The interactive design of FLPA allowed students to physically manipulate the virtual measuring mechanism, rather than passively observe dynamic or static images. The students were randomly assigned to different multimedia groups. The results of a one-way ANOVA analysis indicated that (1) there was a significant difference with a large effect size (f = .69) in mental effort ratings among three groups, and the post-hoc test indicated that FLPA imposed less cognitive load on students than did SG (p = .007); (2) the differences of practical performance scores among groups reached the statistic significant level with a large effect size (f = .76), and the post-hoc test indicated that FLPA fostered better learning outcomes than both SLPA and SG (p = .004 and p = .05, respectively); (3) the difference in instructional efficiency that was computed by the z-score combination of students’ mental effort ratings and practical performance scores among the three groups obtained the statistic significant level with a large effect size (f = .79), and the post-hoc test indicated that FLPA brought students higher instructional efficiency than those of both SLPA and SG (p = .01 and .005, respectively); (4) no significant effect was found in instructional time-spans between groups (p = .637). Overall, FLPA was recommended as the best multimedia form to facilitate topographic measurement learning. The implications of instructional multimedia design were discussed from the perspective of cognitive load theory.

Engaging pre-service science teachers to act as active designers of technology integration: A MAGDAIRE framework

by Yu-Ta Chien

Chien, Y. T., Chang, C. Y., Yeh, T. K., & Chang, K. E. (2012). Engaging pre-service science teachers to act as active designers of technology integration: A MAGDAIRE framework. Teaching and Teacher Education,28(4), 578-588.

This paper describes our efforts in developing the MAGDAIRE framework (abbreviated from Modeled Analysis, Guided... more This paper describes our efforts in developing the MAGDAIRE framework (abbreviated from Modeled Analysis, Guided Development, Articulated Implementation, and Reflected Evaluation) to transform pre-service science teachers’ roles in a teacher education course: moving pre-service teachers from the roles of passive users of technology, as they themselves learn technology integration, into active designers of technology. The results suggested that MAGDAIRE significantly improved the pre-service teachers’ technology competency levels. Moreover, MAGDAIRE facilitated the pre-service teachers’ critical reexamination of the affordances of technology for their teaching practices from the views of subject matter selection, motivation empowerment, information presentation, activity design, and pedagogy transition.

Exploring the impact of animation-based questionnaire on conducting a web-based educational survey and its association with vividness of respondents’ visual images

by Yu-Ta Chien

Chien, Y. T., & Chang, C. Y. (2012). Exploring the impact of animation-based questionnaire on conducting a web-based educational survey and its association with vividness of respondents’ visual images. British Journal of Educational Technology, 43(3), E81-E85.

This study developed an animation-based questionnaire to visualize the key concepts of survey questions to investigate... more This study developed an animation-based questionnaire to visualize the key concepts of survey questions to investigate students’ perceptions of a technology-enhanced learning environment. The relationship between the vividness of students’ visual images, which were stimulated from question descriptions, and their response changes between the text-based questionnaire and the animation-based questionnaire was examined. T-tests on students’ scores of text-based and animation-based questionnaires revealed that there were statistical significantly differences in students’ responses to the two questionnaire formats. Moreover, the result of the regression analysis revealed that the vividness of students’ visual images is a significant predictor in explaining the students’ response changes between the two questionnaire formats. Theses finding indicates that students interpret a survey question not only based the verbal representations they form from the question descriptions but also visual images. The questionnaire design should more cautiously take this individual difference into account. The technique of animation-based questionnaire may function as a visual aid in equalizing students’ visual images toward survey questions, and it therefore reduces the probability that students misinterpret survey questions.

Embodying gesture-based multimedia to improve learning

by Yu-Ta Chien

Chang, C. Y., Chien, Y. T., Chiang, C. Y., Lin, M. C., & Lai, H. C (accepted). Embodying gesture-based multimedia to improve learning. British Journal of Educational Technology.

The creation of gesture-based interfaces, such as Microsoft Kinect, offer students easier and more intuitive ways to... more The creation of gesture-based interfaces, such as Microsoft Kinect, offer students easier and more intuitive ways to interact with the content in multimedia learning environments than ever before. However, hardly any study has been conducted to explore the impact of gesture-based multimedia learning on students’ cognitive learning outcomes and/or its theoretical underpinnings. This article briefly discusses the theoretical underpinnings for adopting gesture-based multimedia learning, then describes how we used Kinect to embody a PowerPoint presentation for assisting college students in memorizing the taxonomy of Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, and finally explores the impact of the gesture-based PowerPoint presentation on students’ cognitive learning outcomes. The results of statistical analysis suggest that the gesture-based PowerPoint presentation had positive impacts on students’ retention performances along with large effect sizes. The embodied approach proposed in this article seems very promising to facilitate students’ cognitive learning outcomes in multimedia learning environments.

Constraints on reusability of learning objects (CSEDU 2010)

by Michael May

Michael May, Peter Munkebo Hussmann, Anne Skov Jensen, Helle Rootzén, Steen Markvorsen, Karsten Schmidt, Kasper Skårhøj & Søren Enemark: Constraints on Reusability of Learning Objects - Didactic Aspects of Modular e-Learning in Engineering Education. Paper presented at CSEDU-2010, International Conference on Computer Supported Education, 7-10 April, Valencia. Proceedings of CSEDU (2). 2010, 325-332.

A Semiotic Framework for the Semantics of Digital Multimedia (VMDL07)

by Michael May

Michael May: A Semiotic Framework for the Semantics of Digital Multimedia Learning Objects. Paper presented to VMDL 2007 Workshop (Visual and Multimedia Digital Libraries) at the 14th International Conference of Image Analysis and Processing (ICIAP), 10-14 September 2007 in Modena, Italy. Published as IEEE proceeding.

Feature-Based Multimedia Semantics (2006, Idea Group)

by Michael May

Michael May: Feature-Based Multimedia Semantics: Representational Forms for Instructional Multimedia Design. Chapter for Gheorghita Ghinea and Sherry Y. Chen (Eds): Digital Multimedia Perception and Design (IGI Publishing 2006).

A Theoretical Review on Evaluation of Multimedia Courseware

by Marina Ismail

The Components of Scholarly Multimedia

by Virginia Kuhn