ANIMATIONS AND LEARNING

AMIT BAHL

You enjoy watching a good animation, right? Moving pictures are hard to resist. But how well do people
learn from this format? Possibly less than you might think. When compared to static graphics, animations
get mixed reviews as an effective learning medium. But dont be discouraged. There are ways you can
make animations more effective. So there is a happy ending.

Types of Animation for Learning

Any of the animation types listed below could be potentially used for instructional purposes.

2D Animation: Creating the illusion of motion by the rapid display of a sequence of static images
or frames that minimally differ from each other.

3D Animation: Creating the illusion of moving objects rendered from 3D wireframes. Based on
mathematical algorithms, the objects can be rotated and moved over time.

Motion Graphics: Moving graphical elements and text across the screen. This is what we create
with certain authoring and presentation tools.

Transformations: This refers to animations that depict changes without movement, such as color
transformations (a person blushing) or lines changing from thin to thick (clogged arteries maybe?).

Stop-motion Animation: This refers to photographs of an object shown in a quick sequence to

create the illusion of movement.
Reasons for Using Animation

Educational psychologist Richard Lowe (2004) writes that there are basically two main reasons for using
instructional animationsaffective and cognitive.

AFFECTIVE PURPOSE

Animations will attract and capture attention because motion is one of the primary attributes of a
graphic that makes viewers take notice. Animations can also increase motivation because of their novelty.
When they are humorous, they create a positive affect.

One newer approach that may be of interest is the style of the animated information graphic. This
approach can be used for introductory explanations that may be considered boring otherwise.

COGNITIVE PURPOSE

Animations that have a cognitive purpose can facilitate learning because they provide more and different
information than static graphics. They have the potential to help a learner build a more accurate mental
model of a systems behavior compared to graphics alone (see Schnotz & Rasch, 2005). There are many
functions that animation can fulfill, such as:

1. Explaining a dynamic process

2. Visualizing things that cannot be seen with the naked eye

3. Simulating a system

4. Making abstract concepts more concrete (such as with visual metaphors)

5. Visualizing quantitative data

6. Improving ones spatial abilities

7. Depicting hosts and agents that explain

8. Telling a story

9. Creating a learning game or elements in a game

10. Construction of knowledge

The Good, The Bad and The Contradictory

There are quite a few studies that compared animation-based learning to learning from static graphics. In
these studies, the effectiveness of animation produced mixed results and some results were even
contradictory. On the down side, there were several studies that showed animation-based learning had
no notable benefits compared to still graphics (Teversky et al., 2002).
On the up side, the results of a meta-analysis showed that there were notable benefits to dynamic
animations (Hoeffler, & Leutner, 2007). In this meta-analysis, the types of animations that had the most
substantial effect on learning were:

Representational animations rather than animations created for affective purposes

Animations that focused on teaching procedural-motor knowledge

Highly realistic and video-based animations

Problems with Animations and How to Fix Them

Although animations are not ideal for all learning situations, they do have great potential. When
animations are not beneficial to learning, it is due to poor design, presentation to the wrong audience, or
a topic that is not suitable to be animated (still graphics would be better). In the problems-solutions table
below, you will find very specific problems identified in the research and solutions.

THE PROBLEM THE FIX

PACING. Researchers say that a key problem with Provide controls so the learner can slow down the
the animation format is information overload. Most animation to a comfortable pace. Allow users to rewind
instructional animations are not paced for the the animation.
limited capacity of working memory. During an
animation, learners must quickly select the relevant
information and hold that information in memory
to integrate it with what comes next. This creates a
high cognitive load that may hinder the resources
available for learning.

SPLIT ATTENTION. When an animated sequence Use voiceover in sync with the animation rather than
requires reading text and watching the animation, written text. Place labels next to the objects or process
it splits the attention of the viewer. Because the that they represent so attention will not be split.
viewer cannot attend to both reading and watching
movement at the same time, neither channel is
attended to properly.
THE PROBLEM
DIFFICULTIES FOR NOVICES. Because many
animations require the capacity for high cognitive
processing, learners who are not familiar with a
subject can have a more difficult time
comprehending the material.
FEWER GRAPHIC DEVICES. Certain "visuospatial"
techniques of static graphics, such as cross-sections
and exaggeration of important features, enhance
learning and reduce information overload. There
are no corresponding temporal approaches to
these techniques.
NOT SURE WHERE TO LOOK. It can be hard for
learners to quickly determine which parts of an
animation are most relevant and which are not. In
fact, some of the more dazzling elements may not
be the most important but will attract the most
attention.
ILLUSION OF LEARNING. Some researchers report
that students may enjoy watching animations over
static graphics. This positive affect creates the
illusion that the learner has acquired more
knowledge or skill than assessment results show.
THE FIX
People with expert knowledge usually know where to
focus their attention on task-relevant information.
Novices are not as quick to determine where to focus.
Complex animations, therefore, tend to be more
beneficial to those with greater subject knowledge and
experience. Novices may benefit more from static
graphics than from animations.
If these types of graphical devices are the best choice,
then supplement the animation with a series of static
graphics embedded that depict the key phases of the
animation.
Use visual cueing devices in animations to point out
where learners should place their attention. There is
some evidence that a spotlight cue (where less important
areas are shaded) is effective. In another experiment,
arrows were not as effective as spreading color cues
overlaid on salient parts of the animation (kind of like
ribbons). The color should spread synchronously with
important events.
Use appropriate methods to determine if learning is
taking place. Don't rely on self-reporting alone.
Conclusion

Newer technologies make animations easier to create at a reasonable cost, making the format a viable
choice for instruction. With educational researchers piecing together the data on its effectiveness for
learning, a set of design principles based on evidence is emerging. It is important to do learner profile
analysis along with the embedding pedagogical features based on inputs from real time environs before
choosing to use the animation format. Then animations will be able to meet their potential for learning.

References:

1. Hegarty, M. (1992). Mental animation: Inferring motion from static diagrams of mechanical
systems . Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 18, 1084-1102.
Hegarty, M., Narayanan, N.H., & Freitas, P. (2002). Understanding machines from multimedia and
hypermedia presentations. In J. Otero, J.A. Leon, & A. Graesser (Eds.), The psychology of science
text comprehension (pp. 357-384). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum

2. Hoeffler, T.N. & Leutner, D. Learning and Instruction, 17: 722-738, 2007.

3. Lowe, R.K. (2004). Animation and learning: Value for money? In R. Atkinson, C. McBeath, D. Jonas-
Dwyer & R. Phillips (Eds), Beyond the comfort zone: Proceedings of the 21st ASCILITE Conference
(pp. 558-561). Perth, 5-8 December.

4. Rosen, Y. (2009). The effects of an animation-based on-line learning environment on transfer of

knowledge and on motivation for science and technology learning. Journal of Educational
Computing Research, 40(4) p451-467.

5. Schnotz, W, & Rasch, T. Enabling, Facilitating, and Inhibiting Effects of Animations in Multimedia
Learning: Why Reduction of Cognitive Load Can Have Negative Results on Learning. Special Issue:
Educational Technology Research and Development. September 2005, 53:47.

6. Tversky, B. & Betrancourt, M,Morrison, J.B. Animation: Does It Facilitate Learning? Int. J. Human-
Computer Studies, 57, 247-262, 2002.